Snoopy is a household name; Charlie Brown a little less so but still relatively well-known. It’s frequently referenced in modern shows, and the Peanuts merchandising never goes out of season! I have heard these names as early as I can remember but I realized I never really watched any of the animated features or particularly loved the newspaper comic. I am unfortunately not part of the Peanuts generation.
But The Peanuts Movie was a GREAT way to start getting to know them better! From a vague familiarity with Snoopy, his best friend, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the Peanuts cast, I now understand their dynamic, their humor, and their appeal better. Peanuts is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! And I’m sure, for anyone who grew up with these characters, the movie would’ve been a warm and fuzzy trip down memory lane.
The film revolves around the bumbling, often unlucky, but well-meaning Charlie Brown. He falls head over heels with the new girl in school and tries to make a good first impression. From getting advice from Lucy, to learning a new talent and even reading one large *ss book, Charlie makes one misstep after another in his plight for the Little Red-Haired Girl’s attention. Whether or not he eventually achieves his coveted prize is something I’ll leave for you to find out.
But really, when you watch it, it’s childishly simplistic and very easy to predict. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before – kid tries to be something he’s not only to eventually realize that he only needed to be himself. Who among us haven’t ever seen that plot in one form or another? But the film’s cliché boyhood tale outline is negligible. What really made The Peanuts Movie enjoyable were the loveable characters, the warmth and sentimentality of it, and the trademark humor.
I loved the cast of characters. The writing and the character design, to creator Charles Schulz’s credit, made it easy to identify and understand the personalities and roles each kid played in the ensemble. Charlie is the good-natured but clumsy underdog at the center of it all. Sally is his quirky and energetic little sister. Linus is the mature-for-his-age best friend (who ironically can’t part with his safety blanket), Schroeder the classical music aficionado, Lucy the crabby know-it-all, Pig-Pen the perpetually dirty kid, Peppermint Patty the “jock” (or at least as close to one in the Peanuts universe), and Marcie, the token nerd who has an odd friend-slash-groupie like relationship with Patty. There’s something to love about each one of them (yep, even Lucy), and the film gives each one their due.
And then there’s Snoopy. As my brother and I were watching the movie, we kept going “Oooohhhh, ganun pala ung character niya.” Going into this, we knew nothing about Snoopy aside from being a world famous cartoon dog so it was a much needed eye-opener to what made him tick. I never realized he was such a goofball; a goofball who’s misadventures was only loosely linked to the main, Charlie Brown narrative. He pretty much had his own thing going on the whole time, which I surmise is truthful to the original comics and animated features. I guess Charlie put it best: A dog doesn't try to give advice, or judge you; they just love you for who you are. It's nice to have someone who will just sit and listen to you. That he was; just there, being a loyal companion to Charlie Brown.
Get ready to "awwwwwww". Like a lot.
But that’s not the only way the movie pays homage to the timeless source material. Without knowing much about the franchise, even I could tell that Charlie’s kite, Snoopy’s flying dog house, the football pulling gag, were all important/iconic moments in the original comic strips. The peculiar stop-motion-esque animation, the simplistic shot composition, and the gentle humor all felt very reminiscent to the past Peanuts comics and animated features as well. Adult fans of Snoopy and Charlie Brown must’ve had a wonderful nostalgic time!
But if all the references or throwbacks just go above your head, The Peanuts Movie is still worth a watch for the easy going humor (with its delightful hints of adult themes). There wasn’t a lot of laugh out loud moments, but I did enjoy the sprightly antics; it almost felt like the newspaper strips strung together. And hearing kids talk about mortgages and intellectual properties and artistic appreciation is too adorable! The youthful quips remain faithful to the tone of the comic strips but are slightly modernized as it was written by son and grandson of the late creator, Charles M. Schulz, Craig and Brian respectively.
The Peanuts Movie was cute and ultimately satisfying but it wasn’t particularly ambitious. There’s nothing to hate on, but neither is there really anything to rave about, especially if you’re not invested in the franchise. It was just a mellow, standard, feel good film. If you only casually know the characters, I’d recommend waiting for the DVD or TV release. But if you love Snoopy, Charlie and the rest of the gang, absolutely see it in theaters! The Peanuts Movie is nothing ground-breaking…but it undeniably embodies Snoopy and good ol' Charlie Brown!
MICMIC RATING: 7.3 / 10
*First seen on The Philippine Online Chronicles!
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