The Peanuts Movie

The Peanuts comic strip, by Charles Schulz, ran in American papers for about 50 years.  Its characters are known and loved by many: Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Pigpen, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder . . . the list could go on.  Over the years, a few TV specials were also made, to good reviews.  Last year, The Peanuts Movie was released.  Here, a new girl moves into town.  Charlie Brown, the forever failure, has a crush on her . . . so how can he approach her?  He needs to be a 'winner' to have a chance, and so (with the help of Snoopy) he comes up with several ideas.  When all goes wrong, though . . . are his efforts for naught?

Comic strips don't always translate well to the big screen, and I admit being skeptical about this venture.  This was a CG, 90-minute production . . . could it hold up?  In a word, yes.  The animation is modern yet true to the original.  The themes, characters, and humor are similarly well-done and accurately reflective of the role the comic strip played over the years.  It was funny, heart-warming, and instructive.  Overall, I was surprised and pleased.  I'm not sure kids (unfamiliar with the original strip or TV specials) would appreciate it as much, but for adults, this is a good film.  I was most impressed with the theme, summarized in the next (spoiler-containing) paragraph.

Charlie Brown, at the end of the film (and his rope), finds that the new girl is interested in being his summer pen-pal.  He's shocked, having spent the whole film (and school year) trying to impress her through accomplishment and success.  But the girl isn't looking for success . . . she admires him for who he is.  He may not succeed, but he's compassionate, honest, brave, funny, and sweet.  It's those qualities she recognizes are the true measure of a person- a lesson we could do well to learn.

Rating: A