Good Grief

The Peanuts Movie

In 1950 a cartoonist from Minnesota started a Sunday morning comic strip from the point of view of the most unlikely of sources. Starring a young boy that was unsure of himself and a cast of other colorful characters, this comic strip became one of America’s most beloved. Over time this comic strip spawned a host of TV specials, two of which are still aired religiously during Halloween and Christmas. Sadly the comic strip came to an end in 2000 and the cartoonist shortly after passed away, though his characters still live on. In 2015 Blue Sky Studios and 20^th Century Fox brought the classic comic strip to the big screen with a computer animated version with an attempt to bring a new appreciation for these adored characters for a younger generation.

Charlie Brown is determined as ever to prove to his friends that he can accomplish anything that he sets his mind to. Though his endless battle with flying a kite and pitching the perfect baseball comes to no avail. However when a Little Red Haired Girl moves in across the street from him, Charlie is love stricken and vows to win her affections one way or another. Amidst all of Charlie’s plans to wow the Little Red Haired Girl, his every faithful dog Snoopy is caught in a quarrel of his own when his number one nemesis, The Red Barron. The Barron has kidnapped the love of Snoopy’s life and taunts the Flying Ace every chance he gets.

With the heart of the comic strip intact and the humor escalated just enough, The Peanuts Movie is a perfect addition to the world of Charlie Brown. This is no way an update to the comic strip or its characters, but more of a faithful expansion. The animation, though CGI, is extremely reminiscent of Charles Schultz’s original artwork that it is as if Schulz were the artist on this film. What I found intriguing however, was the texture these artists to give the characters in their 3D form. From the hair that can be seen on Snoopy to the dust and grim that surrounds Pigpen.

The films story is one of such simplicity. There is no saving the world or crossing over to the live-action world for these characters. That is what makes this film so great. The story is an everyman story and a story extremely resonant to what Schulz ‘preached’ within the comic strip. As I mentioned, this is by no means an update to the comic strip nor the TV specials and that is what I found most appealing. The movie brings elements of the comic strip that made it classic and even long running jokes that made it hilarious. This is what makes The Peanuts Movie an instant classic; keeping the heart and soul of the brilliance that was Peanuts.

This praise goes to the artists that worked tirelessly on this film, but above all it should go to director Steve Martino (Horton Hears a Who!), who was handpicked by Schulz’s widow to direct this film. Marino should be given an award for resisting any temptation to modernize or live-action this film. With other cartoon films from my childhood being obliterated by modernization or Neil Patrick Harris, I was absolutely pleased that Charlie Brown is still Charlie Brown. Thank you Mr. Martino, you have my undying gratitude that I can now share a more colorful version of one of my favorite characters with my 3 year old daughter and it still be as if I was watching it for the first time.

For anyone that loved anything related to Charlie Brown and/or Snoopy, The Peanuts Movie will please that itch. This film will wedge itself between A Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown as one of the greatest adaptions of the Peanuts comic strip. Watch this with your kids and show them that even the clumsiest of people sometimes come out on top.

The Verdict: Very Much Worth Your Time.