Stream It or Skip It: ‘Klaus’ on Netflix Is a Visually Thrilling Holiday Treat

Netflix eagerly bounds into the animated feature film genre with Klaus, an off-kilter holiday offering from the mastermind behind the Despicable Me franchise. The visually stunning film puts a new spin on the traditional Santa Claus lore, but does it have anything new to say about one of the most prominent figures in pop culture history?

KLAUS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Ever wonder why Santa Claus drives a sleigh? Why it’s pulled by reindeer? Why it flies? Have your kids ever asked why Santa comes through the chimney when the front door is right there, or how he decided to snub naughty kids with a lump of coal? Klaus, an animated feature from Despicable Me creator Sergio Pablos, answers all of those questions (and more) in this tale about a spoiled and snooty postal flunkie who’s shipped off to a hostile town in the North Pole and encounters a grizzled, reclusive toymaker named Klaus.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The plot, where a powerful father banishes his vain son to a strange land in order to teach him a lesson, is very Thor. They even share a Nordic vibe. As far as holiday movies go, though, the citizens of the frigid Smeerensburg look and act like they wandered out of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Performance Worth Watching: There isn’t a weak link in the voice cast, which includes Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, J.K. Simmons, Joan Cusack, and Norm MacDonald. But when it comes to literally watching a character, the care put into bringing schlubby hero Jesper (Schwartzman) to life is beyond admirable. The animators have given this upgraded 2D character an entertaining elasticity that often harkens back to old school Looney Tunes. This movie is packed with jokes, most of them visual, and most of them Jesper’s.

Memorable Dialogue: “A true selfless act always sparks another.” Why proto-Santa Klaus whispers that line is initially a mystery, but it ultimately becomes the film’s rallying cry.

Our Take: Klaus is gorgeous, period. The animation, an enthralling modernization on traditional hand-drawn cartooning, is unlike anything else Netflix has released. Watching Klaus unfold, with its parade of sight gags and lush backgrounds, felt almost as thrilling as watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for the first time. This is easily one of the prettiest films on Netflix, and it’s endlessly pleasing to the eye. That’s why I’d suggest at least watching 5 minutes of the film, even if the story was a snooze.

Fortunately for all of us craving Christmas content, Klaus actually has a story to tell with that breathtaking animation. Jesper is sent to Smeerensburg with one seemingly impossible mission: establish a viable, thriving branch of the post office on an island in the Arctic Circle populated exclusively with ghoulish, vindictive maniacs. Jesper comes up with a way to rig the system when he realizes he can get letters in mailboxes by convincing the kids of the town to mail wishlists to the weird old toymaker that lives in the woods.

This is a radical interpretation of the Santa Claus text, one that includes to all the traditional aspects (from milk and cookies to his bustling workshop) while revealing their slightly unexpected origins. That does mean that the movie has a strong case of prequel-itis, as it bends over backwards to explain mundane details (thanks, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, for letting us know how Logan got a jacket). And in Santa’s case, he already has dozens of movies that do this, from 1985’s Santa Claus to 1994’s The Santa Clause. But Klaus succeeds in treading this well-trod territory because of Jesper’s unique P.O.V. and the film’s central, surprisingly nuanced message (see “memorable dialogue”).

The only hesitation I have with this film, however, stems from the very uniqueness that makes it such a captivating watch. This is a dark Christmas movie. Smeerensburg is a town built on the resentment between two warring clans, the Krums and the Ellingboes. They wage war against each other in a Wile E. Coyote fashion, with cartoonish cannons and whirling melees. But sometimes the film veers deeper into the woods, into horror territory, for sight gags that made me laugh out loud every single time but could also unnerve a more sensitive young’un. That also goes for the film’s Up section, where we find out why Klaus is a grumpy recluse.

Thankfully, the jokes, phenomenal animation, and charming voice performances keep the film feeling light and fun even when a pair of Smeerensburg citizens are carrying what has to be a dead body wrapped in a tarp through an alleyway. And the ending? No spoilers, but it might just make your heart grow three sizes.

Our Call: STREAM IT. While Klaus may ultimately be too dark and kooky to become a heartwarming holiday classic that you revisit every year, the film is a visual gift with lots of laughs.

Your Call:

Stream Klaus on Netflix