Klaus Review

Klaus

Release Date: 15th November 2019 - Australia (Netflix)

Production Companies

The SPA Studios

Aniventure

Atresmedia Cine

Netflix Animation

Distribution

Netflix (Worldwide)

Genre: Animation/Family/

Comedy

Rating: G

Runtime: 97 minutes

Budget: $40,000,000

Plot Summary
A story tells the origins of Christmas. Jesper, a disgraced student of the Postal Academy, gets sent to a desolate, frozen island where no one sends any letters. He is stuck in a hostile environment, but finds redemption upon meeting a lonely carpenter named Klaus,

who gives Jesper a sense

of purpose and delivers

toys to the people

around him.

Voice Cast

Jason Schwartzman - Jesper

J.K. Simmons - Klaus

Rashida Jones - Alva

Joan Cusack - Mrs. Krum

Will Sasso - Mr. Elingboe

Norm MacDonald - Mogens

Neda Margrethe Labba - Márgu

Sergio Pablos - Pumpkin/Olaf

Crew

Original Story/Screenplay/

Producer/Director - Sergio Pablos

Co-Director - Carlos Martinez López

Screenplay - Zach Lewis and Jim Mahoney

Executive Producer - Warren Franklin

Producers - Gustavo Ferrada,

Mercedes Gamero, Jinko Gotoh,

Mikel Lejarza, Marisa Roman

and Matthew Teevan
Creative Consultant/Story

Artist - Olivier Clert
Creative Consultants - Steven

Pierre Gordon and Alex Orrelle
Production Designers - Szymon Biernacki and Marcin Jakubowski
Lead Character Designer -

Torsten Schrank

Additional Character Design - Marta Andreeva, Jorge A. Capote, Daniel Fernandez Casas and Fernando Moro

Head of Story - Edgar Martins

Layout Supervisors - Armen Melkinian and Jean-Luc Serrano
Background Supervisor -

Gabriel Gomez

Animation Supervisor: "Krums &

Ellingboes" - Charlie Bonifacio
Animation Supervisor: "Klaus" - Victor Ens
Animation Supervisor: "Alva" -

Sergio Martins
Animation Supervisor: "Margu" -

Slaven Reese
Animation Supervisor:

"Jesper" - Yoshimichi Tamura

Animation Supervisor: "Mogens" - Matt Williames

3D Animation Supervisor - David Lamas
CG Supervisors - Fernando Jareigo and

Gabriel G. Roy
Film Editor - Pablo Garcia Revert

Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording

Mixer/Sound Designer - Gabriel Gutiérrez

Re-Recording Mixer - Nicolas de Poulpiquet
Music - Alfonso G. Aguilar

Awards

2020 Academy Awards

Best Animated Feature - Sergio Pablos,

Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Roman (Nominated)

Review

Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas, everyone! You probably didn't watch KLAUS, as the movie was released earlier in 2019, before the holidays and is only available on Netflix. The film recaptures the glory days of 2D animation, honouring the likes of Disney. The minimalist animation format (as opposed to excessive CGI) has not graced the silver screen since the era of computer-animated movies. KLAUS is genuinely hilarious and heartfelt, and there's no denying this movie is becoming a holiday classic.

It marks the directorial debut of animator Sergio Pablos, who formerly worked at Disney and is one of the creative minds behind the Despicable Me series. Pablos and his studio create a movie that breathes new life into a timeless myth by giving it a distinguished look. The animation is well-drawn and beautiful, using lighting and texture to create a sense of depth, making it seem like a proper 3D animated feature. It's similar to how Sony made Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which did the opposite.

Jason Schwartzman was convincing as the selfish postman who helps bring joy in a hostile environment in the North. J.K. Simmons is notable for playing gruff, detestable characters, yet he goes against that type when he voices a lonely woodsman who would become known as Santa Claus. Rashida Jones was terrific as the schoolteacher. Norm MacDonald plays the ferryman Mogens, a witty and sarcastic character.

KLAUS has echoed the past Christmas movies and is a magical holiday movie that anyone will never forget. I hope more animated films follow KLAUS's same pattern to bring back the same old-fashioned animation style.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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