Director: Steve Martino
Voice cast: Noah Schnapp, Francesca Capaldi, Kristin Chenoweth, Hadley Belle Miller, Alexander Garfin, Noah Johnston, Mariel Sheets
Rating: PG
Running time: 93 minutes
Release date: December 21st, 2015
There is no denying that animated movies have proven to be big blockbuster hits in recent years with the likes of FROZEN, BIG HERO 6 and many more capturing the minds and spirit of children (and big children too – of the adult variety) and now there is another animated film, which may tug on the nostalgic heartstrings: SNOOPY AND CHARLIE BROWN: THE PEANUTS MOVIE.
Hitting the big screen is the computer-animated, 3D version of the Peanuts gang and it certainly does not disappoint. There’s no denying that some childhood cartoon treasures have not succeeded on the big screen well with rather atrocious adaptations, but that is certainly not the case with THE PEANUTS MOVIE. In fact, if anything, it looks set to reignite the comic strip characters popularity once again – and perhaps even introduce them to a new, young generation for the first time.
Based on a script written in part by the son and grandson of Peanuts creator, Charles M Schulz, THE PEANUTS MOVIE is delightfully faithful to the spirit of the original characters and their beloved festive television specials. SNOOPY & CHARLIE BROWN: THE PEANUTS MOVIE is an animated adventure about a hapless boy’s attempts to get a girl to notice him, while his loveable dog sets out to rescue the love of his life.
Director Steve Martino (ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT) brings the themes of unrequited love, youthful angst, embarrassment and imagination to the forefront in the movie, all in a very innocent and beautifully depicted way. Whilst children will enjoy the trials and tribulations of the young Charlie Brown, the film will almost certainly tug on the heartstrings of nostalgic adults who were fond of Charlie Brown and his pals growing up.
Charlie (voiced by Schnapp) has fallen in love with the Little Red-Haired Girl (Capaldi), a new girl at school who also happens to have moved into the house across the street. Charlie is head over heels for the new little lady and is unable to approach her, talk to her or even look her in the eye, so with the help of his lifetime, four-legged friend, Snoopy, he sets about trying to impress her, which proves to be more difficult than he first thought.
In desperate vain for her attention, he learns magic tricks and dance moves and even reads War and Peace. But he still can’t find the courage to talk to her.
Charlie Brown is not the only character harbouring feelings of love; Snoopy is also in love – but with the dog of his daydreams. As the imaginary Flying Ace battling the Red Baron from the roof of his doghouse, Snoopy comes across a beautiful French poodle, Fifi (Chenoweth). It seems initially a bizarre sub-plot and love story that may have worked better if it was with a ‘real-life’ dog, but it does give the film the opportunity to show off its sublime wealth of brightly-coloured World War I flight scenes that take good advantage of the 3-D animation.
With THE PEANUTS MOVIE, Director Martino has kept the true spirit of the original cartoon strip and has not been tempted to step away from the foundations of what made the characters so popular to begin with. He has masterfully replicated Schulz’s hand-drawn expressions, including Charlie’s sighs, Sally’s smiles and the exasperated yells of Lucy (Miller). That has been the key to success for the film, for those who are familiar with the characters; the makers have remained true to the timelessness of Schulz’s world and for those who are new to Charlie Brown and his world of friends, there is real joy and innocence to be taken from the movie.
Hearts will melt every time Sally (Sheets) lovingly calls Charlie “Big Brother”, and particularly when Charlie laments that he has no future with the Little Red-Haired Girl because “she’s something, and I’m nothing”.
Overall, SNOOPY AND CHARLIE BROWN: THE PEANUTS MOVIE is the perfect animated movie for family members of all ages and rather than try and stand out as a flashy, big blockbuster, it has remained true to the roots that made it so successful to begin with. The movie will definitely draw in a new, younger generation and by the look on the faces of my two nieces at the press screening who accompanied me, it was a big hit – and they’ve not stopped talking about since.
Beautifully animated with a simple plot, it is like stepping back in time, with a modern twist.
Verdict
