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KLAUS (Dir: Sergio Pablos, 2019)
KLAUS (Dir: Sergio Pablos, 2019)
Just when you think you have seen all the Santa origin stories you care to, along comes Klaus. Netflix’s first original animated feature film, Klaus made its debut on the streaming service in November 2019; an early gift for the festive season. Produced by Sergio Pablos Animation Studios, it is the directorial debut of studio head Pablos, the co-creator of Universal's highly lucrative Despicable Me franchise.
Incompetent postman Jesper (Jason Schwartzman) is sent by his Postmaster General father to establish a post office in the remote northern isle of Smeerensburg. On arrival he finds a divided community, engaged in a bitter feud, who barely speak to each other, let alone send mail. Determined to succeed he seeks out each town member to extol the virtues of the postal service, including Klaus (J K Simmons), a mysterious, solitary figure with a workshop full of toys. The pair team up to distribute the toys to the unhappy Smeerensburg children, creating some new Christmas traditions along the way.
Klaus is as warm and heartfelt as you would expect a Christmas movie to be. Sure, it is sentimental, but never slushy and with genuine pathos in Klaus' backstory. Its distinctive visual style and expressionistic use of colour help make it one of the most visually pleasing animated features in recent years; the 2D animation combines the slickness that audiences would expect of a modern animated feature with a cartoony style reminiscent of the Mid Century Modern stylings of the UPA animation studios.
While Klaus does cover some similar ground to the Rankin/Bass TV favourite Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (Arthur Rankin Jr & Jules Bass, 1970), in all other respects it is easily the most imaginative take on St Nick's early years for sometime.
In a year where cinema release schedules have been dominated by animated sequels, first time director Sergio Pablos has crafted a movie which feels fresh and original, yet reassuringly tradition. It is arguably the most satisfying Christmas movie of the decade and seems destined to become a holiday classic.
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FROZEN II (Dir: Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee, 2019).
Walt Disney Animation Studios sequel to their original blockbuster Frozen (Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee, 2013).
The events of Frozen II take place roughly three years after those of Frozen. However, the movie takes us further back into Elsa and Anna's past as, through flashbacks, we see the girls' father King Agnarr of Arendelle relating the tale of their grandfather's attempt to form a treaty with a neighbouring tribe in their Enchanted Forest homeland. An ensuing battle results in grandfather's death and discord among the Forest's spirits. Years later Elsa is drawn to the forest by a mysterious voice and becomes embroiled in the ongoing conflict which is threatening the well being of both the Enchanted Forest and Queen Elsa's kingdom of Arendelle
While Frozen II bears the legend "Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, it is nothing like the original fairytale. Neither is it particularly like the original movie, incorporating more references to Nordic myth and legend than the original Frozen.
Reuniting much of the core creative team from the first movie, co-writers and directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee have created a movie which never feels like a quick buck cash-in. The animation is stunning, even more so than in the original. Its forest setting and warm autumnal colour palette gives it a distinctly different feel to the cooler blues and whites of Frozen's icescapes.
In its attempt to differentiate itself from the first movie, Frozen II does seem to suffer from an overly complex narrative. There is so much going on in Frozen II that one misses the more economic and ultimately more satisfying simplicity of the original, although Buck and Lee are to be commended for not being content to just churn out the same movie.
While the story may be a little over complicated for its own good, Frozen II is still a highly impressive, enjoyable movie, much better than audiences may have been expected and continues Walt Disney Animation Studios’ excellent run of features throughout the 2010s.
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A FLINTSTONES CHRISTMAS CAROL (Dir: Joanna Romersa, 1994).
Geological puns abound, as Fred Flintstone stars as Ebonezer Scrooge against Barney Rubble’s Bob Cragic in this modern Stone Age retelling of Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic.
The Flintstones is, of course the enormously successful animated TV sitcom from Hanna-Barbera which aired for 6 seasons between 1960 and 1966. That this movie was made 30 years after the heyday of the show demonstrates the continued enduring popularity of the franchise.
Rather than a straight adaptation of Dickens’ familiar tale of festive redemption, A Flintstones Christmas Carol takes a tip from Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol (Abe Leviton, 1962) and presents the story as a play within a story. So, running parallel to the events of the Bedrock Community Players performance of A Christmas Carol, we have the story of Fred, so engrossed in his role of Scrooge that he neglects his family duties until the lines between he and Ebonezer begin to blur.
Casting The Flintstones in the roles of Dickens’ characters is a nice idea. Not a particularly original idea, but I can see the appeal. The backstage story which runs alongside it is less engaging and the two strands work against each other to make for a somewhat choppy narrative. It isn’t a bad movie; made for US TV, the standard of animation is a shade better than normal Saturday morning fare and there is undeniable nostalgic value for those of a certain age.
Yet what is appealing in a 25 minute TV show is not quite as fun when stretched to nearly three times that length. While I enjoy The Flintstones on TV, I found A Flintstone Christmas Carol a little bit of a chore to watch come the halfway mark. Still, while it is a little disappointing in the story department, its colourful animation is above average and it does provides some mild chuckles. However, I think a straight version of the tale would have been better and can’t help but feel this somewhat of an opportunity missed. Longtime fans will probably get a kick out of the movie, but it’s not quite the ‘gay old time’ it might have been.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of A Flintstones Christmas Carol! Link below.
THE CHRISTMAS TREE (Dir: James Clark, 1966).
Cheap and cheerful Christmas movie from the Children’s Film Foundation.
Cocky kid Gary (William Burleigh) boasts to friends in a hospital ward that he can secure them a Christmas tree by 6PM on Christmas Eve. Determined to make good his claim, he and his younger siblings Jane (Kate Nicholls) and Sam (Anthony Honour) trek the 30 miles to London’s St Vincent hospital, stolen tree in tow, ill advisedly accepting lifts from strangers and finding themselves in evermore ridiculous situations as the movie progresses.
Like all CFF productions The Christmas Tree has a certain slapdash appeal. None of the cast seem particularly professional, with the exception of Brian Blessed, the Z Cars actor on familiar ground in a minor role as a police constable.
Its amateurish charm is actually probably the The Christmas Tree’s greatest asset. What submarines the film is its ludicrous plot involving cantankerous bus conductors, armed robbers and a circus troop. The three waifs, who must rank among the dopiest kids in history, somehow manage to evade parents, police and avoid being shot at by the army as they wander onto a military rifle range.
It is difficult to think of a movie with less of a grasp on reality. I am sure it entertained young audiences hyped up on sweets and sugary pop at the Saturday Morning Pictures in the 1960s, but viewed today it is quaint and corny and less than thrilling.
I can’t honestly say I would recommend The Christmas Tree to anyone other than those with an interest in British cinema. Clocking in at just over one hour, it is short enough to watch out of curiosity. It may hold nostalgia value for those who saw it as a child but I can’t see it appealing to kids raised on Star Wars and The Avengers.
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BUSH CHRISTMAS (Dir: Ralph Smart, 1947).
Set during the Christmas holidays in the small valley community of Mara Mara, Bush Christmas follows the adventures of five children: brothers John (Morris Unicomb) and Snow (Nicky Yardley), their big sister Helen (Helen Grieve), English evacuee Michael (Michael Yardley) and friend Nesa (Nesa Saunders). After some horses are stolen from their ranch home, the kids decide to take the law into their own hands and set out into the Australian bush in order to track down the thieves and rescue the precious animals.
Bush Christmas was one of the first feature films from Rank Organisation's Children's Entertainment Film unit; a department which would eventually evolve into the Children's Film Foundation (CFF).
Although low budget, it feels significantly more polished than the usual, appealingly amateur, CFF output. Director Ralph Smart keeps the action moving at a steady pace while cinematographer George Heath captures the locations beautifully. Filmed in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, the location photography is a definite plus and lends an atmosphere unique in family movies of the era.
Chips Rafferty, then Australia's biggest homegrown movie star, hams it up nicely as Long Bill, the leader of the horse thieves. John Fernside and Stan Tolhurst are his cohorts, alternating some broad comedy with the required menace, as they are outwitted every step of the way by the kids.
Performances from the youngsters, none of whom had significant acting careers as adults, are appealing and natural. Nesa, the only indigenous lad, is slightly stereotyped, perhaps to be expected considering the era in which the movie was made. However, I feel the stereotyping is more naive than negative; with his knowledge of bush crafts he is shown to be the most intelligent and resourceful of the gang.
Set during the Australian summer, Bush Christmas is not especially festive for western audiences and is suitable viewing all year round. It is a modest little movie, but an engaging one at that. Perhaps a mite dated, but with enough comedy and action as to make it a worthwhile watch, especially for those looking for an alternative to modern family fare.
For a longer, more in-depth review of BUSH CHRISTMAS visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1949).
16 years after scoring a massive hit with fantasy epic King Kong (Merian C Cooper & Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933), RKO Radio Pictures resurrected the mega-ape genre with Mighty Joe Young. Returning are Kong producers and directors Ernest B Schoedsack and Merian C Cooper and star Robert Armstrong. However, this is not a sequel to King Kong and its follow-up Son of Kong (Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933).
Joe is a massive gorilla (not as big as Kong, but still pretty hefty) raised by young Jill Young (Terry Moore) in his African home since a baby. Persuaded by showman Max O’Hara (Robert Armstrong) and his buddy Gregg (Ben Johnson) to accompany them to the US, Max employs Jill and Joe as star attraction at his California nightclub. As is often the case with exhibiting giant gorillas (or, indeed, dinosaurs), things do not go to plan. Otherwise gentle Joe is taunted by drunks to the point where he wrecks the joint. With Joe subsequently imprisoned, Jill, Gregg and Max plot a daring rescue attempt to free the gorilla and return him to Africa.
Shot in black and white with dramatic use of colour filters, Mighty Joe Young is a visual treat. King Kong’s Willis O’Brien and assistant Ray Harryhausen handle the outstanding special effects which elaborate upon the techniques perfected in Kong. Joe is brought to life by beautiful stop motion animation and the interaction between him and his human counterparts is astonishing! A scene where Joe wrestles live action/animated lions is particularly impressive as is the dramatic climax in which Joe rescues children from a burning orphanage.
While it did not have the same impact as the original King Kong, Mighty Joe Young is an impressive movie in its own right with much to recommend it. It is undoubtedly more sentimental than Kong but it is still a thoroughly entertaining feature; well paced, with plenty of humour amidst the thrills and some of the most spectacular visual effects committed to celluloid. Fans of King Kong not familiar with Mighty Joe Young would do well to check out this fantasy classic!
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of Mighty Joe Young! Link below.
