There are people who don’t like it when classic characters are brought to the big screen in modern times because they feel like a modern ‘interpretation’ is way too different from the source material. Well, with The Peanuts Movie, it feels exactly like a classic Charlie Brown cartoon, and it is fantastic!
I can’t express how much The Peanuts Movie resembles the classic comic strip and cartoons, both in style and plot. When a little red haired girl moves into the neighborhood, Charlie Brown finds that he has a huge crush on her, goes through great lengths to impress her and prove that he’s not the loser he’s believed himself to be his whole life. In the midst of that is Snoopy embarking on an imaginative adventure of his, which really steals the show, yet doesn’t overshadow the main story. The whole movie is extremely well balanced and is done a lot better than I originally thought it was going to be.
I don’t think there are going to be many people that dislike this movie. Basically anyone with a heart and feelings is going to like this. Even long time fans will love it, because The Peanuts Movie isn’t some ‘new adaptation’. It’s just the Peanuts. It’s simply a feature length Charlie Brown cartoon, and it feels that way. The animation looks exactly like a partially 3D version of the classic cartoons. The characters look the same, the voices sound the same, and the animators even made the movements look all choppy and such, just like the old cartoons. But the best part was that the resemblance to the old cartoons didn’t mean that the animation isn’t detailed. The hair looks like actual hair, Snoopy’s fur looks like actual fur, and even the shoes look like tangible leather. It literally looks like one of the classics, but with a little more detail. And it was so nice that everyone working on the movie took great care in paying respect to Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip as well as the cartoons in every conceivable way.
Another thing I have to congratulate is the voice acting. I don’t know where they found the kids to do it, but the voice acting could not have been even more perfect than it was! The voices sound exactly like the voices of the classic specials. There’s no difference at all! The voice actors are surprisingly on point, and it was a true delight.
The story was very well done, too. The way they went about the whole idea of Charlie Brown having a crush on the little red haired girl, and the efforts he goes through to get her to notice him, is all simply cute. As is Snoopy’s little side adventure against the ‘Red Baron’, which was the highlight of the film. I don’t think Snoopy could be any more awesome than he already is.
It really is just a cute, funny movie, but there’s more value in it than just being ‘cute’, though. There’s a big theme throughout the whole movie, and it’s addressed very nicely at the end as well, but I won’t give away what it is. I will say that not only is it a good thing to show the kids, but it is done intelligently. The Peanuts Movie is geared towards kids, but it’s not stupid. Nothing is dumbed down at all, and I think both kids and older viewers can get into it and enjoy every scene.
I honestly can’t think of a single thing wrong with The Peanuts Movie. It’s great for anyone of all ages to enjoy. It’s lighthearted fun, and has values that kids can easily understand, but doesn’t hammer it into their heads to the point where it’s no longer fun. Good animation, perfect voice acting, great soundtrack, and is overall a fun time to have in theaters with the family. I highly recommend seeing this film some time soon.
FINAL RATING: 50 / 50
STORY: 5 / 5
VOICE ACTING: 5 / 5
CHARACTERS: 5 / 5
ANIMATION: 5 / 5
ADVENTURE/COMEDY: 5 / 5
SOUNDTRACK: 5 / 5
TONE: 5 / 5
ENJOYABILITY: 5 / 5
REWATCH VALUE: 5 / 5
OWNING VALUE: 5 / 5
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