Courtesy of Netflix
Klaus is an animated Christmas film released on Netflix in 2019. Klaus is a film that shows the true meaning of Christmas. Klaus is about a mailman named Jesper Johansen (Jason Schwartzman) and his relationship with a toy maker named Klaus (J.K. Simmons) in the town of Smeerensburg. Smeerensburg is the most miserable town in the world and is divided. When I first saw this, it reminded me how American can be sometimes. It feels like everyday we are more divided. This film shows when everyone comes together, the world is a better place.
We are introduced to Jesper in the Postal Academy in some country in Europe. He's lounging around while the other carriers are hard at work. Jesper doesn't seem to care about being in the Postal Academy. The head of Postal Academy is Jesper's father. Jesper's father doesn't like the attitude Jesper has and sends him to the town of Smeerensburg. Smeerensburg is a miserable town that is known for its division. Jesper's job is to have the locals send 60,000 letters or he will stay there forever. Jesper struggles at first because no one wants to send letters to each other, since they all hate each other.
This changes when he meets mysterious toy maker Klaus in the woods. Klaus is a big man with white hair and a big white beard. Jesper convinces Klaus to give his toys to the children of Smeerensburg. Jesper sees this as a way to get the people to send 60,000 letters. Klaus agrees to do this and the identity of Santa Claus is born.
This film is not just a Santa Claus origin story, it's a film about love, compassion, and working together. Jesper and Klaus' relationship throughout the film is awesome to watch. It feels like a buddy cop movie, but instead of fighting crime, they bring joy to this miserable town. As a result of this joy, the town of Smeerensburg starts to change. The children are going to school, good deeds are done, and the town is less divided with more people coming together in spite of their differences. Christmas is about coming together with the people you love and being happy and spreading joy.
There's a quote from this film I love. "A true selfless act always sparks another." A selfless act can happen in any situation and we remember it. Whether that is someone paying for our Starbucks or any other situation, it inspires us to want to put good out in the world. It's a film that will uplift you and make you want to spread joy in your own lives.
Klaus has only been out for two years, but I can definitely see this film becoming a Christmas classic soon. Some people probably don't even know this film exists because it was only available on Netflix.
If you haven't watched this film, I highly recommend it for the holiday season and watching it with your family.
Grade: A
What did you think of Klaus? Leave it in the comments below.
Follow The Movie Nerds on Social Media:
Instagram- @themovienerds_
Twitter- @themovienerds_