Klaus (2019) Poster

(2019)

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8/10
In a sea of generic Christmas movies, Klaus stands out
cricketbat22 December 2019
Klaus is an amusing new twist on a very old story. It's a heart-warming tale with an uplifting message about kindness, featuring beautifully unique animation, interesting characters, and a clever plot. In the sea of generic Christmas movies that get churned out each holiday season, Klaus stands out because it tried something different and it succeeded.
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9/10
Wow, we finally have a new Christmas classic
Joejoesan14 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, when it comes to Christmas movies to me there was only one: It's a wonderful life by Frank Capra. The Bishop's Wife and Love Actually are also very good but they don't have the same magic. This year I can finally add a new classic: Klaus. It's a funny and surprising tale of how the real Santa Claus was born. I love the story and especially the look of this movie is amazing. Klaus is hand drawn animation but thanks to computers it has astonishing lit scenes. That makes the journey extra special.

The story is about this lazy and clumpsy guy, Jesper, who is the only son of the director of a Mail School. His father wants to teach him a lesson and sends him to this little snowy place called Smeerensburg. Only if he succeeds in delivering 6000 letters in a year he's allowed to come back and continue his luxery life. Of course Jesper obeys: he doesn't have a choice. But when he arrives at Smeerensburg he discovers that his mission is an almost imposible one. Two rival families are at constant war with each other and will never send each other letters. But when Jesper visits his last hope, this hermit called Klaus, something magical happens. By accident this mourning figure receives a letter from a child and wants to return this nice gesture by giving the boy a present. Suddenly all the childeren of the village want to send letters...

Why does Santa always say "Ho! Ho! Ho!?". How did he get his reindeers? Does he really have a naughty book? Why does he travel on a sleigh? All those questions will be answered in this great tale of one man, Jesper, changing the fate of a town that once only knew anger and never friendship. The end of Klaus is actually quite moving.

Forget The Polar Express or all the Christmas Carols. Klaus is the real deal! Go see it on Netflix!

9/10
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8/10
Watch and learn, Disney
tarapov-92-65406417 November 2019
Very solid original story, awesome visual style and great writing. All it takes. On the contrary, reinventing 30 year old cartoons and doubling down on puritan stuff does not help.

This film deserves broader recognition - best Christmas catroon in a long long time
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10/10
It's one of the best Christmas movies I've ever seen!
evilmonkey22616 November 2019
At first I thought it would be dumb, but omg it was AMAZING! The story was awesome (I won't give any spoilers) and there were parts that made me laugh so hard and parts that made me cry. I don't usually cry during movies, but I'm sitting here writing this review with tears in my eyes. I think it is going to become a new movie to watch every Christmas with my family!
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10/10
Wholesome and Original
arcticerika17 November 2019
Klaus was a heartwarming animation with a very unique take on the "Christmas origin". I originally put it on as background noise for folding laundry but caught myself sitting on the bed for the entirety of the movie. The animation was really well done and the characters were memorable. I loved the similarities with Tim Burton films. It's nice to have a different Christmas film but that has the spirit nevertheless. One of the best Christmas animations in awhile. Great film!
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10/10
Haven't cried after watching an animated movie in so long.
mmehedihopuu17 November 2019
One of the sweetest, emotional and best Animated film of the year. Netflix please keep bringing us movies with great script such as this.
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10/10
My Christmas watchlist just got a little longer
CubsandCulture9 December 2019
Everything about this droll take on the Santa myth is inspired. JK SImmons as the title character, the animation style, the way in which the various elements of the mythos come together organically and so forth all just fit. Even the final moment of magical realism is just right. It all adds up to a heart warming tale of Christmas.

I will be watching this each year for awhile.
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Klaus
0U5 February 2020
We really missed the classic animation! Thanks to Netflix for its return. Klaus is an amazing cartoon that creates a festive atmosphere. The ending can really bring to tears.
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7/10
A heartwarming, charming and gorgeous animated movie.
Martinito_0818328 December 2019
A heartwarming, charming and gorgeous animated movie that retells Santa Clause's origin story in a new and interesting way, although it does stumble in some places, especially with it's familiar story that we've experienced before and hitting most of the same beats (but that doesn't mean that it didn't had great moments); some of the characters needed more development (like the schoolteacher Alva, who unfortunately comes out as a generic love interest, while still shines in some moments throughout the story), while others (the villains) can be considered average at best; music, which was 30% great, while the other 70% didn't stand out all that much or the composer is repeating the same music a couple of times and the dialogue was great and in some moments OK at best, which included jokes that weren't all that funny.

There is one thing that i want to mention: before i saw the movie, i read some reviews and saying that the main character Jesper has the same characteristics with a another existing character in a animated movie and that character was Kuzco from the movie "The Emperor's New Groove" and how they were too similar to each other. There is truth to that discussion, since Jesper starts out the same way and act the same way throughout the movie, but for me - he did grow on me the more and more i continue watching the movie and i started to separate him and Kuzco from one another and Jesper did stand on its own as a character.

I'll just say it, since it's the most noticeable thing in the movie: i ADORE the animation. It's so gorgeous to look at. All of the designs of the characters, the environments, the movements of the characters and the lighting are just masterfully made and the cinematography accompanies it and making it jaw-dropping to look at. If that movie doesn't inspire you to become a animator, then i don't know what can.

I'm so happy that people from around the world are still keeping the spirit of the traditional animation alive and proving to the huge corporate studios, who abandoned that technique of animation (i'm looking at you Disney), which existed for far long than we can remember is not dead and it doesn't give up on a fight. That doesn't mean that i don't adore the 3D / CGI animation that Pixar created (which i'm so grateful for that), which also creating a new way to tell stories, but it's sad that we only get 3D / CGI animated movies in the movie theater and the only way to see new traditional animated movies is on streaming services like Netflix or in festivals. Movies like "Klaus" still give me hope and that's a good thing. I'm giving "Klaus" a 7.4/10.
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10/10
I am not crying, you are crying.
kaleem_09198325 November 2019
I haven't felt this good after watching a movie. I feel good about myself. I am not kidding, I actually cried during and after the credit rolled. Thank you Netflix.
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7/10
'A true selfless act always sparks another'...
Xstal1 November 2020
As valid as any other conjured story about a benevolent old man with a fluffy grey beard. Great animation through an original tale albeit one whose characters don't demonstrate too much diversity which may leave it slightly less appealing to those not of Western European descent, nothing new there though.
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10/10
Never thought I'd give a "sappy" cartoon a 10, but what a surprise
andymhancock16 November 2019
Sure, sappiness is cute, and fun to indulge in. I thought I'd seen it all. But what sappiness was in the movie well used. The main thrust was not sappy. It was a well told story, with the proper nuances in the animation and the vocalization. I consider this movie to be for adults. You will thoroughly enjoy it.
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7/10
An early Christmas present.
Pjtaylor-96-1380443 December 2019
'Klaus (2019)' is essentially a demystified 'Santa Claus' origin story and it's as formulaic as you'd, perhaps, expect. It's also just delightful. Its predictability can't prevent it from being good and, boy, is it good. It's an enjoyable, effective and visually striking animation with a kind heart and a gentle spirit. It sidesteps the sloppy sentimentality usually associated with 'Christmas' movies in favour of, essentially, a subtler sort of the same thing. Its 'Christmas spirit' is strong but well-earned, sweet but not sickly. The movie is just a joy, in general. It's fun, fast-paced and aesthetically distinct, brought to life with a beautiful 2D-3D blend. It doesn't feel entirely typical, either, thanks to its endearingly strange setting and relatively well-realised characters. It makes a couple of very minor missteps - such as a second-act lull in pace and a slightly odd ending - but it's ultimately a thoroughly entertaining experience. 7/10
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5/10
Am I missing something?
duppyrobert31 December 2019
The only reason I watched this movie is because of the stunning reviews.... and I don't get it. This is just an average film that isn't that funny or emotional. The animation looks pretty good though. Don't get bamboozled by the 10 star reviews
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10/10
A New Christmas Classic
magdalena_15 November 2019
What a joy to watch! I absolutely loved this hand-drawn animated film, the story kept me entertained from start to finish and I'm very glad that Netflix is giving this art form a platform on its streaming service.
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10/10
Claus.
morrison-dylan-fan28 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Whilst I was vaguely aware of the title from seeing it mentioned at the Oscar's, I became aware of Klaus from seeing a large number of fellow reviewers highly praising the film this year,which led to me meeting Klaus.

View on the film:

Revealing later that he had wanted to do a traditionally animated feature film, but he wanted to see how the animation would have evolved without the switch to computer-generated animation, the 20 years spent working in various other animation departments, leads to co-writer/ (with Jim Mahoney & Zach Lewis) and co-director (with Carlos Martinez Lopez )Sergio Pablos make a chart-topping Christmas number one directing debut.

Developing the project for over a decade, Pablos and Lopez ultra-stylised use of volumetric lighting and texturing, (first time to be used in hand-drawn animation) gives the animation a dazzling depth of field appearance, with the detailed, expressive hand-drawn character animation seamlessly blending in with the thick texturing given to the background and buildings drawing a pop-up book elegance.

Later revealed by Sergio Pablos that he had improvised 40% of the dialogue,Jason Schwartzman gives a fantastic turn as Jesper,thanks to Schwartzman voicing his distinctive kookiness with a growing can-do confidence,whilst J.K. Simmons brings a merry, towering warmth in his merry performance of Klaus.

Simply having a wonderful Christmas time in a miserable town, the writers gloriously take the characteristics of Santa (such as flying reindeer)and turn them inside out with hilarious sight gags that soar with excellent drama from Jesper bonding with the locals,and Klaus coming out from the wilderness, to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
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10/10
Well done.
c-bevan15 November 2019
For my first holiday movie of the season this is a must see. Well written and beautifully done, also absolutely hilarious yet so heartwarming.
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10/10
Beautiful
dermotprendergast16 November 2019
Just watched with my kids. Absolutely loved every minute of it. A beautiful family movie that is sure to become a Christmas classic.
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lovely
Kirpianuscus28 July 2021
An old story. The fair way to tell it again. A film seductive for so many motives than it is bzarre to define them because, maybe, each viewer discover his interesting things . It is a Christmas film, with the rights to be a classic one, for the wise way to explore the manner to become adult, the hate, the changes as result of the facts of one man, about dreams and purposes, interests, generosity and love. Happily , it is more than a film about Santa. In fact, it has the precious gift to be exactly a film about his viewers. And that is just the great detail defining it.
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7/10
Klaus is good; once it gets going.
barnandkaren17 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Klaus (2019) PG Netflix

A big budget splurge from Netflix, though I'm sure they're hoping that it will be a festive favourite that viewers will return to, year after year, to justify their investment.

Klaus tells the story of an heir called Jesper who is banished to a remote northern island to prove his worth by setting up a successful post office (it makes a bit more sense in the film). As he tries to meet the challenge so he can escape, along with a kind, old, bearded local woodcarver called Klaus, he accidentally establishes all the legends of Santa Claus. It does this quite well but, damn, it takes its sweet time to get there. It's halfway through before you sense how the film has anything to do with Christmas, and it's over an hour before the C word is mentioned.

Despite being animated, I'm not really sure it will work for younger children. My daughter Libby sat in the room while we watched, but focused on her iPad the whole time. There's some lovely animation, but it needs to be funnier and the first half draaaags...

Christmas Cheese Rating: 7/10 - Eventually, we get some Christmas imagery, but it mostly avoids the cheese.

Snow Rating: 10/10 - It's set in the far north and relies on snow to remind you it's supposed to be a festive film.

Actually Any Good Rating: 7/10 - It is good; once it gets going.
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10/10
Best Netflix animated yet?
manos-8455715 November 2019
What an amazing movie ! The animation is perfect and the plot even better. Worth every minute.
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7/10
A True Act of Goodwill Always Sparks Another
ThomasDrufke27 February 2020
Klaus pretty much represents both sides of animated films in the 21st century. Sometimes you have a film with glorious animation and an immersive story that challenges the viewer. Other times, you have silly animation that feels like it's only meant for the kids of the household under 10 years old. It's a tale of two halves and Klaus at the very least, ends on a touching note and finishes well overall. The message is clear by the time the credits roll but for a while I was unsure about the direction the Oscar nominated feature was going.

7.4/10
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10/10
Best christmas movie ever
gauravleoheart16 November 2019
Yes i said it. That is a big statement to back up but i believe that this movie covers anything christmas is all about. Not just that, it is really one of the best Santa Klaus story ever if not the one.

Solitude, selfishness, hatred -- All these attributes have to stand this christmas movie and bow down to the love, warmth, kindness this story brings.

Thank you for making this one and reminding us all what great animated stories are about.
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7/10
Decent
nrjsalodkar24 July 2020
This is a story of an alternate version of the origins of Santa Clause and his gifts. The best part of this movie is its visuals. I don't know how they did it, but they are just breathtaking, even better than some of the Pixar movies.

Even though the screen time is around 80 minutes, it still feels a drag sometimes. The dialogues were not that catchy, funny or interesting for me to be engaged thoroughly in the film.

The film reaches its zenith with its emotional points and its visuals. Overall a decent watch.
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4/10
Well produced but incredibly generic
Ramdapanda15 December 2019
Klaus has a really strong opening and premise. Sadly, everything starts to fall apart about half way through where it becomes painstakingly clear how everything will turn out. Down to the lazy romance, the obvious everything is great but then something will happen so it's not great (this part in particular made no sense, but I guess it just had to be there?) Followed by a happily ever after ending (which ofc makes perfect sense in a Christmas movie.)

The characters are all very basic. Especially the antagonists have no depth what so ever. They are just bad because they're supposed to be.

Don't get me wrong, Klaus is a great movie if you want some of that Christmas spirit, but it's far from being a masterpiece or even great.
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