‘A true selfless act always sparks another...’
An origin story for Santa Claus. It’s an interesting one. Long-time readers will know that I used to watch 12 Christmas films in 12 days every Christmas (RIP 12 Days of Christmas Films), an endeavour that is probably the only reason why you’re reading these words now. It was the response to those articles that buoyed me to carry on, and for that, I can only apologise. Somewhere in the sands of time, I seem to recall that a Santa origin story has been tried before, but nowhere near as successfully as with this film…
Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) is a spoiled brat who only wants to be waited on hand and food and to sleep on silk bedsheets. When his rich father banishes him to the remote Scandinavian island of Smeerensburg to become a postman, Jesper is faced with the chilling prospect of having to post 6000 letters before he can return home to his life of luxury. Unfortunately, everyone in Smeerensburg hates each other and therefore has no reason to write a letter. Following an unlikely series of events, our intrepid hero joins forces with Klaus (J.K. Simmons), a local recluse and expert toymaker, in a bid to make his way back home.
This feels like one of those times when something has inexplicably passed me by. Klaus was nominated for Best Animated Picture at the Oscars and also sits proudly in the hallowed IMDB top #250, and yet it seems to be relatively unknown. Is it just me that didn’t know about this movie? Why has everyone seen The Christmas Chronicles and yet nobody talks about this far superior movie? It matters not, I suppose. What does matter is that this a truly wonderful Christmas film. I’m talking top tier. The heady mixture of hand-drawn animation and CGI makes for a beautiful-looking film, a film that harks back to the glory days of Don Bluth and golden era Disney movies. It’s sentimental without being cloying, funny without trying too hard. In short, this is a charming, irresistible movie that absolutely deserves a wider audience.
Klaus is new to me, but coming from someone who has seen pretty much every Christmas movie under the sun, this is absolutely one of the best.