REVIEW: The Peanuts Movie (Released in 2015) [5th Anniversary]

DIRECTOR: Steve Martino

PRODUCERS: Craig Schulz & Brayn Schulz & Cornelius Uliano & Paul Feig & Michael J. Travers

WRITERS: Craig Schulz & Bryan Schulz & Cornelius Uliano

VOICES: Noah Schnapp Hadley Belle Miller Alex Garfin Mariel Sheets Noah Johnston

Rebecca Bloom Venus Omega Schulthesis Madisyn Shipman AJ Teece Marelik "Mar Mar" Walker

William "Alex" Wunsch Anastasia Bredikhina Francesca Angelucci Capaldi

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews with Kristen Chenoweth and Bill Melendez

For over 50 years, the 'Peanuts' gang have continued to endear their way into our hearts, our memories and yes, even our childhood. I remember growing up as a kid my only reason for reading the papers was the funny papers because they made me laugh and 'Peanuts' was by far my favorite of them all. Then when it's creator, Charles M. Schulz passed away the future for the largely successful comic strip looked bleak. I only saw classic strips of very few pages and nothing new, just classics. But there was something else that kept me hanging on to these beloved characters: TV specials, a TV series and the films from the 60's and 70's. Then over the years, computer animation took over the scene and just when the timing couldn't be better, we get this much needed nostalgic masterpiece with a new look and it never looked so good for today's generation.

SAME CHARACTERS... SAME AGES... NEW LOOK... AND NEW ADVENTURE!

Returning to the screen for the first time in 35 years since 'Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back!!) this seemed like a long time coming. When this came out I had very little expectations for it, admittedly I was almost skeptical as to whether or not this would remain true to it's origins as conceived by Charles M. Schulz himself. I mainly recall the older shorts and films from the past... most notably 'Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown', 'It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown' or 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and how much I enjoyed them as a kid. Then this came along and I thought maybe this is worth a look. Little did I know what I was in for once I did see it. Not only was it the same old gang, it had a brand new look to it. The animation was fantastic, the vocal performances were super superb (loved the fact that actual kids were used because that's who these characters are) and the story was well worth the time and following as the film goes along.

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." - 1 TIMOTHY 4:12 NIV

Charlie Brown is not your average kid, he's an underdog with only one goal: to do right thing and he does that in every way possible. The thing about him is that he is such a relatable character in every aspect of our lives and despite our imperfections, we always look for ways to start over and improve our lives for the better just like he does. There was a time when I thought of myself as a total screw-up and that nobody liked me, and every time I saw Charlie Brown being looked down upon by others I felt for him. But despite his long history of failures and mishaps, he never gives up, he doesn't look down on anybody else and he shows compassion and respect towards others. Even when he tries to talk to "The Little Red Haired Girl" you're on his side the whole way and when it seems like the whole world is against him, you feel bad for him. But the thing about Charlie Brown is that the more he crashes and burns, the more you see him grow and evolve and in this one he really does that.

One of the few things about this film that gets it right is the material originated by Schulz himself, there was no present day technology (which we have today) involved, no laptops, no computers and no cell phones. Had they been featured in this, there was no way it was going to work because this wasn't made to be modernized, nor be tampered with. Schulz would have never allowed it even if he were living today or between the years of 2006 and 2015 when this was being developed and made at the time before it's release. Not only did kids enjoy it, as well as learn something from it, but adults liked it too because of the homage it pays to the original material they themselves grew up with reading in the paper or watching on TV and in the movies when they were young. It had not one, but two story lines and the writers of this film managed to intertwine with one another: one one hand, you had Charlie Brown and the gang going through different seasons and school, including first crushes and the things we do to attain it. On the other hand, you have another plot in which Snoopy (through the old recorded dialogue from the late Bill Melendez, very smart move!) fantasizes about being an ace pilot out to pursue his own crush using his present surroundings as an inspiration to write about it, only to in turn improve everyone's situation including Charlie Brown as well. If there's one thing that remains true about the 'Peanuts' gang, it's that they represent the young at heart and the people we used to be when we were young. That's exactly what this film did for me and the fact that I'm a young adult rings even more true to the subject (ECCLESIASTES 11:9 ESV).

This was truly a film for everyone, young and old, to enjoy and it paid perhaps the greatest respect to it's original material as it was when it first began. When the film ended, I was very pleased and satisfied, so much that I had a moment of relief that nothing in this film was tampered with nor altered. Even the end itself is a homage to Schulz himself when it transitions into a hand-drawn strip. Absolutely genius move from the filmmakers on their part! And not only that, but I always find myself crying at the end because of what this film brought to today's generation and how much it meant to me and perhaps millions of others who grew up with these ageless characters. The reason why Peanuts is so immortal is because they represent us as kids with ambitions and innocence, from getting advice for 5 cents from Lucy at her psychiatrist booth or Schroeder playing his piano in every scene he's in or Snoopy and Woodstock remaining as close knit friends as they always have been, this film strikes a chord with all Peanuts fans out there while hitting everything we know and love about them on the head without a single ounce of disappointment! Some may argue that because it's about a boy and his dog that it should have been given a different title like "The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Movie" or a different title ending with comma Charlie Brown, but at the end of the show it's still about everyone so the selected title was just fine. 5 years on and it still holds a remarkable impression on me. Even though it took me a while at first, I was glad I saw it when I did and not only did it do something new, it did something right. This film was so good that Charles Schulz himself would have been proud... if only he were here to see it. I have no complaints about this movie, if you haven't seen this movie yet, don't wait any longer... check it out! Happy 5th Anniversary to The Peanuts Movie and keep up the good work Charlie Brown!

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