Originating from the mindset of Charles Shulz, the Peanuts once started out as nothing more than a comic. Soon it became much more than that, branching off into TV shows, plush toys, and now, a movie. With Shulz gone, and the credibility of nothing more than being major fans of The Peanuts, were the minds at Blue Sky Productions able to craft a decent movie?
In simplest words, yes, the movie was a masterpiece that would be almost a crime to skip.
The plot is simple enough to follow, but not anything dulled down to the point of boringness. Charlie “Charles” Brown (voiced by Noah Schnapp) has discovered that a new girl is moving into town, who evolves into Brown’s new love interest.
The whole plot is centered on Charlie trying to get “the red head” girl’s attention, whether it is through academic achievement or dance moves.
Again, the plot is not to be complicated, the movie is obviously aimed towards younger children who like to see a silly dog fly an airplane. However, if nostalgia is what some people are looking for, that is the number one trait “The Peanuts” movie emulates. Ranging from Brown trying to fly a kite to Schroeder playing Beethoven on the piano enthusiastically and Joe Cool fans of the comics (or shows) are much more likely to get something out of the movie than those that are being introduced to the movie for the first time.
Though, those who want a well-designed movie might also find interest in the movie. In fact, the animation is the Peanuts strongest link.
The design is captivated intricately through a mix of CGI and cartoon-esque drawings. Each of the characters feel like they were redesigned from the bottom up, yet still maintain their own personalities. Charlie Brown still wears the same shirts he did twenty years ago, and snoopy is still the black-and white dog everyone knows and loves, but they have been given a more vivid texture.
Finally, the cast involves a number of people who, although are not as well known, capture each character’s ego distinctively. Most of the voice actors are (oddly enough) children who have had little or no experience in the spot light. While Alexander Garfin and Hadley Belle Miller did a magnificent job as Linus and Lucy, and Noah Schnapp sold it as Charlie Brown.
It is extremely hard for me to point out any flaws in the movie, because, quite frankly, there were almost none. Of course, there was the occasional childish joke (it is aimed towards kids) and a few shortcoming moments that were somewhat disappointing, especially in the ending. But, overall, the movie itself maintained its focus.
The Peanuts Movie is an outstanding movie that any fan of the comics, TV shows, or toys can easily appreciate. There was enough nostalgic content to cover the jist of the comics, and what Shultz’ original intention of the comic was, to entertain. The plot was on the simpler side, but it is not meant to be overly-complicated.
What Blue Skies did was aim to create a movie that both fans and newcomers could enjoy, and they did so with flying colors. For the effort set forth, the variety, the art style, and originality, I give The Peanuts Movie five out of five peanuts.