#disclaimer i am very bitter at the state of the animation industry and also french LOL

[ja-khajay]

What'd you dislike about Klaus? I heard so much positive stuff about it and was thinking about watching it

Before Klaus came out I had been following its development for a year or so from when the first paper tests where shown online to promote their funding, at the time I had no idea of the plot or anything, I had just seen black and white animation tests and a few backgrounds and thought damn that looks really cool! Glad to see they’re making something like that and didn’t think much of it, then the movie came out and I had forgotten about it mostly, and I saw everyone and their mom talk about it online and how it was the best movie ever and was a breath of fresh air for 2D animation etc etc etc so I watched it and lo and behold

The animation in Klaus is amazing, the fluidity and complexity of it is just off the charts, there’s a LOT of talent behind that film and they used all of it for emulating the 3D Disney animation style. People have pointed out as a selling point that the animation is so good you “can’t tell when it’s 3D or not” and that is. Not a good thing imo? I am a huge sucker for traditional animation and defend it above 3D as much as I can but the reason why 2D is good is because it allows things 3D just doesn’t. Klaus doesn’t even try to touch that. From how the characters move, to the visual direction, it’s the bland Disney gimmicky style. It doesn’t bring anything, it feels like a flex and nothing else which would be fine per se if I hadn’t seen people suck it’s toes for doing the same art style we see constantly but with different media. It brings nothing to the table

Then you have the plot. I’m a bit biased because I wasn’t raised in a Santa family and from a young age I lived in a “xmas magic is kinda cringe” mindset but the plot is.......it’s bad. It mostly relies on “look we’re so quirky for telling a story you’ve heard already but this time everything is An Accident haha” and you end up with a movie that’s so predictable...I don’t see the point of going Oops Lol Accident Look we’re Unique because it’s not subversive at all. It’s a cheesy Santa movie that tries very hard to not be one while still sticking to the formula. Weirdly enough Santa was the character I liked the most in the movie because the protagonist is SO annoying and the way he’s animated made me want to strangle him and shake him around!! It’s so over the top and trying to grab your attention constantly!!! Santa being given a tearjerk story was eh but I liked his characterization nonetheless

If I had just seen the film without the hype around it, it’d have been fine I guess, I’d have thought that it’s a pretty movie that doesn’t have more to it like most AAA animation films from Hollywood but sadly I was bombarded with positive feedback to the point of annoyance. People hailed it as a savior of 2D, which it isn’t, it’s just another family friendly riskless movie who’s making of was a bit insane despite everything else. It lacks everything subtle, it’s a retelling of stories we’ve heard thousands of times who tries so hard to make you think it’s unique and cool. And it worked! Look at how popular the movie was. People who’s concept of the animation industry ends at Pixar loved that shit!

The coolest most risky thing Klaus pulled off is having Saami characters be explicitly there

Also 2D animation isn’t dead, you’re just american

Watch Wolfwakers when it comes out