I have mixed feeling about holiday movies, and even with the ones I do like, they are often watched year after year until they no longer feel as special anymore. Which is why it is all the more exciting when a viable new one comes along. At first glance, nothing about Klaus looks like it is anything other than another entry in Netflix’s shotgun approach to making content; it is from a new production studio, it fells a specific niche, etc. But a broken clock can be right twice a day right?

The first thing that is striking about Klaus is the unique art style. It has this unique mix of sharp lines and exaggerated silhouettes with strong lighting and shading. The result is very textured and allows for a great deal of artistic direction and emphasis to important moments. I really hope we see more from SPA in this style. Once the movie gets going, it is a consistent onslaught of clever jokes and charm. Perhaps my favorite ongoing joke is the little girl who is seen stabbing carrots into things throughout the movie, but that is far from the only fun one. The other clever through line is the building of the Christmas lore (I personally found it even more charming that it was a very agnostic take on the whole thing). Some of it was predicable, but it did not feel trite or take away from the effect too much.

Perhaps the only ding I really have against the movie is the forced drama in the final arc where everyone turns against Jesper since he was actually just acting in self interest all along. It is a very common format for kids movies and I only wish something more creative could have been used as a twist. I will forgive it since the movie ends so strongly with a shot on Jesper sleepily awaiting his yearly opportunity to see an old friend. If we are going to watch a holiday movie year after year, Klaus seems like a great one to give a shot for a while and I think the combination of a great animation style and loads of charm will make it an enjoyable one for a while.