Even After 65 Years, the Peanuts Still Continue to Entertain

From left: Franklin, Lucy van Pelt, Snoopy, Linus van Pelt, Charlie Brown,
Peppermint Patty, and Sally Brown in "The Peanuts Movie"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

For decades, Charles Schulz’s beloved cartoon creation, “Peanuts,” has entertained and charmed the world ever since the comic strip’s first appearance in 1950.  Since then, generations have fallen in with the characters, both in the newspapers and their adored television specials.  It speaks to the appeal that the young Charlie Brown, his loyal dog Snoopy, and the rest of their gang have had throughout more than half a century.

Schulz’s characters have now transitioned into stars on the big screen with director Steve Martino’s “The Peanuts Movie.”  Capturing the wit and heart of the classic Peanuts stories we have come to love, Martino delivers a film that is tremendous fun for audiences of all ages.

Charlie Brown is a kid who’s trying to find success in his childhood, and while he seems to encounter one mishap after the next, he takes it all in stride.  When the Little Red-Haired Girl moves into the neighborhood and becomes Charlie Brown’s new classmate, he decides he’s going to work extra hard to impress her.  With the help of his friends and Snoopy, Charlie Brown will set out to become the winner he always strived to be.

The filmmakers do a wonderful job in providing a voice cast that sounds strikingly similar to that of the classic television specials.  This gives the feeling of watching one of the many “Peanuts” shows that graced countless childhoods.

While the screenplay by Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, and Cornelius Uliano uses bits from other Charlie Brown stories we have come to know over the years, you still can’t help but get swept up in the fun provided by the Peanuts gang.  The screenwriters deliver a Peanuts story that’s a worthy addition to everything that has come before it.

Besides Charlie Brown’s storyline, there is also a subplot of Snoopy immersing himself in his imagination as his alter ego, the Flying Ace, a World War I pilot who takes to the skies in a high-flying adventure to face-off with the Red Baron.  By giving a plot thread each to Charlie Brown and Snoopy, the two main characters have about the same amount of screen time, allowing us to be endlessly charmed by their adventures.

Director Steve Martino retains the delightfulness of the Peanuts with every scene of the film, and he doesn’t feel the need to throw in any crude humor, which seems to be a part of many children’s films these days, sadly.  The Peanuts he presents to us are within the essence of the ones we grew up with, which lets adult audiences enjoy the nostalgia, while also providing a chance for younger audiences to become familiar with and experience these classic cartoon characters on the big screen.  In a film about Charlie Brown trying to become a winner, this movie will certainly win you over.

Final grade: A-