Kidzworld reviews The Peanuts Movie featuring beloved comic strip and TV favorites. Can Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy and the other Charles Schulz characters still entertain tweens and teens today?
By: Lynn Barker
Charlie Brown and his lovable dog Snoopy return in The Peanuts Movie based on a comic strip then many TV specials about a group of young kids coping with school and the challenge of growing up and making and keeping friends. The Peanuts characters have entertained your grandparents, parents and, it’s hoped, now you! We even once interviewed an astronaut who took a Snoopy stuffed animal in a space suit on a mission to the moon!
Charlie Bown and Snoopy on a winter adventureCourtesy of 20th Century Fox
New Girl in Town
Charlie Brown is on his usual run of flubs and near-misses as he tries to fit in and succeed at school and with friends. When a new little red-haired girl moves in across the street, he is immediately crushin’ on her. She doesn’t know him. Maybe he can start over as a cool kid at least in her eyes.
The much-loved little red-haired girlCourtesy of 20th Century Fox
Lucy’s Advice
When Charlie’s classmate Lucy is insulted that he thinks this new girl is really, really pretty, she advises him to become at winner at all costs and gives him a book to guide him.
Lucy isn't thrilled at Charlie's sudden celebrityCourtesy of 20th Century Fox
Snoopy is Inspired
Charlie Brown’s attempts to win the love of his life which include making an amazing grade on a big test, writing a really difficult book report and becoming a semi-celebrity fuel Snoopy’s imagination and thus the stories he writes while sitting atop his dog house. In Snoopy’s dreams he is an ace pilot in World War I flying against the evil Red Baron to rescue another pilot, his new great love French poodle Fifi.
Snoopy as the great flying aceCourtesy of 20th Century Fox
Will She Ever Like Me?
When it seems that all Charlie’s efforts blow up in his face, he gives up until he is encouraged by pal Linus to just talk to the girl! Charlie learns that she was more impressed with his kindness to his little sister Sally and the way he handles adversity that all of his recent accomplishments. They will be pen pals over the summer when she goes off to camp. Can this new connection last?
The Peanuts Movie Trailer
Wrapping Up
Being a big fan of little Scrat, the rodent from the Ice Age movies who is always chasing his beloved acorn, I was delighted to see a short cartoon called “Scrat-Tastrophe” showing how Scrat accidentally creates our solar system only to mess it up. It’s such a great bonus running with The Peanuts Movie!
Lucy pulls her usual trick on CharlieCourtesy of 20th Century Fox
Most of us can relate to much-loved loser Charlie Brown’s struggles to be popular or just semi-successful at life. We can only aspire to Charlie’s dog Snoopy’s great imagination and ability to write up his adventures as a WWI flying ace. If you know the Peanuts characters, you know that poor Charlie rarely gets what he wants but, in this film, he finally gets a certain little red-haired girl to like him! That alone is reason to celebrate.
Snoopy's holidayCourtesy of 20th Century Fox
The Peanuts Movie is available in 3-D but we saw it without and don’t think the film really needs it. For your parents and grandparents, the movie will be a trip down a pleasant memory lane. The filmmakers manage to include so much of what we already know about these characters, their worries and insecurities and we root for them as always.
Noah Schnapp who voices CharlieCourtesy of 20th Century Fox
For those relatively new to the Peanuts world, it’s hard not to like and be entertained by the antics and personalities of these very diverse friends and of course by Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s well-meaning, loyal but sometimes infuriating pooch.
The story here isn’t amazingly new or unique and nothing has been updated in the film. Snoopy is still writing on a typewriter and none of the kids has a cell phone but that’s okay. It is the relatable tale about a likeable underdog hero trying to succeed and his ups and downs that will probably win you over. The film should certainly appeal enough for a warm and fuzzy trip to the local movie-plex. We go 4 stars.
The Peanuts Movie Rating:
The Peanuts Movie is in theaters now!Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Have Your Say
Are you familiar with the Peanuts characters? Do you think a new big screen movie about them might be fun? Leave a comment.
