The Peanuts Movie, mini movie review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I remember with great somberness holding the last published Peanuts comic in my hands on February 13, 2000, the day after Charles M. Schulz died.   It was a shock.  It was bittersweet reading his farewell so soon, months after he announced his retirement.  And I wondered if there would ever be another Peanuts anything with his passing, and if so, would I like it?  Would it be faithful?

There were some hits and misses since 2000.  I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown, 2003, is adorable.  Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, 2011, was just depressing and completely missed the mark.

Then I heard there would be a computer generated Peanuts Movie released to theaters, and I was instantly nervous.  How could they do Charlie Brown and the gang in 3D?  It felt like such a departure from Schulz.  It felt like the Peanuts would be too modern.  And then I saw the teaser trailer the studio released last year and felt reassured that this new version might turn out well.

When I finally saw The Peanuts Movie a few weeks ago, I loved it!!

The style is cute, and still pays tribute to the characters original 2D selves.  And I love how the movie still found a way to show a classic Black and White comic segment.  A great tribute to Charles M. Schulz.  I love the cute humor which was balanced with Charlie Browniest moments.  I love the cute little visual gags on the screen's side.   I love how classic Peanut moments like Snoopy fighting the Red Barron and his love for Fifi were shown.

But overall I love the optimistic message of this movie, about not giving up and finding the courage to do hard things.

The Peanuts Movie is one of those rare kid movies that appeals equally to children and adults alike.

After all this praise, maybe I'm being biased, because I'm a lifelong Peanuts fan.  But honestly, because I'm such a fan I'm very picky. (I've only seen Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown once, and vowed, after first seeing it, to never watch it again.)

This movie is now one of my brother Robbie's favorite top movies, and he can't wait to buy it.

I can't wait to see this movie again.

MPAA: G