It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown

...did I ever love this Peanuts special (I was 2-3, what more could you expect?). I remember renting it God only knows how many times on video with 'She's A Good Skate, Charlie Brown' after it. I was the biggest Snoopy fan on earth (still love him dearly)! I remember wearing my spandex Snoopy exercise clothes and dancing around all over the place to this special. There was really nothing to it other than the singing, but I wasn't old enough to care. I sang along with it, and had a blast while doing so.

I still remember the songs, particularly the main 'Flashbeagle' song ("He's a champion! He's the best!" "You should hear the sound of his naaaaa-me! They call him Flash- flash- flash- flaaash-beagle!"). I think this is pretty much the only Peanuts special that's actually dated, the rest are timeless. 'Flashbeagle' has the '80s written all over it, while most of the others hold up very well today. This is why the Peanuts have stayed so popular for so many years. I think they took a note of that after 'Flashbeagle'.

But I do have many wonderful childhood memories from 'Flashbeagle', so it has a special place in my heart.

Call me strange, but for some reason I've always had a tiny soft spot for those musical episodes that most popular cartoon shows tend to tackle at one point or another. You know, the ones which always revolve around the familiar characters breaking into random song and dance routines. A lot of it's just the novelty factor involved, I suppose - the type of music they usually feature is never anything you'll find me rushing out to buy on vinyl or CD after all. 'It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown', the 'Peanuts' special equivalent of such an episode, is one such example.

What really tends to divide 'Peanuts' fans over this particular addition to the 'Charlie Brown' cannon, so far as I can see, is the underlying lack of substantial story or moral message. Whereas most 'Peanuts' specials always had something meaningful to say, in a melancholic tone that could punch through to all ages, all 'Flashbeagle' really consists of is a foursome of thinly strung-together music videos with very little of the beloved Charles Schulz dialogue filling in between. The truly cynical amongst us could even refer it as 'pointless'. It's also very much influenced by the sounds of the decade from which it hails, and, as you could probably decipher from the title, was out for a ride on the 'Flashdance' bandwagon at the time. How enjoyable you're likely to find it will essentially rest upon how tolerant you are of 80s music in general. If nostalgia's your thing then the more 'Flashdance'-y sequences won't disappoint - the title song 'Flashbeagle' is surprisingly agreeable and not a track which I'd especially object to have blurting out from my own stereo system (say what you will about the 80s, but it's an era that still holds a lot of warm childhood memories for me).

The initial two songs, performed by Peppermint Patty and Lucy, respectively, aren't so much in that 80s music cache as they are in the vein of your typical kiddie-show sing-along fare, with simple tunes and basic lyrics. Lucy's number is fairly fun and does a good job reflecting her established disposition, but I'm a lot less keen on Patty's - it's too jaunty and childish, and may have older viewers retreating from the living room long before we've really had a chance to get to what we came here to see: Snoopy jamming away in his disco-frequenting persona Flashbeagle. That sequence alone makes it all worthwhile.

Overall the whole affair is bright and lively and will probably find favour amongst nostalgic fans and younger viewers, but it's been looking dated for a long time now, and adults will most likely be left yearning for the usual ingredients in the trusty 'Peanuts' formula. By no means one of their best, but I think it's safe to say that this was at least one of the more memorable 'Peanuts' specials of the 1980s (their major heyday took place mostly in the 60s and 70s).

Grade: B-

Behold lies one of the most strange Peanuts specials to date: a blatant parody of Flashdance and other 80s music videos. Known as It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown, the whole special was made purely from creator Charles Schulz being a huge fan of the 1983 dance movie. Although the special is not the first time the Peanuts tried acting hip and cool from whatever was happening in pop culture, it is often seen by many as something one would imagine as a parody of Charlie Brown specials instead of an actual one. But does it not warrant any further attention? After all, there's nothing else like it out there.

The basic premise of the special is that Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy appears to be lazy and inactive by day, and a fierce dancing disco mutt by night. While that concept sounds bizarre on paper alone, the bigger problem with Flashbeagle is that its focus is all over the place. There are multiple musical vignettes throughout the special that merely serve excuses for the Peanuts gang to sing and dance to songs that fit their personalities. Admittedly, a lot of the songs are fairly catchy on their own and they showcase much of the usual charm audiences would expect from characters like Lucy and Peppermint Patty. Unfortunately, many of these sequences take up time of what should've been focused on Charlie Brown figuring out what to do about Snoopy going out to dance every night. That's not to say a Peanuts special needs to be as dramatic as Saturday Night Fever of course, but when the conflict in your half hour primetime cartoon is only touched about later down the road, perhaps it's time to consider another rewrite. Needless to say, the "plot" is simply a musical distraction.

However, for all of the special's faults, its mere existence alone is enough to recommend for the time capsule nostalgia crowd. On top of the obvious influence, Snoopy's outfit and dancing skills are so unapologetically 80s that it's hard not to find at least some amusement in this special's cheesiness. The animators should also be given a round of applause for successfully rotoscoping the choreography from stunt dancer Marine Jahan into Snoopy's dynamite moves. Aided by the incredible work of Ed Bogas and Desirée Goyette, the music and songs in the special are catchy and hysterical enough to make up for their dated qualities. At a time when a lot of televised cartoons were getting into the spirit of the then modern nighttime dancing craze, Flashbeagle feels almost like a revolutionary step in that direction. Also, if there's anyone who makes this special memorable besides Snoopy, it would definitely be Peppermint Patty as her moments easily get the best laughs out of this otherwise jumbled special. Sometimes a special can be entertaining just by being honest about what it's offering.

By being one of the more sincere products of 80s dance culture out there, Flashbeagle is a flawed yet oddly delightful special in the Peanuts filmography. It may appeal more to the 80s nostalgia crowd, let alone Snoopy aficionados, but there are just enough music and games in this bloated thrill ride to allow for some fun to go around. It's hilarious that some people can't imagine any of the Peanuts characters being trendy or hip when actual specials like these exist. Considering this special came out one year after Flashdance did, it's safe to say that it was made from love bigger than the eye can see.

Flashbeagle has to be one of the funniest specials - at least as good as the holiday specials, and about a million times better than Bon Voyage.

It's basically a bunch of shorts linked together with the common thread of Snoopy sneaking out at night to a disco and returning tired in the morning. The shorts are hilarious - some great ones with Peppermint Patty and Marcy in class, and a few with Sally as well.

Snoopy's killer dance moves were based on a real person dancing - the animators pretty much drew over the frames of the dancer. The making-of special I saw said that this is one of the first times this method had been employed. Just a bit of trivia. :) The music is catchy, the show is funny - it's all-around Peanuts goodness. You really can't go wrong with Flashbeagle.

I completely disagree with the other comment. While the special may not have fit in with all of the other Peanuts specials, that doesn't mean it's not good. I thought it was a really funny idea. And the music is awesome! If your image of Snoopy is "ruined" by seeing him in sweats, then you have a problem. It's just moving the character with the time, without changing what everyone loves about him. It's still good old Snoopy, he's just wearing orange sweats. Get over it already. If you haven't seen this movie, rent it, you will like it!