Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Peanuts Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 4, 2016

Do you have a favorite daily comic strip? Do people even read comics anymore? That’s not an entirely facetious question, given the kind of sad decline of print media and the daily newspaper, for it was that thwack of rolled up newsprint hitting the front porch that often alerted kids (of all ages) that some time with the so-called “funny papers” was due. In fact many newspapers back in the day tended to publish the comics on facing pages, meaning that any given reader could have an "immersive" experience being surrounded by the funnies as the paper was opened. While comics of all kinds are of course still available online, their intimate connection with readers may be a thing of the past, a retro quality that could perhaps find no more appropriate exemplar than Charles Schulz’s beloved Peanuts. Peanuts shuffled off the mortal printing press in 2000, after an astounding fifty year run that helped inform the childhoods of not just Baby Boomers, but subsequent generations like Generation X and, yes, even Millennials (probably more so by exposure to already existing content than to anything new). The impact of Peanuts can’t be overstated, but something else that is also undeniable is Peanuts’ essentially quaint take on childhood and the rigors of growing up. While there’s an unabashed intelligence to virtually all of Charles Schulz’s formulations, it’s an intelligence tempered by a certain kind of sweetness that would seem to be almost deliberately at odds with the more jaded, cynical outlook that has often been part and parcel of the “modern” world emotional outlook. When The Peanuts Movie was first announced (several years ago), some may have feared that the tendency to “tart up” older properties to make them acceptable for younger folks would completely ruin whatever made Peanuts special in the first place. Thankfully, that was a largely unfounded fear, for Charles Schulz’s own family was integrally involved in the formulation of this film, and it’s probably no coincidence that the results hew very closely to the original feeling that was so prevalent not just in the comic strip, but in the best of the television outings like A Charlie Brown Christmas.

It’s that most sacred day of the year for kids—no, not Christmas (or any other religious holiday), but a snow day! As the various tots who make up the Peanuts universe awaken (Lucy “helps” Linus get out of bed, of course), they realize that snow has fallen, school is out for the duration, and it’s a day to frolic in the frost. Charlie Brown decides in typical Charlie Brown fashion that it’s the perfect day to finally get his kite actually airborne, and also in typical Charlie Brown fashion, he fails miserably in a rather raucous but funny sequence out on the frozen pond that has been seen in various other Peanuts outings.

The fact that within just the first few minutes, The Peanuts Movie is already indulging in a number of well worn Peanuts tropes should be an immediate balm to fans who might be initially discomfited by any proposed “update” to the beloved franchise. What’s so disarming about all of this, though, is that despite the repetition of many standard Peanuts elements, including everything from Snoopy’s adventures with the Red Baron to Lucy’s not all that helpful advice booth, the film feels surprisingly fresh and unforced. There’s a tenderness to the presentation here that might tend to speak to even the most jaded, cynical sorts, as in fact Peanuts always has. (Millennials may feel they have the corner on post-modern irony and a certain bitterness, but at least some Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers might want to disagree.)

The main plot arc deals with the arrival of the Little Red-Haired Girl to the neighborhood, where she of course instantly catches Charlie Brown’s eye. While a number of vignettes play out that involve all of the gaggle of kids in the neighborhood, most revolve around Charlie Brown’s hapless attempts to do something that will gain the favor of the auburn tressed female. Of course, all of them fail spectacularly, since that’s more or less the playbook that Charlie Brown always seems to be utilizing.

Interestingly, though, The Peanuts Movie gives Charlie Brown a fleeting flirtation with fame, or at least elementary school popularity, when he’s rather unexpectedly deemed a mental giant. It of course turns out to be a misunderstanding and/or mistake, but the film’s gentle demeanor is able to easily support Charlie Brown even when he’s surrounded by seemingly inevitable failure.

There are some sidebars which play out concurrently with the main “unrequited romance” angle, the chief of which involves Snoopy’s fantasy life as a World War I flying ace who repeatedly duels with the Red Baron, a series of comic interstitial sequences which spring from Snoopy’s discovery of a typewriter (the film commendably keeps things retro here, not offering Snoopy a tablet or notebook PC). As usual, Snoopy’s efforts at literary magnificence are about as successful as any given Charlie Brown enterprise. (Snoopy is of course fond of starting stories with “It was a dark and stormy night,” the bane of the annual Bulwer-Lytton awards for horrible writing. One of the funniest all time Peanuts strips in this writer’s estimation had Snoopy once again beginning a tome with that phrase, which led Lucy to go off on an epic sized rant about how good writing had to start with an instantly riveting character rather than a bland descriptive phrase. Snoopy thinks for a moment and then types, “He was a dark and stormy knight.”)

There’s nothing “new” or in fact “improved” about The Peanuts Movie, but you know what? — there really doesn’t have to be. Charles Schulz’s original formulation was so wise and knowing, so sweet and unaffected, that it was timeless and perhaps eternally meaningful. The creative staff behind The Peanuts Movie wisely left well enough alone, and the result is a beautifully realized and often quite touching film that should not just please aging Peanuts fans, but a whole new generation who haven’t yet experienced the terrors of the kite eating tree.

The Peanuts Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Peanuts Movie is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. This is an incredibly bright and vivid presentation, one which offers a really wonderfully variegated palette that exploits everything from bright primaries to some really nice pastels and mixed tones (especially in the Red Baron fantasy sequences, where elements like burnished purples are prevalent). The digital rendering of the characters offers a kind of "plumpness" that is quite appealing, and there are also some appealingly near palpable textures in elements like hair or Linus' security blanket. The imagery is sharp and well defined, as should be expected from a digital source, with no compression problems like banding interrupting the fluidity of the animation.

The Peanuts Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Peanuts Movie features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track which offers consistent if at times subtle surround activity courtesy of sequences like the opening melée with Charlie Brown, his kite, and several innocent bystanders. Christophe Beck's score wisely quotes liberally from Vince Guaraldi's iconic music for older entries, while also offering "Guaraldi-esque" cues even when Guaraldi himself is not being overtly quoted, and the music spills through the surrounds quite winningly. The film's soundtrack is notable for its use of archival sound files of Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock, as well as the well known "wah wah" sounds that identify the clueless adults. Dialogue is cleanly rendered and is well prioritized. Fidelity is top notch with no problems of any kind to warrant concern.

The Peanuts Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Snoopy Snippets (1080p; 2:45) offers some brief vignettes with everyone's favorite lovable Beagle.


• You Never Grow Up, Charlie Brown (1080p; 30:17) is a nice making of featurette which offers some good interviews (including with the Schulz heirs).


• Snoopy's Sibling Salute (1080p; 1:55) is another brief piece focusing on Snoopy's kin.


• Learn to Draw Snoopy (1080p; 4:13) features Steve Martino giving some drawing lessons.


• Learn to Draw Woodstock (1080p; 3:04) offers Martino teaching the ins and outs of drawing the cute little bird.


• Learn to Draw Charlie Brown (1080p; 4:02) has Martino showing the secrets to capturing the image of hapless Charlie Brown.


• Get Down with Snoopy and Woodstock Music Video (1080p; 2:17)


• "Better When I'm Dancin'" Meghan Trainor Lyric Video (1080p; 3:01) is evidently geared toward the karaoke or singalong crowd.


• "Better When I'm Dancin'" Meghan Trainor Music Video (1080p; 3:08)


• Behind the Scenes of "Better When I'm Dancin'" (1080p; 2:53)


• Snoopy's Playlist (1080p; 27:52) offers a video jukebox of sorts of all the musical moments from the film, accessible either individually or in a group.


• Gallery:

  Concept Art (1080p; 2:50)

  Color Keys (1080p; 1:15)

  Characters (1080p; 3:00)

  Final Art (1080p; 2:55)

  Note: All of the galleries offer either Manual Advance or Auto Advance options. The timings are for the Auto Advance options.


• Trailers:

  Official Trailer 1 (1080p; 2:50)

  Official Trailer 2 (1080p; 2:26)

  Teaser Trailer 1 (1080p; 00:56)

  Teaser Trailer 2 (1080p; 1:36)

  Official Holiday Trailer (1080p; 1:41)

The Peanuts Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Peanuts Movie doesn't stray far (if at all) from well established Peanuts canon, something that my colleague Brian Orndorf felt wasn't especially helpful (you can read Brian's thoughts here). I personally feel that this is actually one of the film's strengths, for it reinforces the inherent sweetness and knowing humor which Charles Schulz seemingly unavoidably brought to the enterprise. Charlie Brown will forever stand as a perfect example of "picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and starting all over again", and this sweet natured and heartfelt film gives him ample opportunity to continue in that regard. Technical merits are top notch, the supplementary package enjoyable, and The Peanuts Movie comes Highly recommended.