As the first scene opened and I saw hundreds of desperate Christmas shoppers rush past the store gates and into a festive arena, I knew that the movie “Krampus” was not a retelling of an old European legend, but a social commentary on how America’s perception of holidays has negatively evolved.
This concept, coupled with ridiculous transitions, family dynamics and unpredictable humor, made “Krampus” a crisp winter breeze over its competition.
The story follows a boy named Max who wishes, through a letter to Santa Claus, for a merry Christmas with family.
He observes that his relatives are all dysfunctional and deal with problems such as alcoholism, denial and intolerance, but wants them to look past their differences. Unfortunately, the reunion turns out sour and Max loses hope. When Max sends his ripped letter flying through the window, Krampus, the shadow of Saint Nicholas, pays the neighborhood a visit with a blizzard and party of carnivorous toys.
Honestly, with the overhyped exposure from Tumblr and YouTube, I was passionately unimpressed with the trailer and against the dark comedy, convinced that Hollywood was looking for an excuse to use violence and panic by painting German customs in a bad light.
As a German American myself, I felt it unnecessary to twist a story meant to inspire good behavior and respect.
Krampus, a character that dates back to before Christ, is a creature from the underworld who guides misbehaving children in place of their parents.
However, after viewing it, “Krampus” went beyond my expectations. There were more references to the bad habits of Americans than German faults. I couldn’t help but be entertained by the crazy array of evil toys and characters influenced by typical Christmas traditions.
More often than not, one would see the Jack-in-the-box growing in size after consuming a cousin or two or an elf trying to steal the baby away.
Krampus himself was an interesting mix between elk, goat, giant and serpent, with a tongue that would shoot out when confronted. Because the transitioning among these supernatural creations was fast-paced and ridiculous, I couldn’t breathe after a while.
The family didn’t disappoint either. While people in the audience cooed for Max’s tearful face, they laughed for Uncle Howard’s responses, as his advocacy for gun rights grew excessive and refusal to believe in animated gingerbread men got him stapled to the kitchen cabinet.
Adam Scott, a familiar face from the show “Parks and Recreation”, evolved from a lazy, alcohol-loving father to a leader who led his family to safety.
I looked upon his mother, the grandmother Omi in the story, fondly as she retold her account of Krampus.
The directors chose to make that entire segment 3D-animated, which complemented the overall mood of loss and despair.
The only thing I didn’t fully appreciate was the German incorporated into the dialogue, for only Omi fluently spoke it while everyone else replied in English.
Overall, this story reflects what happens when people forget the meaning of celebration and family time through consumerism and bad history.
Krampus was a plot device rather than a character, but in the end, both his traditional and modern form teach us about the rise of pride and fall of hope.
TCHS School Newspaper