The Peanuts Movie (2015) User Reviews

The Peanuts are back on the big screen, folks!

[Filvies144 · 8/10 · 8 November 2015]

I have always been a fan of the Peanuts specials like a Charlie Brown Christmas for it's great humor and creative stories. When I heard of this film, I really had high hopes for this film and the trailers were hilarious. OK, now lets go to detail on the film.

The story is about Charlie Brown trying to become a winner to redeem himself and impress a new red haired girl. It may not sound engaging, but once you watch it, it's really a good story even if it's at times predictable. As for Snoopy's subplot with fighting the red baron, I've got to admit, it may be filler, but it's really funny and even creative but it doesn't have to do with Charlie Brown. In this subplot, Snoopy has a love interest as well. As for the humor, I didn't think that the jokes in the trailer were as funny as the ones you see in the movie. They are just hilarious. There are also great references to other specials. So overall, this is a good enough screen play for a Charlie Brown film.

The animation in this movie may've bagged the 2-D and made 3-D instead, it is just amazing. The backgrounds are just breathtaking in the red baron scenes because it showed it unlike the Charlie Brown Halloween where the flying scenes only showed the sky. Charlie Brown and his friends may look a bit simplistic, but it's OK. The animation showed that they could bring peanuts to Computer Animation. It looks almost flawless and maybe even a bit hand drawn. So you've got to look into this great texture of hair and backgrounds, it's that amazing.

The characters in this movie are unforgettable just like the classics. The side characters like Lucy and Snoopy are just hilarious and fun to watch even if they are just 2-D. The main character, Charlie Brown is 3 dimensional and he try's to accomplish his goals. He's also lovable because he shows helpfulness and honesty. Then there's the little red haired girl whose face was revealed for the first time since the 1977 Charlie Brown short, "Its your first kiss, Charlie Brown". Even though they revealed her unlike the comic strips, she's still really cute, and uses her very few lines in the movie to tell Charlie Brown about how she liked him for who he was, which was sweet.

If you're a fan of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, go watch this film, Even people who never watched the Peanuts cartoons or read the comics should watch it. The only people I don't recommend it to are those who hate Peanuts because even though its modern, its still Peanuts. One additional detail I would like to make is the fact that we never see one cell phone nor computer in the movie. This shows that the environment stayed around the 1960s era. So go watch it, it's a treat.

Story: 7/10 Animation 9.5/10 Characters: 8.5/10 8.5/10

Good to have you back, Charlie Brown

[StevePulaski · 7/10 · 7 November 2015]

While a film based off the beloved "Peanuts" comic strip in 2015 will appear a desperate cash-in for money-hungry Hollywood at a time where $1 billion grosses are now reasonable goals for some films, thanks to the participation of Bryan and Craig Schulz, the grandson and son of the late "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles Schulz, respectively, the humor and original spirit of the original product is still very much in tact. With warm animation that delightfully mimics the look of the comic, while bringing computer animation into the picture.

"The Peanuts Movie" is a beautiful little film, one that doesn't predicate its existence entirely on the nostalgia and warmth provided by the original comic strip and one that doesn't get so blindsided by the glitz of Hollywood excess that it abandons its roots. Our story focuses on Charlie Brown, everyone's lovable blockhead, who is usually found attempting to get his kite off the ground or avoiding being the laughingstock of his whole neighborhood. He also spends a great deal of time with his friends, such as Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Sally, and of course, Snoopy and Woodstock.

Charlie's whole world is turned upside down, however, when a beautiful new girl, known only as "Little Red-Haired Girl," moves into the neighborhood and is placed in Charlie's class. As usual, Charlie finds himself overcome with his klutzy nature and personal insecurities to make any kind gesture towards the apple of his eye. In effort to make himself hipper and more admirable, Charlie begins to read a book maps out the ten ways to be successful.

When Charlie and the Little Red-Haired Girl get paired up to do a book report together, and the Little Red-Haired Girl is out of town visiting her sick grandmother, Charlie motivates himself to do the book report by himself to impress his crush. Peppermint Patty informs him one of the greatest books of all time is a book called "Leo's Toystore" written by "some guy" named "Warren Peace," to which Charlie tracks down the book, reads the behemoth of a novel, and emerges determined to write one of the greatest book reports ever.

This should give you some sort of idea of what you're in for with "The Peanuts Movie." Also thrown into this charming story are many scenes involving Snoopy flying on his airplane with two goals in mind - taking down the infamous Red Baron fighter jet and winning the heart of the gorgeous poodle Fifi. It's a tireless pursuit, and it's one that is interjected in the film prolifically enough to really feel like a diversion to the fact that this is a story that would've probably been better suited for basic cable with a runtime of about seventy minutes. These are the scenes that really appear to be filler and work to distract from the more interesting and relatable story at hand. However, the "Peanuts" strips and specials were always cut from a rather slight cloth, so perhaps these sequences do indeed work to serve the better part of the spirit.

Nonetheless, I'm not one to complain when a product of the past gets its fair treatment on the big screen and that's precisely what "The Peanuts Movie" gets: a very fair, very funny, thoroughly charming revitalization of characters that, to many, feel like old friends, created with unique animation that effectively blends styles of the past and present thanks to Blue Sky Animation. This film would be an ideal pairing alongside Disney's "Winnie the Pooh" from 2011, both of which together would make for a lovely introduction to film for young audiences thanks to their warmness and genial spirit and humor.

The legacy of Charles Schulz and his lovable characters are well preserved in The Peanuts Movie

[RforFilm · 8/10 · 10 November 2015]

I can't imagine a Christmas or a Halloween without the mention of a young boy trying to lead his school friends in a school play or debate the existence of the Great Pumpkin. This young man is everyone's favorite blockhead, Charlie Brown. Yes, Charlie, Snoopy and his friends from Peanuts have created such a timeless look at childhood while maintaining a deep philosophical moral. The comics and television specials are something that I'm sure everyone has seen at least once. The newspapers and television networks still run Peanuts because their morals never fall out of style and everyone seems to feel nostalgic whenever it's mentioned.

I'm a big fan of Peanuts and hold these characters to such a high standard because creator Charles Schulz took it just as seriously. I think a lot of people have felt like Charlie Brown at one point, wondering how life can be such a good thing when their own failures seem to cloud ones happiness. It may seem downbeat, but Peanuts felt real despite having an exaggerated world where adults are never seen. To top it off, the writing still came off as funny as it's simplicity only added to the appeal. The Peanuts Movie takes our classic characters to the big screen on a personal journey.

Carefully never stating a time nor a setting, we open in the beginning of December where we see Charlie Brown is still trying to fly his kite. If you know the comics, he fails and it becomes a part of the "kite-eating tree", though this time, he seems to be tired of always failing. His sister Sally and his friends Linus, Lucy, Schroder, Peppermint Patty, Marcie and the rest of the gang know Charlie well enough that they always seem him as a klutz. Things change when they notice a new kid is moving right across from Charlie.

Sensing his first feelings of puppy love, Charlie decides that he wants to change himself to start fresh with the new little Red-Haired Girl. After a session with Lucy (and paying her the usual five cents), he tries several new things like trying to win a talent show or a dance contest. He also deals with a sudden popularity when he sees that he delivers a perfect score on a recent school-wide test. On the sidelines, Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy gets caught up in his own imagination as he continues to fight the Red Baron in occasional plane dog fights.

As a computer animated movie, I was worried that the simplicity of Peanuts would be compromised. I can safely say that The Peanuts Movie stays true to the nature to the classic comics…for the most part. To start, the animation is amazing. Unlike something like Pixar or DreamWorks, Fox's Blue Sky Studios have found a best of both worlds by giving the world of Peanuts an upgrade while still feeling like a hand drawn work of art. Another big plus are the voices. Unlike the TV specials where the child voices were always wooden and stilted, the kids portraying the characters can actually act. Pretty well too considering the challenge.

Story wise, it does feel like the kind of plot that Schulz would have given; something simple and emotional for Charlie Brown while leaving the highly imaginative side story to Snoopy. I do feel though that while The Peanuts Movie is smart, the deep philosophical dialogue is not that prominent for something more of a crowd-pleaser. I do understand however that while the comics and TV specials were allowed to do their own thing, they've now got to play by movie rules, and it does so well enough that even Schulz would have been proud to have his name on the picture.

I'll give this eight Snoopys on his doghouse out of five. The Peanuts Movie is a tribute to one of the most iconic set of characters created for the newspapers. It's defiantly something that everyone will appreciate, though I'd say start with the comics and TV specials first before seeing the movie.

Good Grief!

[ThomasDrufke · 7/10 · 12 November 2015]

I should start off by saying I didn't grow up loving the Charlie Brown films. We were shown the films and shorts every once in awhile before winter or thanksgiving break in school, but I don't have as many films with these characters in my repertoire as I would like. So I may not have liked it or felt as much nostalgia watching The Peanuts Movie as much as some, but man is this a fun little movie.

This film felt just like every single clip or film I have seen with these characters. That's what this film did best, it captured the exact tone and feel of the comic, cartoons, and films. Charlie Brown is always in the wrong place at the wrong time and you get exactly that from this film. The music is there, this time from one of my favorite composers, Christophe Beck. Beck did a great job at setting the mood with the wonderfully simple piano theme.

Comparing this to another animated film this year that was aimed towards kid, The Spongebob Squarepants film, The Peanutes Movie outweighs in it every category. It's a smart, sweet, and relatively simple story line that never tries to outreach it's grasp. Plus, this is the perfect time of year for this movie to come out. I think my only complaint would be that the red baron sequences didn't fit as well into the story as I think the writers were hoping. But the animation is surprisingly fantastic, the characters are exactly who they should be, and the story has a really heartwarming touch to it.

7.6/10

Adults Should Appreciate It More

[stevendbeard · 7/10 · 13 November 2015]

I saw "The Peanuts Movie", starring the voices of Noah Schnapp-This is his second movie with Bridge of Spies being his first; Bill Melendez-He voiced the Charley Brown TV movies and specials and died in 2008; Hadley Belle Miller-Branson the Sitcom, Sofia the First_tv and Kristin Chenoweth-The Boy Next Door, Glee_tv.

This is about the fifth theatrical Peanuts movie, with the last one being back in 1980, 35 years ago. So I guess it's about time for another one. I fondly remember watching them while growing up and the new one is a worthy addition. I'm not too sure about today's kids even knowing much about the characters but for the adults in the audience, you should enjoy the ride. Charles M. Schulz-who died in 2000-created the comic strip and pretty much had a great formula; Charlie Brown is a perpetual underdog, with almost nothing ever going his way. But, the big difference is that he never gives up. He keeps hoping for a happy ending, no matter how many times Lucy pulls the old football trick on him or his kite gets stuck up in a tree. Noah/Charlie falls madly in love with the new red-haired girl in school but is too afraid to even talk to her. Bill/Snoopy is Noah/Charlie's dog that has his own adventures which include rescuing his girlfriend, Kristin/Fifi from the clutches of the WWII enemy pilot, The Red Baron. Hadley/Lucy still gives grief to Noah/Charlie. The story is by the son and grandson of Charles Schulz and just in case you were wondering how they used Bill's voice for Snoopy, since Bill died in 2008, they recycled his dialogue from earlier films and specials. As the end credits start, there are a couple of scenes, one with Snoopy and one with Charlie & Lucy. At the very end is another one, involving the Red Baron's plane. The movie is being shown in some theaters in 3D. It's rated "G" and has a running time of 1 hour & 28 minutes. I really enjoyed it and would buy this on DVD.

The Peanuts Movie Review

[keithlovesmovies · 7/10 · 22 November 2015]

Life has always been complicated for Charlie Brown (Noah Schnapp), the boy who always tried his hardest despite seemingly insurmountable odds. When a little red-haired Girl (Francesca Capaldi) moves in across the street from him, Charlie Brown finds himself completely smitten with her. Meanwhile, his best friend Snoopy (Bill Melendez) embarks on an epic adventure in a fantasy world. As a World War I flying ace, the lovable beagle pursues his nemesis, the Red Baron, while also trying to win the heart of a beautiful pilot named Fifi (Kristin Chenoweth).

I have always been a fan of the whole Peanuts series since I've been a kid. I've seen some of the old cartoons and read some of the comic strips. I haven't seen much of the cartoons in a while since they now seem a little outdated to me but I was willing to give this one a try since it had a new story and the animation looks much different. I chose to see this film in 3D but I don't believe that it is necessary in order to have a good experience. As with most animated films, another short film proceeded this one. It involved Scrat (Chris Wedge), the squirrel from the Ice Age films. He was in a spaceship, then in space for some reason (don't ask me why). I didn't find it funny but the people (mostly kids) in the theater seemed to like it. The plot of the main film consisted mostly of Charlie's pitiful attempts at getting with the nameless, faceless (at least until the end) little red- haired girl who just happens to move in across the street. All of it was very Charlie Brown-like as he tried many different things in order to become the kind of person that he thought the red-haired girl would have wanted and failed but was cute while doing it. To do these things, he had the help of his dog Snoopy. He had his moments during this and laughs were to be had. He did some funny things on screen and had some funny interactions with Charlie Brown, Woodstock (also Melendez), and the other kids (too many to name here) in the film. These all worked for the most part. During all of this Snoopy finds a typewriter (for some reason) and starts creating his own story in a fantasy world where he was a flying ace and along with Woodstock was just flying around during some sort of war and when a beautiful pilot Fifi (Chenoweth) (and also a dog) gets taken by the Red Baron (who we never see). These scenes were entertaining on their own but I felt like they took away momentum from the main plot. I preferred the scenes with just the kids as I thought the voice acting was very good. I did say the voice acting was good but I felt like it was a little sleepy. I don't know if it was because of the script or just the style of the film but it just wasn't exciting. Maybe that's what the show really was but I just don't remember it that way. Of course being a kid's film it has a moral, "if you see yourself as a winner or a loser in life, you are probably going to act like one. If you think you are a winner, act like one and others might think so too." It's a good message but a rather predictable one. It doesn't happen very often to me but this is the second film I've seen this year that has gotten a round of applause at the end, the first being War Room. Overall, this is a decent animated film with a decent story that kids and adults should enjoy (probably as long they are Peanuts fans).

Score: 7/10 keithlovesmovies.com

Great Animated Movie.

[randydandy-08798 · 10/10 · 4 November 2015]

Source of my comment: hitfix.com Review By Drew McWeeny.

When we live in an age when everything, no matter how pure the intent of the creator, is simply IP to be farmed, it is right to be suspicious of a "Peanuts" movie. After all, Charlie Brown and the rest of the characters created by Charles Schulz have been huge business for decades, and it makes sense that they would put something together if for no other reason than to keep the characters active in pop culture.

Thankfully, it appears that the people behind "The Peanuts Movie" take the legacy of these characters very seriously, and the result is a gentle, charming movie that seems far less frantic than much of what is created for young audiences these days. Blue Sky, one of the two major producers of CG animated films for Fox, has produced ten feature films now, and while the majority of their efforts have been originals, it was clear from "Horton Hears A Who" that when they adapt someone else's property, they try to do so from a position of authenticity and respect.

One of the things that makes "Peanuts" such a broad target is all the different versions there have been. Even in our editorial meetings at HitFix, as we talk about the films or the specials that we think of when "Peanuts" is mentioned, we all have our own take on what that means. For me, the old school TV specials and the first few movies were the defining version. Louis Virtel told me he always thinks of "Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown!" first. My kids have been exposed to some of the specials, but Toshi took it upon himself to read the Fantagraphics collections of all of the strips that I have on my shelves. And to any of those people, I would say, "You'll recognize the 'Peanuts' you love in this movie, and you'll be happy." That could not have been an easy task, so for that alone, Blue Sky and Fox deserve some accolades.

One of the most interesting choices they made in approaching the movie was how to design the characters. They are 3D CG objects, but the faces are "drawn" onto the heads in a way that always feels like there's a physical brush stroke, a pencil mark. I assume the entire thing is CG, but it connects the characters to the long hand-made tradition that started with the comic strip itself. It's a strong stylistic decision, and it makes sure the characters feel like the characters we already know. Steve Martino, working from a script by Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, and Cornelius Uliano, touches on any number of familiar jokes and scenes and set-ups, with a number of references to the long history of the characters. Snoopy spends most of the movie working on a book on his newly-discovered typewriter, the story of a flying ace and his battle against the infamous Red Baron. Sally's got her crush on her sweet baboo, Linus, who nurses his faith in the the Great Pumpkin. Lucy gives advice at her sidewalk psychiatric stand while making passes as Schroeder every chance she gets. Peppermint Patty and her assistant Marcie both play their familiar roles as well, with Charlie Brown at the center of everything, constantly put upon, constantly taking one on the chin. If this is going to be true to the original strip that Schulz created, then Charlie Brown has got to be suffering, a kid who can't catch a break.

What surprised me was the way they took a quiet approach to finding something else to say about Charlie Brown. I was worried that this was going to be a film where they had to turn him into something he wasn't just to tick some demographic checklist, and instead, the film makes some very strong and interesting points about what is heroic when you're just a kid trying to define yourself. In this case, there's a new kid in school, the Little Red-Haired Girl, and Charlie Brown is determined to reinvent himself in a way that will win this girl's attention and approval. This being Charlie Brown, things are not that easy, but I thought the way they eventually bring it together was unexpectedly honest. At this point, these characters have been playing the same beats for so long that it is genuinely surprising to see them do something new that doesn't feel like a violation of the characters, but rather a natural extension of what we already know about them.

The cast of young voice actors all seem appropriately chosen, and it's interesting to hear how they've gone out of their way to find kids who naturally sound like the voices that have been connected to the characters for over 40 years now. One of the reasons I don't ever want a "Calvin & Hobbes" adaptation to happen is because I don't want to hear anyone else's take on how Hobbes should sound, but with these characters, they've had the same voices for so long now that it's kind of like a magic trick. It's a cast of real kids here, but they sound like the "real" Charlie Brown, the "real" Lucy, the "real" Linus.

Frequently very funny, undeniably aimed at younger audiences, and true to the source material, "The Peanuts Movie" is too mild-mannered to win over brand new audiences, but it's going to please people who were already fond of the underlying property, and it should be a big nostalgia-driven hit for the studio.

7/10

[Giacomo_De_Bello · 7/10 · 18 November 2015]

I will say up front I am not familiar with anything regarding Charlie Brown and the Peanuts. I have no emotional or nostalgic attachment to the property. Yet, I was actually eager to go see the movie solely based on the animation preview I saw and on the great reviews, what I was expecting and what I wanted was just for my heart to be warmed for 90 minutes and the film really delivered on that, but might I add solely so.

Lets get this out of the way: the film is a little too one note and unfortunately uninsightful. It really lacks that edge of depth that could have sky-rocketed it towards "Lego Movie" territory. A couple of more running gags, a wider variety of emotional beats and a deeper character, if not characters, arch are all elements this film is lacking and that make it fall short in being called delightful.

But still, there are many adjectives that this film deserves: funny, sweat and heartfelt are only some of those. Not knowing anything of these characters it was incredible how quickly did I manage to identify them, distinguish them and relate to everyone. It really speaks to the potential of this property. It is fascinating to see how they dissect many ordinary social situations with the characters and what comes out of it. That also being lots of comedic moments, many of which noticeably work thanks to really good work from the music and the sound.

Not to mention the animation which is absolutely gorgeous and intelligent too. Many, many smart touches are added in and they are a pleasure to notice. But before that, a thing that really struck me is some of the shot composition and visual storytelling: this is definitely the area where the movie shines the most. There are shots that hit me right in the heart and added layers in one instant. It was absolutely wonderful to see people have so much trust for the power of the frame and actually deliver goods from them.

Talking strictly from a stranger of Charlie Brown perspective, I was smiling all the way through, I had a fun theater experience and actually look forward to an eventual sequel.

An Adorably Great Movie for All Ages!!!

[caseynicholson · 9/10 · 18 November 2015]

I saw "The Peanuts Movie" last night, and I thought it was superb! I grew up in the 80's, and so I was familiar with the Charlie Brown gang, but only through vague recollections. I had of course read a few of the comic strips over the years, and I'm confident that I saw the TV specials a few times, but I was still a bit fuzzy on the details of things like Snoopy and his battles with the Red Barron, the names of certain characters, and the gist of how different aspects of the series fits together into a competent narrative.

I'm crystal clear on that now, as this movie does a wonderful job of weaving together the many separate concepts of the Peanuts series. I really fell in love with the franchise by watching this film, and I can see how it will be very rewatchable.

My only criticism is that the film does cram a bit too much into its ninety minutes. It all comes together nicely, but it was clear that the script was trying to accomplish a LOT in this movie. It felt almost as though nothing was left for a sequel, but I suppose the idea was to introduce as much of the series as possible. The slightly crammed feel of the film is the only reason I didn't give it a perfect ten stars. But it's fantastic, even if a bit overdone!

It could have been better.

[Blueghost · 17 November 2015]

Like a lot of people I grew up on the Peanuts specials, and the one or two feature films that hit the theatres in the early 80s. So when this film rolled around it was fun to see the old gang again doing their thing.

The director got the character nuances right for the animation, but the script, though having a good premise, was pretty vapid in terms of what gags and jokes made peanuts appealing.

There was a bit of Lucas-Spielberg influence here in the form of Indy- Jones kind of stuff, which felt mildly out of place given the kind of emotionally-cerebral strip Peanuts is.

When all was said and done I observed that the production team relied heavily on mining past glories of Peanuts, and then combining that with modern CGI-toon joke-convention. That is we the audience would see classic poses, motions or routines from past Peanut's specials, but then beyond that there wasn't much originality as the creative forces then injected a lot of contemporary humor.

Charlie Brown is about heavy angst, and some pathos, not about doing the remarkable, even if it is shown in a Peanuts joke kind of way.

In short, I didn't mind seeing Joe Cool, nor Sally and her sweet Baboo all over again, nor the kite eating tree, Snoopy going for Linus's security blanket and everything else. Nor did I mind the film being in 3D, nor did I mind the use of 3-dimensional models as opposed to flat 2D cel animation.

What I did mind was a script that had little originality to it in terms of giving these characters the intellect that we knew they had from the previous 50 or so years of the stip, books based on the strip, and the ABC specials that used to air.

It's my conclusion that the production team relied a bit too heavily on the appeal of the Peanuts' gang, and then woefully invoked modern cartoon formulation in terms of jokes. Example; Sally is supposed to be this sweet young girl who has a crush on Linus, and is savvy in a very small way, but is otherwise pretty innocent. But here she isn't so innocent.

You be the judge. It's not a movie that I would willingly go see again, nor add to my DVD collection come next Christmas.

But watch it yourself and see what you think. You may like it.

Very funny especially for the first half

[Seraphion · 6/10 · 23 December 2015]

I watched this movie without knowing anything about it. I've seen Snoopy art on little kids things such as pencil cases, backpack and water bottles. But I didn't have the pleasure of seeing the cartoons or the comic strip. I got to say that the movie is very funny especially on the first half. There are so many crazily funny scenes that reminds me of the old Tom and Jerry or Looney Tunes style cartoon jokes, yet minus the hyperbolic violence. After the mid point the movie felt kind of strange as it constantly changes perspective from Charlie's to Snoopy's story and vice versa over and over again. The movie has such a speedy pace that I' sure it will feel confusing for kids. The voice acting is quite alright in overall. If the second half could only balance the fun level from the first half, I think this movie would have been a great comedy for the family.

My son Muhammad wanted to see this great movie again.

[muslimbellydancer · 10/10 · 25 November 2015]

When the Little Red-Haired Girl moves into his neighborhood, Charlie Brown develops a crush on her, but is frustrated that his long-running streak of bad luck will prevent him from ever getting noticed. Lucy tells Charlie that he should try being more confident. Charlie Brown decides to embark upon a series of new activities in hope of finding one that will get the Little Red-Haired Girl to notice him. His first attempt is to participate in the school's talent show with a magic act. However, when his sister Sally's act goes wrong, Charlie Brown sacrifices his time for her and then with Snoopy's help, rescues his sister and her act, only to humiliate himself in return. Learning that the Little Red-Haired Girl likes dancing, Charlie signs up for the school dance and gets Snoopy to teach him all his best moves. At the dance, Charlie Brown starts to attract praise for his skills until he slips and sets off the sprinkler system, which causes the dance to be cut short. All the other students forget his success and blame him for ruining their fun.

Later, Charlie Brown is partnered with the Little Red-Haired Girl to write a book report. At first, he is excited to have a chance to be with her, but she is called away for a week to deal with a family illness, leaving Charlie Brown to write the report all by himself. Hoping to impress both the Little Red-Haired Girl and his teacher, Charlie Brown writes his report on the collegiate-level novel War and Peace. At the same time, Charlie Brown finds he is the only student to get a perfect score on a standardized test. The other children congratulate him, and his popularity begins to climb. However, when he goes to accept a medal at a school assembly, he learns that the test papers were accidentally mixed up and that the perfect score actually belongs to Peppermint Patty. Charlie Brown declines the medal, losing all his new-found popularity. He feels worse when his book report is destroyed, and admits to the Little Red-Haired Girl that he has caused them to both fail the assignment.

At the end of the school year, Charlie Brown is surprised when the Little Red-Haired Girl chooses him for a pen pal. Linus convinces Charlie Brown that he needs to tell the Little Red-Haired Girl how he feels about her before she leaves for the summer. Racing to her house, he discovers that she is about to leave on a bus for summer camp. He tries to chase the bus, but is prevented from reaching it. Just as he is about to give up, Charlie Brown sees a kite fall from the Kite-Eating Tree, and the string becomes entangled around his waist and sails away with him, quickly bringing him up to the bus's window. Amazed to see Charlie Brown successfully flying a kite, the other children follow.

Upon reaching the bus, Charlie Brown finally asks the Little Red-Haired Girl why she chose him in spite of his failures. The Little Red-Haired Girl explains she admires his selflessness and praises him as an honest, caring, and compassionate person. The two promise to write to one another. The other children catch up to Charlie Brown and crowd around to congratulate him before picking him up on their shoulders and carrying him away.

In a side story, Snoopy, upon discovering a typewriter in a dumpster, decides to write a novel about his alter-ego, the World War I Flying Ace, trying to save his lover Fifi from the Red Baron. He ends up acting out his adventure, coming across the Peanuts gang several times along the way. He successfully defeats the Red Baron and rescues Fifi. However, as he is celebrating his victory with Fifi and his siblings, he learns that the Red Baron has survived, causing him to furiously declare revenge.

Both me and my only son Muhammad enjoyed this movie and honestly my son wanted to see this great movie again. Well Done.

Too light

[Horror-yo · 6/10 · 17 January 2018]

First off, it's my obligation to mention I the reviewer personally only watched the Charlie Brown and Snoopy cartoons every so often and couldn't say I grew up on them, but as an adult now certainly have a feel for what it was all about, its atmosphere and spirit; it's just I wasn't a diehard connoisseur.

I preface this review by saying that as the nostalgic effect on me was only temporary and evaporated pretty soon into the developments. However, it felt SO COOL and exciting to see Charlie Brown and Snoopy and the whole gang again and they did a fine job hyping up the event in the early stages. They did an amazing job reconstructing the Charlie Brown appeal both in spirit as more tangibly in the drawings: this here is a 3D rendition of the characters and backgrounds, only boosted with computer-generated virtual motion and it's absolutely superbly done: all the authenticity and pure Peanuts aesthetics preserved, but adapted into the modern mold carefully and most subtly and with excellent attention to detail.

However, as mentioned the effect only lasts so long and this film needs to be critiqued as a film for adults, as millennial kids hardly know anything about it and it is obviously aimed at the then-children/now-adult portion of society. So it's a film for grownups; nostalgic grownups; not kids. And as a film for adults, it's just way too thin. It's got the good old morals, the story is easy to follow, the characters each in their own way are funny and cute... but the parts with Snoopy vs the Red Baron turn self-indulgent very quickly and overall the emotionally-charged laughs quickly turn into mere snorts then into polite smiles.

It's cute, it's fun, it kept the spirit of the original and preserved the visual appeal outstandingly....but it's not enough as a FILM. A generous 6/10.

The Movie-Version of a Smile

[matthewssilverhammer · 5/10 · 13 November 2015]

The Peanuts are a rightfully beloved American fable that have permeated the culture so deeply that one needs not to have ever read a single strip to know of and adore the ill-fated antics of Charlie Brown, his over-achieving dog Snoopy, and their childish gang. The Peanuts Movie is a film version of a smile, capturing with such reverence what we as culture have always loved about Schultz's creation. At its worst moments, it's a passable nostalgia trip for families to take together. At its best, however, it's a cute and gently funny little-kids film with strong morals and a giant heart. It plays very much like a compilation of the daily comic strips strung together by a somewhat loose narrative of Charlie Brown trying to impress the ever allusive Little Red-Haired Girl. It's magically fun spending time in this world, free of adult cynicism, focusing instead on Charlie Brown's own good-natured and childish neuroses. His predictable but sweet arc is like a first coming-of-age story for preshoolers. Each of the other main Peanuts (Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Pigpen, etc) get their moments, all appropriately charming and faithful. All of this is animated with beauty and such respect for its own history. That respect, at times, is the main real downfall of the whole, at times retreading and calling-back some of the classic jokes and references we all know in a somewhat clumsy way (Does Linus really have to talk about the Great Pumpkin so out of context?). Mostly, though, Peanuts is a truly funny all-ages romp that refreshingly never resorts to cheap innuendos to keep parents engaged. Timeless and absolutely adorable.

welcome back boy we mossed you

[friendlyboy312 · 7 November 2015]

charlie shulz made classic charlie brown... now this is too. the reason its so good is because of this... also because of more. the cjaracterizations all pay reference to teat one thong charlie brown and peanis were in... now the others. a lot of the major thongs were referenced.

now... does that make it good in itself? no. this and other reasons. its good because it was a coordinative. i really liked it. now... this is a personal opinion... but, whatever works!

the animation was traditional 2d like the peanut... this is good for one thing bit bad for... Tue movie didn't work as a 3d. traditionally... i pay the extra surcharge.... but for this, now i would recommend not to ppr this one. joist one of the reasons i liked.

original songs ARC food and the voices sound simolar. the voices are is-ed from Tue orogonal cartoon. the director is the perennial director. the writer is too. the original is practically based on Tue movie. i like teat one of the things about it too.

i have heard what people think about the movie... wow IMO kind of mad about that... its really true. this mp-vie is what one of Tue best is... as far as following peanits is. there's the cartoon... the cosmic strip, and this. i like this and the origina' cartoon better.

Peanuts Fun For All The Family

[dfa120374 · 7/10 · 27 June 2016]

I wouldn't say that I was a massive - or even a big - fan of Snoopy or the whole Peanuts gang (meaning that I don't know everything about them), but that's not to say that I don't enjoy watching Charlie Brown and the gang every now and then and the sentimentality & nostalgia it all brings from reading the comic strips when I was a kid.

This is probably the first full length movie I've seen of Snoopy & Co. and I have to admit that I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. I kind of wondered how they would make a 90+ minute feature length movie of the comic strip, but the makers done an excellent job of giving it a good, yet simple, story line of Charlie Brown trying to impress a new girl in the neighbourhood with all of the original scenario's thrown in (Lucy the psychiatrist; Snoopy's Red Baron scenes; Lucy holding the football (and pulling it away as usual)). They've also done a really good job with the animation by giving it a modern feel & look but still keeping in with the old style of animation that the Charles Schulz comic strips had.

After about the first 10-20 minutes of the movie I actually thought that I would be bored to tears because even though the film was sticking to all the original themes, I felt that it wasn't going to go anywhere and was just going to be like a bunch of Peanuts comic strips patched together. However, I was glad that the opposite happened and the film actually got better, more enjoyable, and funnier as it went on. It wasn't "bust a gut" type of humour, but the humour came at you pretty constantly in the usual Peanuts slap-stick way.

I'm sure the majority of kids will enjoy this film, and we adults who grew up in the Peanuts age will appreciate it just as much (if not more) even if it's just for the nostalgia aspect.

Whether the audience member is 7 or 70, The Peanuts Movie is definitely a film for all.

Sweet

[briancham1994 · 7/10 · 4 June 2020]

The animation of this film stood out, as it 3D but also true to the style of the original comics and cartoon. I think this is the best screen adaptations of Peanuts because it gets the pacing and story length right, rather than taking a small comic strip story and stretching it out to feature length. The characters and gags were all well done and memorable as always.

Still crushing after all these years

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 12 January 2016]

"The Peanuts" is one of the most seen and talked-about animated films from the year 2015. And it is also among the ones that received the most awards attention as it scored several nominations at the Annies, got in at the Globes and seems likely to be nominated for an Oscar. The film's director is Steve Martino and you may have seen his "Horton Hears a Who!" or "Ice Age 4". The Peanuts movie was written among others by Bryan and Craug Schulz, both sons of Charles M. Schulz, the man who created the Peanuts and was responsible for writing their cartoons for many decades. It all started in the mid-60s in terms of television for Charlie Brown and his pals. So last year was their 50th anniversary and this film is sort-of a gift to loyal fans.

Some people may have a problem with the animation style, but I was perfectly happy with it. I think they found the right balance between making them look like the old characters and giving them a new modern touch. Same can be said about the story in my opinion. They included many many references to the old cartoons, in terms of which character likes whom, how they talk to one another, the failed football-kicking, how Snoopy is typing on his doghouse and, most of all, how Charly is still so clumsy and miserable most of the time and (not so) secretly in love with the little redhead girl. I believe all these references make it probably a more rewarding watch for those who know about the old films and will put questions marks in the minds of new audiences perhaps, but even for them it's an okay watch. But there are also new moments, like Snoopy and Charly being much bigger friends, almost besties, compared to Melendez' old films.

I always liked the story with Charlie and his crush, the little redhead girl, so for me it is amazing to see them use it for this film here. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the parts with Snoopy as an aviator flying to his true love at all. These were really weak and not memorable at all I felt. Of course they had the tough challenge of making a film that runs for considerably over an hour and not keep it at clearly under 30 minutes like these short films about the Peanuts, but i still wish they could have come up with a better story line for Snoopy. He was much more fun to watch in the scenes when he was supporting player to Charlie. Talking about the runtime, it is still a fairly short watch. It runs for 88 minutes roughly, but the end credits were really really long, so yeah, certainly not a film that will drag. In my opinion, it is easily among the better (maybe best) animated films of the year and a worthy continuation of the franchise with a refreshing modern touch. The only reason why I do not give this one more stars is because I have never been a huuuge Peanuts fan. If you have, you may consider this one of the best 2015 films, live-action or animation. i recommend the watch. Thumbs up.

The Peanuts Movie was a nice trip back to my childhood of enjoying Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang

[tavm · 10/10 · 8 November 2015]

As someone who grew up watching the Charlie Brown animated specials as well as reading the comic strip "Peanuts" in my local paper and also in various book compilations, I highly enjoyed this movie immensely. What's to like? Well, how about an adult "voice" being represented by a trombone doing that "wah-wah" sound? Or Vince Guaraldi's music score occasionally being sprinkled throughout like the unofficial theme of "Linus & Lucy"? And then there's the various unrequited love pairings of Sally & Linus, Lucy & Schroeder, not to mention both Peppermint Patty and Marcie liking Charlie Brown who doesn't even notice? Speaking of whom, here he once again has a crush on a Little Red-Haired Girl who's depicted here as the new kid in town and school. Creator Charles Schulz never had her drawn in his strip nor given her a name though I remember one of the animated specials-"It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown"-had her animated and called Heather there. I don't think she spoke there, though. Here, she's not named but she does speak and is seen quite a bit. Since Schulz' son and grandson wrote the screenplay, I don't think he would have objected one bit especially when we hear what she says to Charlie Brown at the end. Also enjoyable was Snoopy's active imagination when playing the World War I Flying Ace and his battle against the Red Baron and his attempted rescue of Fifi. In summary, The Peanuts Movie is a wonderful tribute to the comic strip and the animated specials produced by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez whose vintage voice tracks as Snoopy and Woodstock were provided here as well. Really, all I'll now say is go see The Peanuts Movie if you like entertainment that is both funny and touching and makes you look fondly back at your own childhood.

Somewhat appealing but it could have been a Great 40 minute movie

[Jakemcclake · 7/10 · 9 December 2015]

I have seen all of the Peanuts TV shows and prior movies and I read a lot of Peanuts comics and this one is not greatly different from those TV specials. In fact, a major theme of this movie steals one of the plots of Peanuts TV show and then expands it a little. However, it drags out over 1.5 hours, when it could have been much shorter.

We get an interesting and new sub plot with Snoopy and a female dog, we get another little twist on Charlie Brown usual story when he becomes a form of a celebrity in his school. But beyond that, we get a lot of slap stick with Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and Woodstock that after a few minutes, I found very boring, and not in the least bit funny or even interesting.

It was as if they wanted to fill time.

I believe it is still worthwhile, in spite of that, and even if you have seen all of the Peanuts TV shows, as I have, just because of the ending. The ending is almost identical to the ending one of those TV shows, (when you see the ending you'll know/remember which TV show I am talking about, in fact when you see one of the characters, you might even be capable of guessing the ending of this movie) but this movie explains that TV specials ending a little further with a particularly good maybe even great message.

Huge fan of Peanuts and LOVED it!

[jensurge · 10/10 · 9 November 2015]

I am a hardcore Peanuts fan and have been looking forward to this movie coming out ever since I found out about it almost 2 years ago. We went on opening day and I will admit, I was hoping that the creators of this movie would stay true to the heart of the characters and the Schulz comic strip. I found it amazing that the voices were spot on and I have no clue how they made them sound so authentic! They even managed to work in the original comic strips and animations into the movie in a really awesome and creative way! I literally did not stop smiling during the entire movie and left with a headache because of it LOL We are going back to see it again this week and cannot wait for it on DVD! :)

This flick reveals that the key to "acing" standardized tests . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 10 November 2015]

. . . is to sign the answer sheet of the person (here, Peppermint Patty) who correctly guesses which connect-the-dots animal represents a perfect score on that day's fill-in-the-bubble sheet. As THE PEANUTS MOVIE implicitly documents, test graders obviously are much too busy to scan scores of individual answers on hundreds of bubble answer sheets one-by-one, especially if there is no visual pattern formed by correct answers. If a 100% perfect test effort neatly depicts a zebra or a giraffe, this makes it much easier for graders to detect genius at a single glance (obtained serendipitously by Charlie Brown through his test sheet Switcheroo). This also makes it possible for a well-trained test proctor to eyeball an imperfect score sheet, and assign it a "ballpark" final score depending upon how much it deviates from that day's "lucky" platypus or wallaby, as the case might be. Again, this method of coming up with standardized test results is far superior to unrealistically expecting scorers to stay awake and alert while checking thousands upon thousands of randomly filled-in "bubbles," which have no geometrically intrinsic reason to be either "right" or "wrong."

This movie was adorable.

[AlsExGal · 9/10 · 9 November 2019]

I was unsure at first because of the animation style, it was much more modern than the charming animation style of the 60s and 70s specials. However, despite the 3D CGI animation style, the original charm of the cartoon specials remained intact. I liked how the animation didn't seem as finished just like the original Peanuts specials. In the film, just like in the specials, the trees and other plants in the background remained static. Even when it was supposedly windy. This film, like many of the Peanuts specials, had two storylines: A Charlie Brown storyline and a Snoopy storyline. In the Charlie Brown storyline, the film deals with Charlie trying to work up enough nerve to talk to the Little Red Haired Girl. In the Snoopy story, Snoopy finds an old typewriter and works on writing a novel. His novel deals with the World War I flying ace trying to save his crush Fifi from the clutches of the evil Red Baron.

This movie featured many in-jokes from the specials and comic strips. The typical Peanuts sentimentality was also present as were the lack of adults. The wonderful Peanuts music was present throughout the film. I wish they wouldn't have included a modern song, but it doesn't detract too much from the film. There were also bits of the comic strip that popped up throughout the film and also the fun 60s style graphics that would also appear periodically. It was such a fun film, I will definitely be purchasing my own copy.

I read that this film was written in complete cooperation with Charles M. Schulz's widow and the other members of his family. Schulz' son and grandson wrote the screenplay and apparently the Schulz family had to have approval over all aspects of the film. They also used archive sound recordings of Bill Melendez' Snoopy sounds for Snoopy's "voice" in the film. I did think that the Peppermint Patty voice was slightly off. The other Patty (who normally has brown hair and wears an orange dress) in this film was blonde and wore a green dress. Neither of the Pattys inaccuracies affected my enjoyment of this film.

My opinion of Peanuts - the movie is mixed like the strings of a puppet master.

[eesainio · 6/10 · 11 February 2016]

My opinions we're mixed when I started walking to the movie theater. My mother and the newspaper said that it is bad, while IMDb rating, Rotten Tomatoes and AniMat said it was good. And my opinion was a mixture of both.

The movie plot does not really seem like it's in the movie, and if it is there, it feels very thin. Charlie Brown goes making use of, a Self Help book, the help of Lucy's therapeutic advances and Snoopy, to get the attention of the small red-haired girl. And in between is Snoopy's adventures in the world of women trying to defeat the Red Baron at the same time. And between them is mandatory burden pop songs.

My opinion of Peanuts - the movie is mixed like the strings of a puppet master.The film has it's moments, for example, in one scene Charlie goes reading the about 1500 pages of War and Peace during a one weekend, which I thought was clever and amusing and I founded myself laughing at the normal slipping and falling as I usually do. But it still does not quite place movie mistakes, which is clichés, too small characters, who do not have a lot of meaning and ... and THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF THE FILM WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN! AARGHHH!!!!

The error is therefore the presenting of Charlie Brown's luck. All Peanuts-comic book fans (including me), probably were expecting something new or big surprises. And almost, almost as it happens. Charlie Brown succeeds! Properly! All though he succeeds at the end. (well get to that later), but the movie almost lets Charlie Brown to success, but pulls the rug under his feet at the last moment. I was, myself at least very very irritated.

The plot also stumbles a little, and did not really aim at anything. Snoopy's flight scenes are also quite unnecessary, and it is only an attempt to fill moments. Although Snoopy's scenes are beautiful and wonderful to look at, it is painfully boring. I found myself yawning and leaning on my fist during the scenes.

And now the end. At the end of the movie, CB takes finally the tip from Linus (which appeared way too little) and decides to go to the small red-haired girl's house (cliché). There, the sordino voice speaking adult tells him that the girl has gone to a summer camp (cliché) and the bus leaves soon (also a cliché).

Animation style has to be granted yes, although I like more the original Peanuts animations in simple style. This new one looks different, you get used to it easily and it helps to advance the movie. Sometimes there is also a cartoon-like visual effects, which comes with a nice feeling, as reading the original comic feels like. I still need to add: Why the film doesn't do things of the original comics? Charlie's and Lucy's football trick is performed once at the beginning and Charlie's baseball failures only at the beginning once. The film also raised Joe's self-esteem, It's supposed to be low!

At the end, The Peanuts movie is '' nice '', kind of pleasant, mainly for children, candy vomit colored, clichéd and yet again a mediocre film from Blue Sky, although having some nice moments.

This is a snooze fest!

[sh-36425 · 2/10 · 1 April 2021]

It is really boring,They took the plot from A Goofy Movie,Why is Blue Sky making ripoffs of so many disney renessaince films? I am gonna watch ratatouille to get this overrated disaster out of my mouth.