Klaus 2019
I don’t keep a close watch on my Netflix account so I missed Klaus until it was nominated for an Oscar for best animated feature. When I did my Top 10 list of 2019 films, two of the top three were animated features (Toy Story 4 and How to Train Your Dragon 3, both also nominated), so I wanted to see this one. The main character, a spoiled and obnoxious postman sounds a lot like David Spade’s Emperor Kuzco from The Emperor’s New Groove (looks more like Spade than Kuzco, but is actually Jason Schwartzman). Instead of being turned into a donkey, he is made postmaster of one of the worst towns in the world. I don’t think it is a spoiler to say this is a Santa Clause origin story, so you sort of know how things will go and there really aren’t that many surprises. But it is still fun and moves along pretty well even when it seems like things are about to be resolved and the movie is only half over. I’m not real sure the movie warrants an Oscar nomination, but the 2D animation has an artistic style to it and the movie is harmless enough. I think it is maybe a protest against the giants of Disney and Pixar that dominate this category, though I felt like Disney’s Frozen II was a better movie. Netflix had a big year in Oscar nominations and this Spanish-made film maybe rode those coattails. All I can think is maybe the Academy members don’t like going to the theater with the unwashed masses and instead prefer things they can watch in their home theaters.
Written: 20 Jan 2020