We open with our main character Jesper in the Royal Postal Academy. His father, a high-ranking official, has gotten him a student position, but Jesper is shown to be spoiled and refuses to do any work. In a last-ditch effort to get Jesper to have some purpose besides his lavish life of laziness, his father sends him to the remote northern island of Smeerenburg, where Jesper must set up a post office and send six thousand letters within a year, or else his father cut him from the family altogether.

Smeerenburg is shown to be extremely hostile: cold, gloomy, and gray. But what makes Smeerenburg unique is its inhabitants. Smeerenburg's citizens are divided into two clans, the Krums and the Elingboes, who are in constant deadly conflict with one another - and have been, it seems, all throughout human history.

Stuck on a frigid, isolated, hostile island is the farthest Jesper could be from his past lavish lifestyle, and he believes all hope to be lost, wanting nothing more than to go home. After weeks and weeks of being in Smeerenburg, he's just about ready to give up, when he discovers the woodsman's cabin: a structure isolated even by the standards of the very isolated island, and living in it, a mysterious old toymaker who forces Jesper to deliver a toy to an unhappy child in Smeerenburg.

The next day, kids line up at the post office, as they've heard that if you send a letter to the old toymaker Mr. Klaus, he'll give you a toy. Jesper sees the letters and immediately recognizes this to be his way out of Smeerenburg… 

The movie is an absolute masterpiece in animation, story, and characters. Though the movie came out very recently in 2019, it has the feel of a classic Christmas movie. The movie also offers a fresh story that, while not excessively complicated, has many genuinely emotional character arcs that give the movie depth, nuance, and the occasional humorous moment. This movie keeps me watching it year after year during the Christmas season, which surprised me given its short runtime of about an hour and a half. 

The animation and character work are also incredible elements of the film. Each element and character never fails to feel unique. Even in a world of colour-coded clans and isolated snow tribes that practically dress in uniform, characters never feel like they blend together. A lot of "bad" movies today seem to fall into a trap where characters don't really have strong enough emotional motivation to justify their on-screen actions. This is opposite the case of Klaus.

In Klaus, the characters are always understandable, and their character arcs are made exponentially more impactful by their goals and motivating factors. The clan elders of the Krums and Elingboes don't just fight for the sake of it, but feel the need to uphold clan history and tradition. Mr. Klaus doesn't deliver toys because the plot says so, but because the joy on children's faces reminds him of the children that he wanted to have with his wife who died so many years ago. You feel for these characters, and know that their motivations are always genuine.

Deep themes and character work never overshadow the sheer fun of the movie, such as in the beginning when warring clans produce slapstick humour, or when  Jesper is given a reality check about the state of his life. As the movie goes on, it's also fun to see aspects of the legend of Santa Claus being made, while always staying grounded in other story elements. 

The film industry these days often feels over-saturated. Modern Christmas movies are often shallow and cliche. The movies that we end up watching tend to be classics: Home Alone, Elf, A Christmas Story, The Grinch… It is rather refreshing to have a recent Christmas movie that delivers on an original and compelling concept. 

It's an emotional and ever-entertaining experience to watch the story of Klaus unfold. I can never pick a favorite moment or thing within the film. It's simply a great holiday movie to watch: wholesome yet deep, inspiring yet grounded. I always watch the movie around the Christmas season, and I hope that you add it to your holiday watch list as well.