Peanuts Movie, The (2015) [Blu-ray]
Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

Taglines:
Charlie Brown: Misfit. Blockhead. Hero.
Lucy: Loud and Proud.
Linus: Likable. Loving. Loyal.
Snoopy: Lights. Camera. Beagle.
Pig Pen: Dust a move.
Schroeder: Major Player.
Marcie: A-Dork-Able.
Peppermint Patty: My Friends Call Me Sir.
Franklin: Mr. Ice. Guy.
Violet: Original Mean Girl.
The story of an underdog. And his dog.

Dream big and laugh along with good ol' Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved Peanuts gang as you've never seen them before - in a brand-new feature film from the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of Ice Age. Join everyone's favorite eternal optimist, Charlie Brown, as he embarks on a heroic quest, while his beagle pal Snoopy takes to the skies to pursue his archnemesis, the Red Baron. It's a hilarious and heartwarming adventure that proves every underdog has his day!

Storyline: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved "Peanuts" gang make their big-screen debut, like they've never been seen before, in state of the art 3D animation. Charlie Brown, the world's most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron. From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day. Written by 20th Century Fox

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman, March 4, 2016 Do you have a favorite daily comic strip? Do people even read comics anymore? That's not an entirely facetious question, given the kind of sad decline of print media and the daily newspaper, for it was that thwack of rolled up newsprint hitting the front porch that often alerted kids (of all ages) that some time with the so-called "funny papers" was due. In fact many newspapers back in the day tended to publish the comics on facing pages, meaning that any given reader could have an "immersive" experience being surrounded by the funnies as the paper was opened. While comics of all kinds are of course still available online, their intimate connection with readers may be a thing of the past, a retro quality that could perhaps find no more appropriate exemplar than Charles Schulz's beloved Peanuts. Peanuts shuffled off the mortal printing press in 2000, after an astounding fifty year run that helped inform the childhoods of not just Baby Boomers, but subsequent generations like Generation X and, yes, even Millennials (probably more so by exposure to already existing content than to anything new). The impact of Peanuts can't be overstated, but something else that is also undeniable is Peanuts' essentially quaint take on childhood and the rigors of growing up. While there's an unabashed intelligence to virtually all of Charles Schulz's formulations, it's an intelligence tempered by a certain kind of sweetness that would seem to be almost deliberately at odds with the more jaded, cynical outlook that has often been part and parcel of the "modern" world emotional outlook. When The Peanuts Movie was first announced (several years ago), some may have feared that the tendency to "tart up" older properties to make them acceptable for younger folks would completely ruin whatever made Peanuts special in the first place. Thankfully, that was a largely unfounded fear, for Charles Schulz's own family was integrally involved in the formulation of this film, and it's probably no coincidence that the results hew very closely to the original feeling that was so prevalent not just in the comic strip, but in the best of the television outings like A Charlie Brown Christmas.

It's that most sacred day of the year for kids—no, not Christmas (or any other religious holiday), but a snow day! As the various tots who make up the Peanuts universe awaken (Lucy "helps" Linus get out of bed, of course), they realize that snow has fallen, school is out for the duration, and it's a day to frolic in the frost. Charlie Brown decides in typical Charlie Brown fashion that it's the perfect day to finally get his kite actually airborne, and also in typical Charlie Brown fashion, he fails miserably in a rather raucous but funny sequence out on the frozen pond that has been seen in various other Peanuts outings.

The fact that within just the first few minutes, The Peanuts Movie is already indulging in a number of well worn Peanuts tropes should be an immediate balm to fans who might be initially discomfited by any proposed "update" to the beloved franchise. What's so disarming about all of this, though, is that despite the repetition of many standard Peanuts elements, including everything from Snoopy's adventures with the Red Baron to Lucy's not all that helpful advice booth, the film feels surprisingly fresh and unforced. There's a tenderness to the presentation here that might tend to speak to even the most jaded, cynical sorts, as in fact Peanuts always has. (Millennials may feel they have the corner on post-modern irony and a certain bitterness, but at least some Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers might want to disagree.)

The main plot arc deals with the arrival of the Little Red-Haired Girl to the neighborhood, where she of course instantly catches Charlie Brown's eye. While a number of vignettes play out that involve all of the gaggle of kids in the neighborhood, most revolve around Charlie Brown's hapless attempts to do something that will gain the favor of the auburn tressed female. Of course, all of them fail spectacularly, since that's more or less the playbook that Charlie Brown always seems to be utilizing. Interestingly, though, The Peanuts Movie gives Charlie Brown a fleeting flirtation with fame, or at least elementary school popularity, when he's rather unexpectedly deemed a mental giant. It of course turns out to be a misunderstanding and/or mistake, but the film's gentle demeanor is able to easily support Charlie Brown even when he's surrounded by seemingly inevitable failure. There are some sidebars which play out concurrently with the main "unrequited romance" angle, the chief of which involves Snoopy's fantasy life as a World War I flying ace who repeatedly duels with the Red Baron, a series of comic interstitial sequences which spring from Snoopy's discovery of a typewriter (the film commendably keeps things retro here, not offering Snoopy a tablet or notebook PC). As usual, Snoopy's efforts at literary magnificence are about as successful as any given Charlie Brown enterprise. (Snoopy is of course fond of starting stories with "It was a dark and stormy night," the bane of the annual Bulwer-Lytton awards for horrible writing. One of the funniest all time Peanuts strips in this writer's estimation had Snoopy once again beginning a tome with that phrase, which led Lucy to go off on an epic sized rant about how good writing had to start with an instantly riveting character rather than a bland descriptive phrase. Snoopy thinks for a moment and then types, "He was a dark and stormy knight.")

There's nothing "new" or in fact "improved" about The Peanuts Movie, but you know what? — there really doesn't have to be. Charles Schulz's original formulation was so wise and knowing, so sweet and unaffected, that it was timeless and perhaps eternally meaningful. The creative staff behind The Peanuts Movie wisely left well enough alone, and the result is a beautifully realized and often quite touching film that should not just please aging Peanuts fans, but a whole new generation who haven't yet experienced the terrors of the kite eating tree.

The Peanuts Movie doesn't stray far (if at all) from well established Peanuts canon, something that my colleague Brian Orndorf felt wasn't especially helpful (you can read Brian's thoughts here). I personally feel that this is actually one of the film's strengths, for it reinforces the inherent sweetness and knowing humor which Charles Schulz seemingly unavoidably brought to the enterprise. Charlie Brown will forever stand as a perfect example of "picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and starting all over again", and this sweet natured and heartfelt film gives him ample opportunity to continue in that regard. Technical merits are top notch, the supplementary package enjoyable, and The Peanuts Movie comes Highly recommended.


[CSW] -3.3- Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson wrote in 2007: "Peanuts pretty much defines the modern comic strip, so even now it's hard to see it with fresh eyes. The clean, minimalist drawings, the sarcastic humor, the unflinching emotional honesty, the inner thoughts of a household pet, the serious treatment of children, the wild fantasies, the merchandising on an enormous scale-in countless ways, Schulz blazed the wide trail that most every cartoonist since has tried to follow." This is a family movie and children will love it; but for those of you who have been fans of Charles Schulz' Peanuts since your youth, this is also a fine movie for adults. In fact kids, including tweens and teens will likely not be familiar with some of the repetitive themes - Lucy holding the football; Charlie trying to fly a kite; Charlie's frustrations with baseball; Snoopy and the Red Baron; Lucy the psychiatrist, etc. - and as a result these themes will not elicit the nostalgia rush that comes to us who grew up with Peanuts. The screenplay was written by the son and grandson of Schulz and remains faithful to his story and spirit...I believe he would be proud of this film. The Peanuts Movie offers a colorful gateway into the world of its classic characters and a sweetly nostalgic -- if relatively unambitious -- treat for the adults who grew up with them. As a side note the (too many) Red Baron scenes were probably included for the benefit of the 3D version of this movie.
[V5.0-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box codes were available at the time of this rental but they are available now.


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