Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Snoopy, Come Home Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 7, 2016

Snoopy, Come Home released in 1972 and withstands the test of time as a nostalgic yet timeless, simple, and heartfelt story of journey, love, loss, and life. It's a rather complex film beyond the cartoonish animation and simple arc of Snoopy's adventure away from his owner, Charlie Brown, to visit his old owner, a young girl in need of comfort at the hospital. The film doesn't do all that much in its 80-minute runtime, keeping its story simple and its presentation agreeable. It plays in sharp contrast to much of today's entertainment as it deliberately, but lovingly, explores its characters and their place within the larger story narratives in play. It's a touching and appealing film that's, here, making its Blu-ray debut in a featureless, but nevertheless must-own, package.

On the road.

Charlie Brown (voiced by Chad Webber) has grown somewhat disillusioned with his dog, Snoopy. Snoopy comes home late, and Charlie's cut his thumb on the dog food can. When Snoopy gets a letter in the mail, it makes Charlie, who never gets mail, all the more upset at his pooch. The letter is from Lila (voiced by Johanna Baer), Snoopy's previous owner. She's sick and in the hospital. She's been there for weeks, and she could really use a visit from her old pal, and some comfort that only Snoopy can provide. Snoopy and his friend Woodstock set off for the hospital, leaving Charlie Brown to realize exactly what life is like without the dog that's grown on his nerves.

Snoopy, Come Home is a charming little film that takes some its cues from The Incredible Journey, the story of three animals that embark on an adventure to return home. In Snoopy, Come Home, Snoopy and his yellow bird friend, Woodstock, set out to visit a sickly girl in the hospital. Not quite the same, but there's a connective spirit in play that taps into many of the same core emotional elements that leave behind the broader, more perilous adventure of the live action film but fold in the same charm, heartfelt storylines, touching moments, and underlying humor. Beyond the story of loss and devotion is an easily grasped reflection of life; Charlie Brown is frustrated with Snoopy but comes to realize that, regardless of how he feels in the moment, his dog's absence leaves a large hole in his life that he comes to realize is worth some of the day-to-day hassles of dog ownership, and more importantly, friendship. Meanwhile, Snoopy struggles with his need to choose which direction his life will take, returning home to what he knows or staying with a girl who needs and loves him. For a film with precious little expository details, it's surprisingly robust and complex in its storytelling.

That's something that sets the film apart, that innate ability to say so much by saying so little. Dialogue is infrequent in the film. Bursts of character discussions are peppered throughout, but Snoopy, Come Home gets most of its storytelling and dramatic mileage from music and imagery instead. It's an interesting contrast to today's animated content that's unquestionably very good but lacking the inherent simplicity of both story and presentation found here. Even with its presentation, and even considering some of the larger, emotionally charged themes, the movie still proves immensely enjoyable as simple entertainment. It's colorful and cheerful, minus its most heart-tugging moments, finding a positive rhythm to its step and an obvious eagerness to please. The animation is charming and colorful, and even as some of the voice acting can be stiff and stilted -- Charlie Brown's dialogue is particularly absent more than a casual reading cadence -- the characters present with plenty of contagious charm.

Snoopy, Come Home Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

After its windowboxed opening title sequence, Snoopy, Come Home opens up to a 4x3 aspect ratio that places vertical black bars on either side of the 1.78:1 HD display. Note that IMDB lists the film with two aspect ratios, a 1.85:1 theatrical ratio and a 1:37:1 ratio, the latter presumably the broadcast ratio. The image pleases, despite a rather steady diet of jumps, pops, speckles, and scratches, which appear both intermittently and statically. Colors is quite nice, with rich saturation and vibrancy. Character attire is a highlight, while beach towels, grasses, and other odds and ends present with nice splashes of color. Detailing is strong across the board. The Blu-ray reveals the finer points of the animation process, and the 1080p clarity offers a nice boost in stability and visual richness. Even with the wear and tear, this is a very nice looking release that should please older fans looking for a refresh of a nostalgic favorite.

Snoopy, Come Home Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Snoopy, Come Home features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, but don't expect it to open up all that wide. The presentation is front-middle dominant, with little extension to its sides, and certainly not into the back. Sound is rather confined and cramped, a little muddled but boasting acceptable clarity in music and speech. Varied sound effects lack lifelike distinction and sonic flair but play with enough raw definition to skirt on by. The low end isn't engaged with any kind of evident thump, either. None of that is to say it's a bad track or bad listen. It's fine within its antiquated parameters, and the lack of stretch gives it something of a nostalgic feel, which compliments the movie nicely.

Snoopy, Come Home Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Snoopy, Come Home contains no supplemental content.

Snoopy, Come Home Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Snoopy, Come Home centers on a theme of loss. It's moving and mildly tearful as it goes about portraying honest emotional content about coping with loss and moving on from the past. It's far more in-depth than many of its kind and it's rare that an animated picture find this much emotional pull, particularly considering this film's adherence to a minimalist approach to dialogue. It's a very good film that holds up well, though it's debatable whether today's youngsters will find it of much value without all the digital splash and frenetic movement. CBS/Paramount's Blu-ray release is disappointingly devoid of extra content, but video is fair and audio is fine for what the track has to work with. The release probably should have been priced at the $10 or less range out of the gate, but even still it's worth picking up. Recommended.