The Peanuts Movie

The Peanuts Movie

Starring Noah Strapp, Bill Melendez, Mariel Sheets, Noah Johnston

Directed by Steve Martino

The Story:
Charlie Brown deals with the struggles of childhood - trying to fly a kite, getting homework done, and learning to dance.  He feels rather invisible and unexceptional, so when a new girl moves into town, he feels this is his chance to create a whole new self - if he only had the guts to actually talk to the girl.

Meanwhile, his most trustworthy friend and dog Snoopy and his loyal sidekick Woodstock writes a love story of his own - starring himself as the World War Flying Ace who sets out to rescue Fifi from the dreaded Red Baron.

The Synopsis:
I remember growing up and reading the Peanuts comic strip.  I remember every year (even to this day) seeing The Great Pumpkin on Halloween and A Charlie Brown Christmas on Christmas.  Charlie Brown has been an icon of the public eye for the last 50 years, so when news of a full-length feature film was announced, I was both excited and filled with trepidation.  Would they stay true to the original comic strip and beloved childhood memories, or would they "modernize" the film like they've done with so many other childhood classics?

Thankfully, director Steve Martino stuck to the original and didn't conform to the modern rules of bringing a beloved classic to the modern era.  You won't find laptops (Snoopy even writes his story on a typewriter!), cell phones, Twitter, or any sexual innuendos they tend to hide in a film like this.  What you get instead is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, where kids flew kites (do they even do that anymore?), gathered together outdoors (once again, do kids even do that?), and accept one another without being biting or mean.  The film also encourages imagination, as told by Snoopy in his story. 

It also gives a great message in being yourself.  Life doesn't work out well for Charlie Brown, but he always does the right thing in the end, even if it costs him.  He feels like a failure in life, someone incapable of being loved.  However, he fails to see his own amazing qualities that others clearly see in him, until he begins to focus on the positives and not the negatives.  This story itself gives heart to "The Peanuts Movie" and leaves a warm feeling in your heart, which is something you rarely get from movies today.

That's not to say the movie isn't hilarious.  It was laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish, especially Snoopy's classic Flying Ace/Red Baron feud as well as Charlie's unsuccessful attempts to try and talk to the new Red-Haired Girl.  It's a comedy for old and young alike, even if the really young won't understand some of the meanings (don't really think many kids fly kites anymore).

One final great homage to the original is the voice of Snoopy and Woodstock.  It was done by Bill Melendez, who was the original voice of Snoopy and Woodstock.  Even though he passed away in 2008, they were able to take his archived voices and input them into this movie.  So when you hear Snoopy and Woodstock, you hear the classic voice of the man who first gave them life.

The Summary:
"The Peanuts Movie" is a rare family movie that is for the whole family.  From the youngest child to the oldest grandparent, there's something for everyone in this heartwarming and hilarious homage to the greatest comic strip ever.

The Score: A+