Die Peanuts: Alle Jahre wieder, Charlie Brown

This 1992 Peanuts special does not have the appeal of its classic predecessor, but it updates the characters and situations with flair. Blending new characters with the classic gang of youthful cynics, Charles Schulz again pokes fun at the commercialism of the Yuletide season. While not as cohesive or poignant as "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "It's Christmastime Again" is much, much funnier.

The only thing this short has going over its predecessor is the animation has improved. However, considering that the animation of the original Charlie Brown Christmas isn't really something to get worked up over, it leaves little room for this short to be as relevant.

The characters are still as sweet, but the first one spent a lot of time dealing with the anxiety of the season while this one just kind of presented it as it is. The first one had a lot to say, this one didn't.

Most importantly, the first one was funnier.

Not that this isn't an enjoyable experience by any means. They make a good back-to-back show together and Snoopy always jumps the quality up from good to great. So enjoy.

--PolarisDiB

This special I had no idea even existed. I found it as an EXTRA on the DVD of the original "Charlie Brown Christmas".

I was looking forward to this when I put it on. My problem with this special is the fact there isn't really one major story driving the special. What we get is a bunch Charles Schultz Comics brought to life

That would not of been too bad had the little vintage been a little more heart warming. What we do get is about 2-3 minutes short sketches and the jokes in them fall short of any real humor.

There is not one moment that stands out to me. One thing that is clear is that Peppermint Patty and Marci are definitely waving the rainbow flag. That to me was not a big deal. I just wish that this special was better.

If you love Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, you will definitely enjoy this extra Christmas special along with the original Christmas Special which became an annual tradition on television. The updated version is still faithful to the original version in style and format. I enjoyed watching Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang back. I just love watching Charlie Brown selling Christmas wreaths before Thanksgiving. Peppermint Patty asking about a book to read for a school report.

It's the gang's second Christmas special, and everyone is in a rhythm this time around. The animation is much more polished, the direction is fluid, and the jokes come quickly and with such regularity it's surprising this wasn't sponsored by an oat bran product. Yes, this special is much more in line with the Saturday morning cartoons of the day than with the story-oriented specials of years past. And because of that, it's perfectly suited for a fun family holiday special.

But for all this outing does right, it has no soul -- none at all. In the original, Charlie Brown lamented the commercialization of Christmas; in this one he embraces it. In the original, the jokes flowed from the characters (e.g., Snoopy mimicking Lucy); in this one it's all interchangeable punchlines (Sally sounds remarkably like Lucy in this outing).

What it really boils down to is depth. There is none in this second outing. It's just jokes, just vignettes, just a contractual obligation to churn out another special. The original dared to explore what it would take to get a perpetual optimist to give up on Christmas; this one is about buying gifts and memorizing lines for a Christmas play. Again, it's Saturday morning cartoon fodder.

We watch this one every year, and the kids enjoy it well enough. But it doesn't have the underlying appeal that I look for these days. And now that I'm older, I long for stories rather than just jokes. So yes, we watch this one every year, but to me there is only one Peanuts Christmas "special".