The Peanuts Movie- Review

The gang's all here Charlie Brown!

Timeless, iconic, classic, these are all words people use when describing something as influential as The Peanuts. What started out as a simple comic strip in the Sunday newspapers, ultimately grew into a franchising juggernaut with products spanning over almost all media available for the last sixty years. I'm about 99.9% confident that pretty much anyone reading this review right this instant is familiar with Charles Schulz's work in some way, shape, or form.

I have absolutely no qualms admitting that I am a HUGE Peanuts fan. All of the original animated holiday specials were regularly on my family's TV throughout my youth, and to this day remain some of my fondest memories of the holiday season. It practically goes without saying that I read the comics regularly, which still sit in my head as the quintessential example of a Sunday comic strip.

With all of that in mind, imagine now how skeptical I must have been when the initial announcement was made that the Peanuts was going to get the big-budget Hollywood movie treatment. While there have been plenty of great film adaptations over the last thirty years, it was hard for me to believe that the somewhat soulless Hollywood machine would be capable of translating the heart of The Peanuts to the big screen. Most of that doubt evaporated the moment I saw the very first teaser, and learned that Craig and Bryan Schulz (the son and grandson of Charles Schulz) were writing the film. Suddenly I had hope, and thankfully I can say that hope wasn't misplaced. Much like The Lego Movie, The Peanuts is everything I wanted it to be (and in some ways) so much more.

Life isn't easy if you're a kid named Charlie Brown. Failing at seemingly everything he does, Charlie Brown has grown frustrated with his perpetual mishaps. When a little red haired girl moves into the house across from his, Charlie Brown sees this as an opportunity to reinvent himself as a confident winner, instead of a constant mess-up. With the aid of his trusty beagle Snoopy, Charlie Brown makes it his goal to impress the little red haired girl and become more of a winner than he ever thought he could be.

To some The Peanuts Movie may come off as overly basic, but once more I feel the urge to make the distinction between something being "basic" and something being "simple." When something is basic, it's pretty much "run-of-the-mill, everybody does this" sort of affair. It's bland, usually lacking character or charm to off set the minimal inspiration. If something is simple though, it can mean that things are uncomplicated and easy to follow, while still providing that much needed character and charm. The Peanuts Movie (much like the original comic strip) revels in its simplicity, and because of that, becomes a very accessible/more enjoyable experience for it. Sometimes all we really need is a charmingly simple story (or series of loosely connected vignettes as some have argued) to make something memorable.

In fact, I would actually make the argument that this isn't so much a big-screen adaption of The Peanuts but more so a celebration of everything the whole franchise has ever represented. Every sequence feels as if it was written with the express purpose of preserving the spirit and essence of what makes The Peanuts THE PEANUTS, and I think my best friend Matt very succinctly put it "that this was like a distilled cliff-notes version of The Peanuts, and that's just fine." This movie could have completely flown off the rails in so many ways given today's climate, but it didn't. Instead this was a film that celebrated everything that everyone loves about these characters and the experiences they share. A lot of us have always been able to relate to Charlie Brown's predicaments and this big-screen treatment did service to making not only us old-guard fans feel that same connection once again, but a whole new generation as well.

Classic in all the right ways!

Every emotion The Peanuts conveys never feels anything less than genuine. Of course I am saying that as a long-lived fan, but everyone in the theater seemed to just go with this picture's flow. Every time a joke came up, people let out legitimate laughs. Whenever things got melancholic, the audience would sit in silence, seemingly contemplating the action on screen. At no point did viewers seem to fall out of sync with the emotions this flick wanted them to feel, and that is truly a testament to both the writing and the direction.

I will also say that if you're a Peanuts fan like I am, there's a good chance the last few minutes of this film may leave you with some tears. Again, I won't lie and claim that I didn't get choked up by the time the credits began rolling. The final shot is such a gratifying love-letter to both The Peanuts as a story and to its fans that I know for a fact I wasn't alone in fighting back da feelz. My brother was just as verklempted as I was, and I've read several reviews now of other long-time fans stating the same.

A lot of the emotion in this movie stems from the beautiful voice cast. The Peanuts Movie could have fallen flat on its face if it wasn't well acted, and thankfully not a single actor feels out of place. Noah Schnapp captures the essence of Charlie Brown flawlessly. Even now I almost can't believe how good this kid was. His conveyance of every emotion is so thoroughly impacting that he makes Charlie Brown feel more real than he ever has. Venus Omega Schultheis (yes that's her real name and it's awesome!) portrays Peppermint Patty so incredibly well that I almost thought for a second they had Christopher DeFaria (one of the original actors for the character) reprise the role. Hadley Belle Miller's Lucy van Pelt and Mariel Sheets' Sally Brown are just as phenomenally performed, and it makes me hope to the heavens that all of these actors continue to get more work after this. As a nice touch, archival recordings of Bill Melendez's performance as Snoopy and Woodstock are utilized to great effect, and does give The Peanuts Movie that extra feeling of authenticity.

Fantastic performances make scenes like this absolute gold!

Visually The Peanuts does not disappoint. It's obvious that the artistic styling of Charles Schulz is definitely present and accounted for here, with every character feeling like they sprung to life directly from the comic. Even with character designs that essentially have nothing more than black dots for eyes, not a single one of them comes off as inexpressive. The choice to stick with the iconic look of the comic was clearly the goal of Blue Sky Studios from day one, and frankly I think it's because they knew no one could see the Peanuts gang look any other way than how Schulz originally depicted them. That isn't to say though that the film doesn't impress. It's through the movie's simplistic approach that it truly excels and becomes more than just another CG animation.

One of the first things I think will grab anyone's attention is the colors. The vividly warm color palette makes you almost feel like you're curling up next to a fire as you watch the flames dance. The second thing everyone is sure to talk about is the very tactile sense to the film. Every article of clothing, or every strand of hair on a character's head, has a noticeable texture to it. You can almost feel how course and matted Peppermint Patty's tomboy hair is, or how fuzzy Snoopy is. Add in some classic comic style sound effect words popping into frame at key moments and you've got The Peanuts ported with nary a flaw in sight. 

While the cozy nature of the visuals are very effective, the most impressive sequences are the moments where series icon Snoopy imagines he's fighting The Red Baron. To be frank, this is where the film is at its most energetic and absolutely captivating. Even though we know these scenes are only playing out in Snoopy's imaginative mind, there is a legitimately exciting quality to it all. Each time there's a barrel roll or The Red Baron gets the drop on Snoopy is highly kinetic, and I can't truly express how awesome these bits really are.

This is the stuff dreams are made of.

The score is yet another area where attention to the small details is evident. From the opening shot we hear the familiar musical measures that defined the TV specials. While they are re-recordings or new takes on the distinguished tracks, at no point do they not feel like the music that is The Peanut's associated sound. Composer Christopher Beck does an impeccable job recreating the distinct notes we all know and love, and even with some of the newer bits of music (such as Gipsy King's single 'Bamboleo' and Meghan Trainor's songs 'Better When I'm Dancing'/'Good to be Alive' which were written specifically for the movie) fit with the overall classic vibe. It's contemporary in all the right places while still paying homage to Vince Guaraldi's original music score.

In regards to anything negative to The Peanuts Movie, I don't think there isn't much but some nitpicks here and there. I have seen some reviews say that the Red Baron scenes are a bit too bombastically long and distract from the overarching story of the film, but I disagree. The Red Baron acts as a parallel to the main plot, allowing us to see how Snoopy is coming to terms with how to help his master/best friend Charlie Brown. Even though I can see the logic behind the complaint (such as these scenes taking away potential moments of development from some of the other characters in the cast) I don't think The Red Baron bits are a waste of time at all. Just a different focus for this particular narrative. If anything else, I'm a little sad that some minor details got messed up. They're not deal breakers by any stretch, but having changes such as Peppermint Patty and Marcie going to the same school as Charlie Brown (let alone Linus also being in the same grade as him) do futz with the established continuity the comic and the specials adhered to for decades. I do completely understand why changes like this were somewhat necessary (so that they could get all the cast together in most of the scenes) but it's still is a bit unfortunate to see Blue Sky Studios be so accurate in so many areas only to falter on these minor details.

Overall The Peanuts Movie is undoubtedly rock solid to its very core. Barring a few painfully minor nitpicks that only more old-school fanboys could have, I think I can safely say this is the picture we all wanted it to be. From the simplistically sublime visuals, to the notes of its nostalgia laden melodies, everything here screams authentic Peanuts. If you consider yourself a fan of Charles Schulz's work by any stretch then I emphatically encourage you to watch this piece of animated cinema gold while it's still in theaters. You'll laugh, you'll cry, then laugh again, only to potentially weep with joy in the end. I can't sing the praises of this movie enough. As far as this one nerd is concerned, you did good by me Blue Sky Studios. It's been a long time coming, but Charlie Brown has finally been given his day in the sun!

Positive Factors

• Completely nails the charm and personality of Charles Schulz's original vision.
• Its simple plot makes for an incredibly accessible film for any fan of any generation.
• Absolutely stellar voice casting. Everyone is pitch perfect in their roles.
• Gorgeous visuals all around. Regardless of the simple designs everything feels tangible and emotive.
• Fantastic score. The spirit of the sound from the TV specials is clearly preserved, even with the more modern music.

Negative Factors

• Depending on how much you love the whole cast, The Red Baron scenes may be too time consuming.
• A few minor details that have been established for years either have liberties taken with them or are just wrong.

Final Rating: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!