Netflix nails it with Klaus
This year, Netflix decided to delve into the realm of animated holiday movies, releasing an all new original film titled “Klaus.”
The animated holiday film follows a postman named Jesper who is used to royal treatment, since he is the son of the king of the land. When the king gets tired of catering to Jesper’s every need, he sends Jesper to a town called Smeerensburg, which is located on a small northern island, with the task of establishing a post office. Little does Jesper know that this city is inhabited by two feuding clans of people. However, when Jesper befriends Klaus, the woodsman on the island, they are able to return laughter and joy to Smeerensburg.
The main reason this film is enjoyable to watch is the unique story it tells. It provides a fresh and original take on Santa’s backstory, which is a refreshing thing to see. While “Klaus” contains the typical friendship-based motif as seen in other holiday films, there is another layer of depth seen in the film’s detailed plot. The story features unique characters that are not seen in other films.
Another thing that definitely captured my attention is the extremely unique animation style. Netflix is relatively new to creating original animated films and shows, but this showcases that it can still compete with the large animation studios in terms of its animation prowess. The use of shading on the characters and scenes results in an almost 2.5-D aesthetic that is very pleasing to the eye. After doing some research on the internet, I found that the animations were hand-drawn with finishing touches being computer generated, which heavily contributes to the unique style of this film.
However, this movie struggles to capture the magic of other holiday films. IAs I watched it, it felt more like I was just watching a regular movie as opposed to a holiday one. Because it follows Santa’s backstory and Christmas as we know it hasn’t been established yet, it lacks the typical Christmas decorations seen throughout other holiday movies. Additionally, the atmosphere is cold and dismal for most of the movie, with the town of Smeerensburg being made out of grayish-brown wood and featuring towering houses with spires and other gothic qualities. This definitely makes the mood of the film unlike that of your stereotypical holiday film.
Overall, “Klaus” is a unique film that puts a spin on your traditional holiday movie. While the plot and animation were terrific, the dismal overtone definitely dampers the holiday mood.
On Nov. 10, 2019, history was made. The intellectual world rejoiced, as season four of “Rick and Morty” was released to the masses. After rewatching the past three seasons at least six times over, fans were more than ready for the next bout of awesomeness.
The show began in 2013 and was inspired by the movie “Back to the Future”. Rick, a mentally unstable super-genius, returns to the daughter he left long ago and steals her son, Morty. He is incredibly insecure and does not have the capacity to make decisions for himself, much like many of you high school students reading this article.
Each episode, the duo embarks upon a new adventure. To some, the show may seem crude and lazily slapped together. However, the character development through the seasons is exemplary. At the beginning of the series, Rick is nearly sociopathic, hating everything and everyone. But by the end, viewers can see how much Rick has grown to care for Morty and the rest of his family.
Season four brings in some new content and adventures, while still keeping the same spirit from past seasons. The season premiere featured some magnificent scenes, bringing back past characters like Mr. Meeseeks for some added nostalgia.
As usual, Morty is annoyingly mentally deficient and almost screws up the whole world again. Yes, I said again, because this absolute buffoon does it in almost every episode. In trying to pursue his own selfish desires, against the better advice from Rick, Morty nearly causes a cataclysmic disaster until Rick finally stops him.
So far, we haven’t seen anything extraordinary like Pickle Rick or any connections to the President Morty situation, but there is still time left, and anything could happen..
