Klaus: when a good deed changes everything

“What am I gonna do? Stay forever in this little town? Hanging out with an old woodsman? Surrounded by crazy people? Never wanting anything more?”

To tell you the truth, I don’t like Christmas stories and Christmas movies. Yes, and I consider modern Christmas and New Year per se to be no more than an annual global marketing campaign. That's why the animated movie "Klaus" surprised me in a good way. I did not expect that my husband would offer to watch it: he, too, is not a fan of "sugary" festive films.

And now I realize it was smart not to refuse! I will not dwell on the visual value of the cartoon: you will not surprise anyone with spectacular graphics. I will be focused on the plot and the atmosphere.

"Klaus" is an alternative story of the world's best-known old man. Quite unexpectedly, the narration is led not from the title character's point of view and not even on behalf of the child. The story focuses on the careless graduate of the Postal Academy, the spoiled son of wealthy parents named Jesper. The young man’s father, the head of the post office in an unnamed Scandinavian country, belatedly takes up the education of his son and sends him to establish a mail service to a remote island, lost among the fogs. There Jesper will get neither his favorite coffee, nor sweet wines, nor silk sheets. All he sees are disgusting weather, deadly boredom and aggressive residents, whose favorite pastime is massive wall-to-wall fights, but not hospitality.

Only if the number of letters sent from the post office reaches six thousand, will Jesper be allowed to return to his parental home and get a less extreme job. But what can a novice postman do, if curses are all that the inhabitants of the island send to each other?

Looking for a distraction, Jesper goes to get acquainted with the lonely lumberjack Klaus, who lives on the opposite end of the island. The mighty old man, initially frightening Jesper with his grim look, reveals two features - a huge collection of clockwork toys and a love for children. To fulfill his father’s plan for the letters sent, the guy persuades local kids to ask the old man for a gift and promises to deliver their requests to Klaus. But soon influential people of the city will find out about this, and they will not like the postman's activity...

In an hour and a half, we will see how one good deed gives rise to a chain of events that completely transforms the gloomy town and all its "crazy" inhabitants, and it looks quite believable because each of us can recall at least one or two similar stories from real life. Actually, there are very few miracles and magic in the picture. If we omit some rare fairy-tale conventions, such as the abnormal jumping abilities of reindeer, we can imagine that sometime in the nineteenth century a similar story could well have occurred, so we willingly believe in it. The movie even explains where Santa's red outfits come from.

The cartoon does not avoid serious topics, such as hostility against the background of centuries-old prejudices, the loss of loved ones, obsolete traditions that only prevent people from living, the indifference of parents to children and even the flight of talents from small cities. Humor in places is rather jarring and borders on a social satire that makes Klaus related to the famous works of Tim Burton (it seems that the restrained colors and the eerie look of adult islanders are also a reference to them).

If you want to see how reason and kindness defeat brute force, this cartoon is for you. The anger of ill-wishers "breaks off" about the ingenuity of Jesper and his new friend, and laughter and children's curiosity triumph over stupidity and obscurantism, not without reason a new life on the island begins with children. Even the school is being revived thanks to the little ones, refuting the myth that children will never learn of their own free will.

"Klaus" is a truly family-friendly cartoon that carries a charge of a good mood for both adults and children. He will remind adults that it’s good to revise some values ​​and traditions from time to time and that you don’t have to take yourself too seriously, will give children thought about choosing a life path, about the value of each, even the smallest act, and that “silk sheets” are, of course, it’s beautiful and healthy, but it’s unlikely that love for them should determine our fate. It is also important that the selfish Jesper understands the importance of friendship and cohesion - in brief, he grows up. Luckily, all these things are shown without any edification.

And also those who complain about the lack of a festive mood have a chance to feel by the end of the movie, for it's for sure very inspiring.

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4729430/
Critic: AAA