Dan Holford’s review published on Letterboxd:
Scavenger Hunt 69 - movie 6 | task 20 - a film from my watchlist |
“Ho ho ho!”
“Wait. Time out. Really? That’s how you laugh?!”
Not really sure how this one managed to pass me by last Christmas. It’s a really great Christmas animation that manages to tell the origin story of Santa Claus in a heartwarming, sweet and imaginative way.
While the actual way the narrative is told isn’t especially original, it’s charm and humour manage to go a long way. I really enjoyed the way it explored the myth behind Santa, the small details going a long way. The growing friendship between Klaus and the Jesper is played out nicely, despite it feeling like a story that’s been told before. The characters feel real, and their story is never played out too quickly or rushed. The voice acting is great, especially with a cast like JK Simmons and Jason Schwartzman. But overall the story serves its purpose and manages to be compelling throughout.
It helps that it looks utterly gorgeous. Some of the best animation I’ve seen in a while. Smeerensburg looks amazing, the snowy landscapes showing warmth but also the bleakness of the warring families. The character designs all feel original and fresh, all looking great, really breathing life into these characters. The only thing I wasn’t keen on was the slightly out of place pop music soundtrack, the more emotionally charged scenes would have worked better with less bombastic sounding music replaced with more a more subtle score.
There’s a nice dose of humour, and it’s a film that leaves you feeling warm. What more could you ask for from a Christmas animation?
