Klaus (2019)

A simple act of kindness always sparks another, even in a frozen, faraway place. When Smeerensburg's new postman, Jesper, befriends toymaker Klaus, their gifts melt an age-old feud and deliver a sleigh full of holiday traditions.

Directors:

Sergio Pablos, Carlos Martínez López (co-director)

Writers:

Sergio Pablos (original story by), Sergio Pablos (screenplay by)

Stars:

Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones

Top Rated Movies #180 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Schwartzman	...	Jesper (voice)
J.K. Simmons	...	Klaus (voice)
Rashida Jones	...	Alva (voice)
Will Sasso	...	Mr. Ellingboe (voice)
Neda Margrethe Labba	...	Márgu (voice)
Sergio Pablos	...	Pumpkin / Olaf (voice)
Norm MacDonald	...	Mogens (voice)
Joan Cusack	...	Mrs. Krum (voice)
Evan Agos	...	Ellingboe Boy (voice)
Sky Alexis	...	Ellingboe Girl 2 (voice)
Jaeden Bettencourt	...	Krum Boy / Jesper's Son (voice)
Teddy Blum	...	Small Ellingboe Boy (voice)
Mila Brener	...	Ellingboe Girl 3 (voice)
Sydney Brower	...	Ellingboe Girl (voice)
Finn Carr	...	Ellingboe Boy 1 (voice)

Storyline

When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) distinguishes himself as the postal academy's worst student, he is stationed on a frozen island above the Arctic Circle, where the feuding locals hardly exchange words let alone letters. Jesper is about to give up when he finds an ally in local teacher Alva (Rashida Jones), and discovers Klaus (Oscar® winner J.K. Simmons), a mysterious carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys. These unlikely friendships return laughter to Smeerensburg, forging a new legacy of generous neighbors, magical lore and stockings hung by the chimney with care. An animated Christmas comedy directed by Despicable Me co-creator Sergio Pablos, KLAUS co-stars Rashida Jones, Jason Schwartzman and JK Simmons.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | friendship | post man | island | forest | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to the jingle.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

(Rated PG for rude humor and mild action)

Details

Official Sites:

Production studios website The SPA Studios Offical Website

Country:

Spain UK

Language:

English Saami

Release Date:

15 November 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Klaus

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The SPA Studios, Aniventure, Atresmedia Cine

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first traditionally hand-drawn animated movie to make use of volumetric lighting and texturing to give it a more 3D-like look.

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Goofs

When the first batch of children arrive to send their letter to Klaus, one in the middle is holding an envelope in his left hand that says 'Eirik', with 'Mr. Klaus' below it. In a shot from behind the children, this envelope is suddenly seen in the right hand of a child that is far more to the right than he should be.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jesper: [narrating] Letters. You don't really write many these days, do you? But I bet there's one you never forget. Send it off to a certain plump guy in a red suit and, provided you've kept your act together more or less, he'll drop off a toy or two. And yet, no one seems to wonder how the whole thing got started in the first place. This is a story about letters, and it began .. with this one...

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Crazy Credits

The film title has a clockwork key powering it.

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Greatest Animated Underdog Story (2020)

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Soundtracks

How You Like Me Now
Written by Daniel Taylor, Kelvin Swaby, Spencer Page, Chris Ellul and Arlester Christian
Performed by The Heavy (uncredited)
(C) Just Isn't Music/The Bicycle Music Company
Authorized by Peermusic Española S.A.U.
Recording provided courtesy of Counter Records

User Reviews

An earnest, charming fairytale

This is what this film feels like: sitting around a fire and being engrossed in a story that someone remembers from long ago. Is the plot very original? Maybe not, but it is well paced and has some surprises along the way that make Klaus special. Here, we have a sincere, funny and engaging film, that doesn't rely on ironic jokes to tie in the adults, or on the integration of modern technology to hold the kids' interest. It just tells a story.

The story is about a spoiled young man who is sent into the little backwater village of Smeerensburg to take over the post office. Jesper has to deliver 6000 letters by the end of a year or he'll be cut off by his wealthy father. After he meets the reclusive toymaker Klaus, Jesper starts to plot his way out of Smeerensburg by roping in the kids of the village. Along the way he makes some friends, changes some lives and, well, grows up.

This is, in a way, Jesper's coming of age story, even though he is a fully grown man to begin with. But this is also Klaus' growing old story. I found this apect very touching - the old and widowed hermit finds a new purpose in his life and gets to be happy for a few years yet. You do not see that sort of plotline in animated movies very often. The subplot of the warring clans of Smeerensburg was hilarious and reminded me a little of Asterix and Obelix.

Apart from the old school, but very well executed plot, it is worthwhile to talk about Klaus' technical realization. Firstly, the animation is gorgeous. The lighting is magnificent. The look is excellent. This film looks exactly as lovingly detailed as a Christmas movie should. The handdrawn animation is very effective - it gives the film a very soft and almost canvas-like feeling, while still making good use of the smooth and fast execution that CGI affords.

Klaus isn't dunked in polished, on-the-nose effects, but is, you might say, warmly covered in a carefully crafted blanket of twinkling forest lights and harsh mountain snows and accompanied by a little, gruff town of crooked and funny looking houses and crooked and funny-looking people. In Klaus, we do not encounter a string of slightly altered clones, that all have the same body type and facial features (looking at you Disney) but a jumbled ensemble of big and round, tall and bent, young and middle aged and old characters, who all look and act differently from each other.

The only criticism I can honestly think of is that Klaus lacks a little on female representation. Its central female characters, Ava and Márgu, felt a little sidelined to me, especially given the fact that theirs could have been the better story, if told accordingly. But given the fact that I still loved it, I can't really hold this against Klaus.

So, just in time for Christmas, Klaus is a thoroughly enjoyable treat of a movie that I will probably recommend excessively over the next few weeks.