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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Klaus (2019) in Movies

Jul 28, 2020 (Updated Dec 24, 2020)  
Klaus (2019)
Klaus (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Visually Interesting - with strong voice performances
We have seen the Origin story of Santa Claus many times and in many ways over the years, so it was with some trepidation that the BankoMarquis ventured forth to check out the Netflix original film KLAUS which covers some very similar territory.

And I need not worry, for KLAUS is a visually interesting film with some very good voice performances that elevates a (relatively) by-the-book story into quite a delightful film experience.

Directed and Written by Sergio Pablos - a veteran animator with credits like Disney’s Tarzan, Despicable Me, Rio and Smallfoot - KLAUS tells the tale of…Jesper, a mailman who is also a privileged youth who’s lackluster ways runs him afoul of his father and he is banished to a remote, Northern country where her runs afoul of…KLAUS.

And…you can probably figure out where the story goes from there, but it is not the story - or the destination - that matters, it is the journey. And…what a wonderful journey it is.

Let’s start with the best part - this film is GORGEOUS to look at. Pablos uses hand drawn animation with lighting techniques taken from digital animation and the result is crisp, clean and stunning to look at. I will watch this film again, just to look at the visuals.

As for the voice casting - it is stellar - with one, small quibble. The great J.K. Simmon is…well…GREAT as Klaus. His deep baritone voice is perfect for the enigmatic hermit that is hiding secrets - and a heart of gold. Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Norm MacDonald and the always brilliant Joan Cusack add their tremendous voices to the proceedings very well. My only quibble is with the work of Jason Schwartzman as Jesper, the character we follow throughout the film. I found his voice and character grating at times (I know this is on purpose, so Schwartzman did a good job in his work) but, I would have liked to have Pablos “tone down” the lead character just a bit.

But that is a “quibble” in a very entertaining movie that is a wonderful family film that can be enjoyed on different levels - and for different reasons - by children and adults alike.

Letter Grade: A-

8 Stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
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Christmas Mafia Prince (The Naughty List)
Christmas Mafia Prince (The Naughty List)
K.A. Merikan | 2025 | Contemporary, Crime, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
dark, nutty and so flipping cute!
Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is part of The Naughty List series, the first one published. If they are all as good as this, I'm ALL in!

This book, right? It's freaking nuts and sexy and dark and deadly, and yes, I tagged it too stinking cute, because it is!

Damen wants to join the annual Christmas family hunt. he can't, because he isn't married. Well, he'll show his father, right? And the perfect opportunity lands, quite literally, in his lap, in the space of Killian. Killian really has no idea what just happened, but now he's on a luxury jet, fake married to the sexiest man he ever saw and heading for something he isn't quite sure he will fit into.

This book is dark and deadly. The Hunt they are doing? Enemies kept alive for this sole purpose. But Killian doesn't know that, at first. When he finds out, he's shocked, yes but it then explains a lot. Damen is assassin for his family.

It's smexy, oh so VERY smexy! The chemistry between these two is scorching hawt and burns strong and high, right through the book.

It's cute, because Damen is smitten with his husband, almost from the very first meeting and more so, when Killian stands up to Damen's father. And when Killian does what he does before The Hunt?? Oooofff that man is turned the fluff on! But it's not just the smexy bits with Damen. He really does thing Killian is The One,even if it started as a fake thing.

But the best bit?? I couldn't see where this was going for a long time! And I loved that. Obviously I knew it would go belly up at some point, but I couldn't see it coming and I did NOT see what the rather jealous brother was doing!!

AND!!!!!!!!!!!! First person, present tense, mulit point of view! Didn't even notice til I was writing this up!

I have listened to some KA Merikan, I love the Wrong Side of the Tracks series and this book has all those hallmarks of starting an amazing series with some very interesting characters, Corvus and Aspen especially!

5 full and slightly deranged but so bloody good, stars!

*same worded review will appear elsewhere