Klaus (2019)

Klaus

• Animation is cinema. That’s all there is to it. For those of you (and sometimes myself) that think animated movies are just for kids, I’ll tell you right now that you’re wrong. Sometimes that is the case, but not in this instance. It’s such a heartwarming, emotional, and beautifully made film. Not many films focus on the origin of Santa Claus, and that’s what this one does in a fantastic way. It took me a few minutes to really figure out how it was going to do it, but it introduces Klaus in a brilliant way, and cements this as one of the best Santa centric films out there. The story was written very smoothly and very smartly. It starts in a way that seems like just another animated film, but slowly, the pieces fall together and create a gorgeous, heartfelt story. I keep repeating myself, but the way it builds up to create Santa is so fun to watch. The voice acting is brilliant, with an exceptional performance from Jason Schwartzmen. That man is able to put so much depth and warmth on his characters, which is why he’s not only one of my favorite actors of all time, but one of the GREATEST of all time. J.K. Simmons also establishes himself as one of the best on-screen Santa’s ever. The score was really good, and provides the cozy yet slightly chaotic feel that Christmas usually has. And of course, the animation is on a whole different tier. The character designs are great, the visuals of the scenery and lighting is extremely pleasing on the eyes, and the overall movement of all the moving elements was flowy and looked natural. I’m telling you, this film is amazing. I can easily see myself rating this higher next time I watch it, and I’d recommend it to all Christmas/animation fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!