Out with the old, in with the new, Klaus is here

Alondra Gallardo • Dec 10, 2019

I’m a huge sucker for classic animated holiday films. Growing up, I would watch ABC Family’s 25 days of Christmas where they showed one each night. My Mom loved Charlie Brown cartoons so our holidays revolved around Snoopy and Charlie Brown ornaments and home-baked cookies.

I wasn’t really up to watch another new holiday film that tried to remake or top the originals.

The thought of replacing “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas” was out of the question because it felt as if I would be cheating on my childhood traditions.

But when I saw the advertisement for “Klaus” everywhere with surprisingly good reviews, it compelled me to give it a chance.

It is no secret that holiday films have one thing in common: a warm, happy ending that makes you smile. “Klaus” indeed has that.

“Despicable Me” director Sergio Pablos brings the unexpected storyline of “Klaus” to life through the colorful and unique hand drawn animations that take place in a time before Christmas was an actual celebration and help it become the holiday it is today.

The moral of “Klaus” is this: one act of kindness can spark another, creating a domino effect that leads everyone to follow the motto of killing it with kindness. This moral nailed the holiday tradition of giving.

Jason Schwartzman provides the friendly voice of the main character, Jesper, and invites the viewer to want to keep watching his journey on his Christmas mission.

J.K Simmons and Joan Cusack provide expressive and bold voices for residents of f a miserable and violent town who have held a grudge for centuries. Schwartzman’s Jesper character aims to turn the town into a caring and friendly place.

According to IMDb.com, “J.K. Simmons gives voice to a new Christmas classic.” The public left an average rate of 8.4 stars out of 10.

Director Sergio Pablos who also directed “Despicable Me” brings the unexpected storyline to life through

On rottentomatoes.com, the audience score is 98% with the critics consensus stating, “Beautiful hand-drawn animation and a humorous, heartwarming narrative make ‘Klaus’ an instant candidate for holiday classic status.”

Compared to A Charlie Brown Christmas on rottentomatoes.com, a 94% with 8.3 out of 10 stars on IMDb.com. It is a close tie for critics but Charlie Brown will forever hold a special place in my heart even if new family holiday movies like “Klaus” hit home.

About the Contributor

Alondra Gallardo

Alondra Gallardo is a senior at San Francisco State University majoring in Journalism where she is the current Online Managing Editor for the school's newspaper, Golden Gate Xpress. Before coming to San Francisco State, Gallardo attended Contra Costa College where she was the opinion editor from 2017-2018 for the student-ran newspaper, The Advocate. There, she also contributed to the newspaper’s social media. Passionate about the Latinx community, immigration rights and social justice, she hopes her writing will shed light on topics that are not regularly found in mainstream media. Gallardo continues to pursue her degree in hopes to one day virtually tell stories through the various evolving online platforms.