'Klaus' is one festive mess of holiday cheer — Oscars spotlight review

When Smeerensburg’s new postman, Jesper, befriends toymaker Klaus, their gifts melt an age-old feud and deliver a sleigh full of holiday traditions.

Quick review: Even with its stellar hand-drawn animation, a clunky story followed by questionable morals makes Klaus a lump of coal rather than the holiday treat it so desperately wants to be.

Where to watch Klaus: Available to stream on Netflix.

See the rest of Jane’s 2020 Oscar spotlight series here.

I wanted to like this. Truly I did. I appreciate any director who really wants to showcase hand-drawn animation. Director Sergio Pablos highlights color, character design and action so much that you remember what CGI can miss and what hand-drawn animation can elevate. That’s the only positive aspect of Netflix’s new holiday film Klaus. It is a run-of-the-mill Santa origin story that offers nothing new and fails to be anything but uninspiring. 

The story begins with a voiceover telling the audience that no one actually remembers where the myth of…