Watched on Netflix

I'm in a Christmas mood now and so it came just in time that I had already heard a lot of good and not much bad about the animated film Klaus, which was recently released on Netflix and which I spontaneously thought I'd enjoy watching. Cartoon would be the better word, because despite the massive use of computers, this comparatively timeless film revives the qualities of days long gone and makes clear - at least that's how I felt - how much one might have missed this specific look, this feeling. Yet, despite its animated flair the movie doesn't look like it's out of time and relies on the newest technology not only for the partly opulent backgrounds, but also for gimmicks like light and shadow, which gives it a modern esprit despite the nostalgic atmosphere.

And of course, this is, as it were, distributed by protagonist and sympathizer Jesper, who may initially be a spoiled little boy, but who nevertheless has his heart in the right place when he is banished by his father to a remote discord, in order to set up a flourishing post office there of all places. And just this first walk through the gloomy grey, almost black and white discord can be seen, especially since the scared and clumsy Jesper is of course allowed to use some slapstick moments and situation comedy, but you will still be amazed, that this is in fact the weakest part of the film, which despite the - as almost symptomatic for animated films - richly predictable plot, turns into an immensely optimistic and lovable, moving and touching Christmas movie, at the end of which one might well shed a tear.

As one might expect, Jesper initially meets with a lot of resistance and none of the grumpy and irascible inhabitants of the town wants to hear anything about his letters, so that he is on the verge of despair and final resignation, much like his fellow sufferer Alva, who landed on the island as an ambitious teacher and now makes her living by selling fish in the dreary twilight of the village. But then Jesper realises that he has not yet tried to convert all the inhabitants of the island, which is in a complete clinch, but perhaps he will try to write a letter, which is why he sets off on the arduous journey to the other end of the island, where a solitary and taciturn toy maker named Klaus leads a real hermit existence.

Although his lazy nature gives J. K. Simmons little to do at first, only facial expressions and gestures can make the muscular giant sympathetic, for he soon sets about supplying the children of the town with toys, if they only write him a letter. Jesper, of course, promptly smells the big business and forces this fact, so that at least the smallest and youngest of the inhabitants of Zwietrachting are soon on fire for the otherwise despised post office. The change, which slowly but steadily takes place in the dreary village and gradually leads to laughter, joy and at first isolated spots of color in Zwietrachting, is as successful as the rest of the film, which sometimes makes you realize that some of the ex-Disney people have found a new home here without simply copying the style of the industry giant (which turned its back on the topic of "animation" in the Pixar era anyway).

As already mentioned, the actual plot can be foreseen miles away against the wind, the development of Jesper from a spoiled nobleman's youth to a self-sacrificing postman just as predictable as the later role of the already iconic Klaus, while there is also no doubt that the embittered Alva will soon find her way back to her old profession as a teacher with newly awakened enthusiasm, but Klaus tells all this with such disarming devotion that one doesn't want to make a movie out of it anyway.

Thus, the film co-produced by Netflix and directed by Sergio Pablos is close to being the ultimate Christmas movie, but of all things, where it could have scored in addition, slight weaknesses in the overall picture can be detected, namely in the music. For some inexplicable reason, the music is more often based on modern, shallow pop than you might like, which is doubly irritating, because otherwise you could hardly tell at which time the story takes place, but that is, as so often, moaning on the highest level and I can only advise everyone to give Klaus a chance and to be careful and have some handkerchiefs ready for the tear-jerking finale.