7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
The fun begins when Peppermint Patty invites herself and her pals to Charlie Brown's house for a REALLY big turkey party. Good grief! All our hero can cook is cold cereal and maybe toast. Is Charlie Brown doomed? Not when Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock chip in to save the (Thanksgiving) Day. With such good friends, Charlie Brown - and all of us - have so many reasons to be thankful.
Family | 100% |
Comedy | 84% |
Animation | 71% |
Holiday | 32% |
Short | 11% |
Comic book | 4% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Here lies Thanksgiving. Born on the back of hardship, Thanksgiving has become a pale imitation of itself. Gratitude has been replaced by entitlement. Reflection has been erased from the schedule. Family gatherings have been sullied by three televised NFL games, all-too-familiar arguments with single-serving relatives, and that bizarre cheddar cheese, pineapple and marshmallow concoction your aunt swears is "simply deee-licious." Charles Schulz, Peanuts creator and general purveyor of *gasp* worthwhile values, was well aware of these changing tides, as was Bill Melendez, the television producer and director responsible for holiday classics A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and, of course, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. To their great credit, each pointed, arguably poignant Peanuts television special actually has something to say. No special ops penguins battling a vicious poodle, no zoo animals commandeering Santa's sleigh, no turkey-craving dinos hunting down a meal. But what does that mean for holiday specials like A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in the iFueled, PS3-haze of the 21st Century? Will they continue to be holiday staples or become distant memories? As Lucy quips in its opening scene, "isn't it peculiar, Charlie Brown, how some traditions just slowly fade away."
"Okay, that makes it easy! You simply have two dinners."
While A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Mayflower Voyagers have received comparable 1080p/VC-1 transfers, the latter shows its age. Originally broadcast in 1973, the first special is softer, grainier and less consistent than Mayflower Voyagers, a single episode from the 1988 miniseries, This is America, Charlie Brown. Separated by a decade, the second special is cleaner, sharper and more satisfying, and handily steals the show from the set's namesake. Even so, Warner should be commended for granting yet another animated catalog title a solid presentation. Colors are bright and attractive, contrast is strong, black levels are appropriately inky, and the individual textures of the specials have been preserved. The animators' lines have also been faithfully rendered, even to a fault. (Granted, a complete overhaul and a high-dollar restoration could alleviate some of the first special's shortcomings, but let's be realistic. A 1973 Peanuts television special isn't going to move enough units to justify the cost of a complete overhaul.) If I have any lingering complaint it's that some negligible artifacting slithers into A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Otherwise, both presentations are quite proficient and should quell any pangs of nostalgia a high definition Peanuts release stirs up.
Here we go again. While A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving sounds like a classic record courtesy of its positively quaint DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, Mayflower Voyagers sounds like a shiny new CD thanks to its cleaner, clearer DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. However, the age of each special is the biggest factor to consider, and both sonic experiences are about as competent and capable as one could reasonably expect. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, thirty-seven years old and as front-heavy as the day it was broadcast, isn't blessed with crystal clear dialogue -- slight distortion is present, a product of the limitations inherent to the original recording -- or any sort of immersive soundfield, but it does handle everything that comes its way with respect and integrity. The special's music, while a tad muffled, is relatively agile; normalization and prioritization are spot on; and dynamics, despite being thin by their very nature, are adequate. Mayflower Voyagers, meanwhile, doesn't have much to offer beyond its narration and musical score, but sounds as if it were produced yesterday. Voices are crisp and refined, song selections are restrained but nimble, and the few effects that do pop up mingle modestly in the mix. Ultimately, neither one is particularly noteworthy, but each one gets the job done.
In addition to Mayflower Voyagers, the second high definition holiday special included in this Peanuts double feature, "Popcorn & Jellybeans: Making a Thanksgiving Classic" (HD, 12 minutes) digs into the creation of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It isn't very long, it isn't very extensive, but it's appreciated nonetheless.
Warner's second Peanuts Blu-ray release should be advertised as a Double Feature. Mayflower Voyagers is just as endearing as A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and both films are the same length. Neither one outclasses A Charlie Brown Christmas, a tried-and-true animated holiday classic, but nostalgic parents like myself will be excited to introduce their wide-eyed brood to one of their childhood favorites. The Blu-ray edition is somewhat hit-or-miss -- its AV presentation is fairly faithful, but showcases each film's age, its supplemental package is limited, and its pricepoint is a bit steep -- but anyone armed with appropriate expectations won't mind.
+ Mayflower Voyagers / Play It Again, Charlie Brown
1973
Special Edition | + Mayflower Voyagers / Play It Again, Charlie Brown
1973
Special Edition
1973
+ It's Magic, Charlie Brown / Charlie Brown's All-Stars
1966
Peanuts Collection / + It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
1965
Peanuts Collection
2011
1970
Deluxe Edition
1964
1969
Collector's Edition
2015
Deluxe Edition
1969
Warner Archive Collection
1930-1969
2017
2017
2011
Donkey's Caroling Christmas-tacular
2010
2013
2007
1966
2011
1989-2008
2-Disc Edition
2008
2015