The Peanuts Movie

Blue Sky hasn't had a great track record. The Ice Age movies and the Rio films are okay at best but somehow they managed to really shine with The Peanuts and bring the strip justice. That probably has something to do with the fact that this film was actually written by Charles Schulz's son Craig. All the characters are here with their personalities intact and voiced by some really good kid actors. I didn't once think to myself that these kids don't sound like The Peanuts. The parts involving Snoopy's adventures against The Red Baron are also quite engaging almost like something out of Duck Tales or Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. I think this is a good film any fan of Charlie Brown will love and those of you unfamiliar with the material, this is probably a great place to jump onto.

I saw "The Peanuts Movie" last night, and I thought it was superb! I grew up in the 80's, and so I was familiar with the Charlie Brown gang, but only through vague recollections. I had of course read a few of the comic strips over the years, and I'm confident that I saw the TV specials a few times, but I was still a bit fuzzy on the details of things like Snoopy and his battles with the Red Barron, the names of certain characters, and the gist of how different aspects of the series fits together into a competent narrative.

I'm crystal clear on that now, as this movie does a wonderful job of weaving together the many separate concepts of the Peanuts series. I really fell in love with the franchise by watching this film, and I can see how it will be very rewatchable.

My only criticism is that the film does cram a bit too much into its ninety minutes. It all comes together nicely, but it was clear that the script was trying to accomplish a LOT in this movie. It felt almost as though nothing was left for a sequel, but I suppose the idea was to introduce as much of the series as possible. The slightly crammed feel of the film is the only reason I didn't give it a perfect ten stars. But it's fantastic, even if a bit overdone!

I loved the Peanuts half hour TV specials as a kid, particularly Halloween and Christmas. I make my kids watch them each year and they enjoy them. We have also watched at least one fuller length movie made some time ago (about a spelling bee?) that ran a little too long. Before the specials even existed I loved the Peanuts comic strips. This movie handled the characters great, no complaint there. I just got part way through and said okay where are we going with this and how much is left. So maybe the bottom line is Peanuts is more effective in small doses than in a full length movie. They seemed to realize that in having a short movie to start and keeping the running time down. Of the story lines the best (and the one that could be enjoyed the longest) was the Snoopy WWI theme. But the bottom line is that it may be hard to make this work for an hour or more no matter how you do it, even if you have stupendous graphics. In any event, nice to see a new generation of Schulz's carrying the torch.

P.S. In watching some of the older shows recently, I remembered that the best of the TV shows was where they basically just strung a bunch of the daily cartoons together, rather than tell a traditional story. Charles Schulz was a cartoon genius, and had a penchant for running a series of consecutive strips on the same subject, sort of a continual story with a daily punch line, which is directly transferable to the screen. Maybe they could go back to that format next time around?

I was unsure at first because of the animation style, it was much more modern than the charming animation style of the 60s and 70s specials. However, despite the 3D CGI animation style, the original charm of the cartoon specials remained intact. I liked how the animation didn't seem as finished just like the original Peanuts specials. In the film, just like in the specials, the trees and other plants in the background remained static. Even when it was supposedly windy. This film, like many of the Peanuts specials, had two storylines: A Charlie Brown storyline and a Snoopy storyline. In the Charlie Brown storyline, the film deals with Charlie trying to work up enough nerve to talk to the Little Red Haired Girl. In the Snoopy story, Snoopy finds an old typewriter and works on writing a novel. His novel deals with the World War I flying ace trying to save his crush Fifi from the clutches of the evil Red Baron.

This movie featured many in-jokes from the specials and comic strips. The typical Peanuts sentimentality was also present as were the lack of adults. The wonderful Peanuts music was present throughout the film. I wish they wouldn't have included a modern song, but it doesn't detract too much from the film. There were also bits of the comic strip that popped up throughout the film and also the fun 60s style graphics that would also appear periodically. It was such a fun film, I will definitely be purchasing my own copy.

I read that this film was written in complete cooperation with Charles M. Schulz's widow and the other members of his family. Schulz' son and grandson wrote the screenplay and apparently the Schulz family had to have approval over all aspects of the film. They also used archive sound recordings of Bill Melendez' Snoopy sounds for Snoopy's "voice" in the film. I did think that the Peppermint Patty voice was slightly off. The other Patty (who normally has brown hair and wears an orange dress) in this film was blonde and wore a green dress. Neither of the Pattys inaccuracies affected my enjoyment of this film.

A worry going in to The Peanuts Movie was simply this: in 2015, in a time where animation is all computer-animated and with super-sophistication but also lacking the sort of approach that came with the simple, quirky, edgy-but-cute style of the Peanuts cartoons from the past half century, how do you bring that world out and make it feel right? And there was an element of the story that made me raise an eyebrow, and reminded me of an issue I had with the recent 2011 return of The Muppets - a new character comes to the universe of the Peanuts. Would this character fit in? Would it be distracting if he or she looks different or acts un-Peanuts-like? And what does Peanuts-like mean, you might ask, by the way? It's that thing where, simply, kids think like kids, but with an extra level of sophistication in the writing. Let me put it this way: The Peanuts Movie is the only movie that kids will see which has a reference to Tolstoy's War and Peace (though it's not initially called that by Peppermint Patty).

But fears are assuaged as I return from seeing the movie and find the movie is very successful at what it aims to be. In short, this is at its best... just another Peanuts movie, but that's a sincere compliment. You watch some of those movies and specials, which have stood the test of time due to the wit of the writing and the beautiful (yes, beautiful) animation that does simply to bring Charles Schulz's comic to life, and those shows and movies (i.e. the best, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, but also Snoopy Come Home and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown) with issues that kids deal with, whether or not they directly relate to the hero. In this story it's all about this new girl coming to school (we never learn her name, there's really no need to), and how good old Chuck can barely deal with his ridiculously nervous reaction. How can he even say hello to her, much less carry a conversation? What can he do to build up his confidence? Can Lucy with her Nickel-store advice and 10-step book help? Can he become a success in some way?

Whether you're coming to this as someone who has been watching Peanuts all your life, or if you have a little kid (or are one) and have never seen one of these and it's your introduction, it is a wholly delightful experience. Schulz's kids were co-screenwriters, which could have been great or not-so-great (one never knows if the purity will work or become too stifling, or if there are too many attempts to make it "hip" and "Modern", which means it won't age so well years down the line). All of the Peanuts characters we know and like are here - I couldn't find one major one who wasn't, and everyone gets a moment or two (I even forgot for a moment Lucy's crush for Schroeder, but it's here too). And of course Snoopy as the super rascal/charmer/adventurer of the lot who tries to do things like sneak into school as a teacher ("No dogs allowed!" duh) and spends his part time writing stories about being an ace pilot with the "Red Baron" plane.

With the exception of a couple of elements that, frankly, I could've taken or left, like some of the Red Baron bits (some are OK, some may drag unless you're a kid into the action-loaded visuals), and the inclusion of a couple of pop songs (not annoying ones, but they are of this time period) and a lack (not completely, but not enough) of Vince Guaraldi's irreplaceable jazz score, the movie really works. I cared about Charlie Brown on his journey through building up his confidence, through ups and downs that were not, and occasionally were, his fault. And along the whole way, there's that special thing that made Peanuts work, has always made it work, and will continue for many years to come: you want to see this guy win, and yet it's funnier/more realistic when he falls on his face. But maybe every Charlie Brown has his day in this case? Between the talent show, school dance, book report, summer pen-pal deal, can Charlie Brown say ONE word to this girl? Who knows.

They're all here and its spirit is pure. What else do you need to know? The Peanuts Movie is a blast of family entertainment in the young and old sense of the word, full of clever lines and visual-eye-pleasing slapstick and, (happy surprise) pathos.