Klaus: reviews

What the critics say average 6.6 from 6 outlets

• 7.5 Roger EbertMatt Zoller Seitz The charming Klaus probably plays better if you don't know going in that it's a Santa Claus origin story. Read
• 7.0 The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeFore Sergio Pablos' Klaus invents its own unexpected and very enjoyable origin story for the big guy who gives out toys every Christmas eve. Shaking off most Yuletide cliches in favor of a from-scratch story about how even dubiously-motivated generosity can lead to joy, it contains echoes of other seasonal favorites (especially, in a topsy-turvy way, Dr. Seuss' Grinch) while standing completely on its own. Read
• 7.0 The WrapAlonso Duralde It?s far more successful with holiday magic than it is with character-based comedy, but that?s not enough of a flaw to keep young audiences (and their parents) from potentially turning this feature into a cherished annual tradition. Read
• 7.0 New York TimesGlenn Kenny It all moves along so amiably, and offers such consistently delightful visuals, that the conventional plot points, up to and including an inevitable ?but I can explain? bit, are entirely digestible. Read
• 6.0 New York TimesMike McCahill Solid first and third acts can?t disguise a so-so middle section stuffed with conventional story beats. Read
• 5.0 VarietyPeter Debruge What goodwill the movie does inspire owes more to the splendid visual world than to anything the story supplies. Read