The Peanuts Movie (2015) Reviews

• Great Animated Movie.

  randydandy-087982015-11-04

  Source of my comment: hitfix.com Review By Drew McWeeny. When we live in an age when everything, no matter how pure the intent of the creator, is simply IP to be farmed, it is right to be suspicious of a "Peanuts" movie. After all, Charlie Brown and the rest of the characters created by Charles Schulz have been huge business for decades, and it makes sense that they would put something together if for no other reason than to keep the characters active in pop culture. Thankfully, it appears that the people behind "The Peanuts Movie" take the legacy of these characters very seriously, and the result is a gentle, charming movie that seems far less frantic than much of what is created for young audiences these days. Blue Sky, one of the two major producers of CG animated films for Fox, has produced ten feature films now, and while the majority of their efforts have been originals, it was clear from "Horton Hears A Who" that when they adapt someone else's property, they try to do so from a position of authenticity and respect. One of the things that makes "Peanuts" such a broad target is all the different versions there have been. Even in our editorial meetings at HitFix, as we talk about the films or the specials that we think of when "Peanuts" is mentioned, we all have our own take on what that means. For me, the old school TV specials and the first few movies were the defining version. Louis Virtel told me he always thinks of "Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown!" first. My kids have been exposed to some of the specials, but Toshi took it upon himself to read the Fantagraphics collections of all of the strips that I have on my shelves. And to any of those people, I would say, "You'll recognize the 'Peanuts' you love in this movie, and you'll be happy." That could not have been an easy task, so for that alone, Blue Sky and Fox deserve some accolades. One of the most interesting choices they made in approaching the movie was how to design the characters. They are 3D CG objects, but the faces are "drawn" onto the heads in a way that always feels like there's a physical brush stroke, a pencil mark. I assume the entire thing is CG, but it connects the characters to the long hand-made tradition that started with the comic strip itself. It's a strong stylistic decision, and it makes sure the characters feel like the characters we already know. Steve Martino, working from a script by Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, and Cornelius Uliano, touches on any number of familiar jokes and scenes and set-ups, with a number of references to the long history of the characters. Snoopy spends most of the movie working on a book on his newly-discovered typewriter, the story of a flying ace and his battle against the infamous Red Baron. Sally's got her crush on her sweet baboo, Linus, who nurses his faith in the the Great Pumpkin. Lucy gives advice at her sidewalk psychiatric stand while making passes as Schroeder every chance she gets. Peppermint Patty and her assistant Marcie both play their familiar roles as well, with Charlie Brown at the center of everything, constantly put upon, constantly taking one on the chin. If this is going to be true to the original strip that Schulz created, then Charlie Brown has got to be suffering, a kid who can't catch a break. What surprised me was the way they took a quiet approach to finding something else to say about Charlie Brown. I was worried that this was going to be a film where they had to turn him into something he wasn't just to tick some demographic checklist, and instead, the film makes some very strong and interesting points about what is heroic when you're just a kid trying to define yourself. In this case, there's a new kid in school, the Little Red-Haired Girl, and Charlie Brown is determined to reinvent himself in a way that will win this girl's attention and approval. This being Charlie Brown, things are not that easy, but I thought the way they eventually bring it together was unexpectedly honest. At this point, these characters have been playing the same beats for so long that it is genuinely surprising to see them do something new that doesn't feel like a violation of the characters, but rather a natural extension of what we already know about them. The cast of young voice actors all seem appropriately chosen, and it's interesting to hear how they've gone out of their way to find kids who naturally sound like the voices that have been connected to the characters for over 40 years now. One of the reasons I don't ever want a "Calvin & Hobbes" adaptation to happen is because I don't want to hear anyone else's take on how Hobbes should sound, but with these characters, they've had the same voices for so long now that it's kind of like a magic trick. It's a cast of real kids here, but they sound like the "real" Charlie Brown, the "real" Lucy, the "real" Linus. Frequently very funny, undeniably aimed at younger audiences, and true to the source material, "The Peanuts Movie" is too mild-mannered to win over brand new audiences, but it's going to please people who were already fond of the underlying property, and it should be a big nostalgia-driven hit for the studio.

• My son Muhammad wanted to see this great movie again.

  muslimbellydancer2015-11-25

  When the Little Red-Haired Girl moves into his neighborhood, Charlie Brown develops a crush on her, but is frustrated that his long-running streak of bad luck will prevent him from ever getting noticed. Lucy tells Charlie that he should try being more confident. Charlie Brown decides to embark upon a series of new activities in hope of finding one that will get the Little Red-Haired Girl to notice him. His first attempt is to participate in the school's talent show with a magic act. However, when his sister Sally's act goes wrong, Charlie Brown sacrifices his time for her and then with Snoopy's help, rescues his sister and her act, only to humiliate himself in return. Learning that the Little Red-Haired Girl likes dancing, Charlie signs up for the school dance and gets Snoopy to teach him all his best moves. At the dance, Charlie Brown starts to attract praise for his skills until he slips and sets off the sprinkler system, which causes the dance to be cut short. All the other students forget his success and blame him for ruining their fun. Later, Charlie Brown is partnered with the Little Red-Haired Girl to write a book report. At first, he is excited to have a chance to be with her, but she is called away for a week to deal with a family illness, leaving Charlie Brown to write the report all by himself. Hoping to impress both the Little Red-Haired Girl and his teacher, Charlie Brown writes his report on the collegiate-level novel War and Peace. At the same time, Charlie Brown finds he is the only student to get a perfect score on a standardized test. The other children congratulate him, and his popularity begins to climb. However, when he goes to accept a medal at a school assembly, he learns that the test papers were accidentally mixed up and that the perfect score actually belongs to Peppermint Patty. Charlie Brown declines the medal, losing all his new-found popularity. He feels worse when his book report is destroyed, and admits to the Little Red-Haired Girl that he has caused them to both fail the assignment. At the end of the school year, Charlie Brown is surprised when the Little Red-Haired Girl chooses him for a pen pal. Linus convinces Charlie Brown that he needs to tell the Little Red-Haired Girl how he feels about her before she leaves for the summer. Racing to her house, he discovers that she is about to leave on a bus for summer camp. He tries to chase the bus, but is prevented from reaching it. Just as he is about to give up, Charlie Brown sees a kite fall from the Kite-Eating Tree, and the string becomes entangled around his waist and sails away with him, quickly bringing him up to the bus's window. Amazed to see Charlie Brown successfully flying a kite, the other children follow. Upon reaching the bus, Charlie Brown finally asks the Little Red-Haired Girl why she chose him in spite of his failures. The Little Red-Haired Girl explains she admires his selflessness and praises him as an honest, caring, and compassionate person. The two promise to write to one another. The other children catch up to Charlie Brown and crowd around to congratulate him before picking him up on their shoulders and carrying him away. In a side story, Snoopy, upon discovering a typewriter in a dumpster, decides to write a novel about his alter-ego, the World War I Flying Ace, trying to save his lover Fifi from the Red Baron. He ends up acting out his adventure, coming across the Peanuts gang several times along the way. He successfully defeats the Red Baron and rescues Fifi. However, as he is celebrating his victory with Fifi and his siblings, he learns that the Red Baron has survived, causing him to furiously declare revenge. Both me and my only son Muhammad enjoyed this movie and honestly my son wanted to see this great movie again. Well Done.

• A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz

  rannynm2015-11-05

  I really enjoy The Peanuts Movie. It reminds me of the classic Charlie Brown movies, but even better! Even though the Peanuts creator, Charles M. Schulz passed away in 2000, this movie is a tribute to his memory and the legacy that he left behind. While the members of the Peanuts Gang look and act like their lovable selves, there are many updates to this film. The animation is much more detailed than the previous movies and viewers are able to watch it in 3D. There are many new upbeat songs in addition to the much loved tunes. "Better When I'm Dancin'" by Meghan Trainor is a great addition to the original songs. The Peanuts Movie is about Charlie Brown trying to break his losing streak so the little Red Haired Girl (voiced by Disney's Francesca Capaldi) will view him differently than his friends do. He tries to change his luck in a dance contest, a talent show, flying a kite and writing a book report. Also, Snoopy tries to defeat the Red Baron in order to win the love of his life Fi Fi, voiced by Kristen Chenoweth. My favorite character is Snoopy because he is very funny. His story is well written and filled with love, comedy and adventure. Some of the funniest characters are Lucy, Sally, Snoopy and Woodstock. They got great laughs from the audience including kids as young as three. All the voice talent perfectly suits their characters. Fans of Linus, Schroeder, Pig Pen, Peppermint Patty and all the others will not be disappointed. The moral to this film is, "if you see yourself as a winner or a loser in life, you are probably going to act like one. If you think you are a winner, act like one and others might think so too." I rate The Peanuts Movie 5 out of 5 stars because of the colorful animation and it being true to the original Peanuts Gang. I recommend this movie for ages 3 to 15 or any people who have enjoyed the other Peanuts movies. At the end of this film there is a 3 second clip. The credits are very long so be sure to stick around until the end. Reviewed by Mia A., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11.

• Absolutely Faithful Adaptation that "Sparky" Would Be Proud Of

  christopher-cole832015-11-06

  Ten stars is too low of a rating! I am a thoroughly invested Peanuts fan, and have been for as long as I can remember (I'll be 32 this year). Peanuts is far and away my all time favorite cartoon. I have always appreciated the blend of childhood innocence with deep theology and philosophy that is present throughout the 65 years since the world was introduced to the lovable blockhead Charlie Brown (actually 68 years going back to 'Li'l Folks'). This movie continues the blend: both modern and classic animation styles that I believe set Blue Sky Studios apart from and ahead of both Pixar and Dreamworks; a classic Vince Guraldi soundtrack with some tastefully and not overdone modern sound; but best of all nearly all the classic tropes and references to story lines blended together in a thoroughly entertaining story that might have come from Schulz himself. Without giving too much away, this movie has everything any and every super fan of Peanuts could want: kite eating tree; baseball; hockey; an epic battle with the Red Baron; Lucy's booth; Schroeder's toy piano and Beethoven; Snoopy sneaking into school; Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'; and Charlie Brown pining away for the little red headed girl. As I said, ten out of ten is too low a rating.

• Welcome back, Charlie Brown!

  charlieandpablo2015-11-02

  First of all, WHO doesn't love peanuts?! I remember watching the Charlie Brown and Snoopy show in the 1980's on Saturday mornings... Aaah... What memories... This movie has captured EVERYTHING! It has captured the magic of Peanuts. In this movie you will find Classic recurring themes like the football gag, Charlie Brown's kite flying and a thrilling Dog fight with the Red Baron! This movie is perfect for kids who haven't grown up with Peanuts and for adults who want to go back to their childhood. It has a great life message and it shows the qualities that every person must have. Charles M. Schulz would be really proud of this movie. This movie is worth it! This is a perfect comeback for Peanuts