Next up in our reviews of Oscar-nominated movies, guest writer Casual Patron Reviews has a look at Klaus, nominated for Best Animated Feature.
When Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) is sent to be the new postman in Smeerensburg, he befriends a toymaker, Klaus (J.K. Simmons), living just outside town. Through simple acts of kindness, the two melt an age old feud and spark a slew of new holiday traditions.
Klaus was quite the delightful surprise for me. I wasn’t at all interested in it when it came out because I figured I had seen enough cartoons about Santa Claus. But when it got the Oscar nomination for best picture I figured I’d give it a go. And I have to admit, this was a fresh and fun new take on the origin story of jolly old St. Nick.
I found it surprising that nobody had thought to tell the story of how Santa came to be, but through the lens of a completely different characters story. It was also great to see a children’s movie with such layered and complex characters but still managing to not make it too confusing for kids. This succeeded where Missing Link failed. Where I found the humor in Missing Link could not hit home for audiences of any age, Klaus could relate to all demographics.
While the animation was nothing special, the story and acting in this were fantastic across the board. Jason Schwartzman succeeded in making an insanely relatable character, Rasida Jonse’s character, Alva, was also very real and empathetic, and J.K. Simmons proves again that he is one of the best character actors in the business today.
The story was creative, new, and intriguing. It had you hooked from beginning to end. It was very formulaic, but for me children’s movies always get a pass for that. This was a very good movie which I’m sure will become a traditional Christmas time must-watch movie for many families. Definitely deserves its nomination. (Which cannot be said for most of the other animated films this year.) One of the biggest surprises of the year for me. 8/10
Casual Patron Reviews is a casual movie goer with strong opinions. Find more of their reviews on instagram.