Klaus (2019)

Klaus is a 2019 animated Christmas adventure comedy film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Sergio Pablos in his directorial debut, produced by his company The SPA Studios and distributed by Netflix. Co-written by Zach Lewis and Jim Mahoney, and co-directed by Carlos Martinez Lopez, the traditionally animated film stars the voices of Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Neda Margrethe Labba, Sergio Pablos (in a dual role), Norm Macdonald (in his final film role released in his lifetime), and Joan Cusack. Serving as an alternate origin story of Santa Claus independent from the historical Saint Nicholas of Myra and using a fictional 19th-century setting, the plot revolves around a postman stationed in an island town to the Far North who befriends a reclusive toymaker (Klaus).

Klaus was released on 8 November 2019 and received critical acclaim for its animation, story, emotional depth, humor, narrative, and vocal performances. It won seven awards at the 47th Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature, and also won Best Animated Film at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. The film was also nominated at the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, making it the first animated film from Netflix to be nominated for an Academy Award, as well as the first animated film released by a streaming service to be nominated, alongside I Lost My Body (also Netflix), Klaus lost to Toy Story 4, which also starred Joan Cusack who was reprising her role as Jessie from Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3.

Storyline

In 19th-century Norway, the Royal Postmaster General has enrolled his son, Jesper Johansen, into the Royal Postman Academy. Jesper deliberately underperforms in his training, intending on returning to his privileged lifestyle. Jesper's father gives him an ultimatum, assigning him as the postman of the distant, northern island town of Smeerensburg and tasking him with establishing a post office there and posting 6,000 letters within a year. If Jesper fails, he will be cut off from the family's fortune.

Jesper finds Smeerensburg comprised almost entirely by two feuding familial clans, the Ellingboes and the Krums, who have been in conflict with each other since the Stone Age. Desperately seeking letters from the townsfolk to no avail, Jesper finds an isolated house far outside of town, discovering it to be filled with handmade toys and inhabited by an elderly, reclusive woodsman named Klaus. Terrified by Klaus' imposing appearance, Jesper flees, leaving behind a drawing from one of Smeerensburg's Krum children. Klaus forces Jesper to enter the boy’s home to secretly deliver a toy, which delights the child.

Word of the toy delivery spreads to the other children, who go to Jesper the next day believing they will receive a toy if they send Klaus a letter. Jesper capitalizes on the idea to make progress on his goal and asks Klaus if he can donate his toys; Klaus reluctantly agrees, provided they operate at night and Jesper continues to deliver the toys in secret. The Krum boy's toy leads him to play with an Ellingboe girl, much to their clans’ outrage. As more children write letters to Klaus, Jesper tells a boy who had earlier ridiculed him that Klaus knows whenever any child misbehaves and only gives toys to good children. This prompts the children to perform acts of kindness, which gradually inspire the rest of the townsfolk to end their ancient dispute and make Smeerensburg a happy town. The children ask bitter teacher-turned-fishmonger Alva to teach them to read and write so they can send letters; her faith restored, she uses her escape savings to reopen her school.

Noticing that Klaus's toy supply is running out, Jesper tries persuading Klaus to make more toys in time for Christmas, but Klaus refuses; when Jesper happens upon a keepsake of Klaus's late wife Lydia, Klaus forces him away. Motivated by Márgu, a Sámi girl who can't write or speak in Norwegian, Jesper works with Alva to help Márgu write a letter asking for a sled, which he then attempts to build alone. Seeing Jesper's effort, Klaus reconciles with him and the two finish the sled. Upon delivering it and seeing Márgu's joy, Jesper is genuinely moved. Klaus reveals he had made the toys for the children he and Lydia hoped to have but could not conceive before she grew sick and died. He agrees to the Christmas plan, and Márgu arrives with the rest of her people to help. As the town and Jesper's relationship with Alva flourish, Jesper finds himself conflicted about whether to leave Smeerensburg.

Meanwhile, family elders Aksel Ellingboe and Tammy Krum form a temporary truce to stop Jesper and Klaus so the families can resume their feud. Together, they discover Jesper's initial motive and forge enough letters to meet well over his target. Jesper's father arrives on Christmas Eve to congratulate his son, inadvertently revealing Jesper's scheme to his friends. Just before they leave town, Jesper's father notices his son's remorse; after a private talk, he allows Jesper to stay. Jesper tries to stop the elders and their angry mob from destroying the Christmas toys, resulting in a chase during which Aksel's daughter Magdalone and Tammy's son Olaf fall in love. Tammy seemingly destroys the toys; however, Alva and Klaus had already replaced the toys with decoys after the town's children warned them of the mob's ambush. Still, Jesper's actions have redeemed him to Klaus and Alva, and they then deliver the Christmas presents to the town.

Magdalone and Olaf are married, ending their families' feud much to the elders' annoyance. Jesper marries Alva and they raise two children. He and Klaus continue to deliver presents in Smeerensburg and beyond for eleven years. On the twelfth year, Klaus mysteriously disappears. Every subsequent Christmas Eve, Jesper waits for Klaus, who returns every year to deliver toys across the world.

Klaus (2019)

Contents

Storyline

Sound Effects Used

Image Gallery

Audio Samples

External Links