‘Peanuts Movie:’ We still love you, Charlie Brown

I was a Charlie Brown as a kid. As an adult, I’m still pretty much a Charlie Brown. It seems everything I touch gets more complicated than it needs to be, or it’s a complete disaster. Yet, I survive. I thrive, and in the end I guess, like a good man Charlie Brown, I’m a good man too.

It’s why I’ve always related to Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip and the characters, and probably why the rest of us did and still do. In our own way, most of us are Charlie Browns, or a Lucy, or a Linus or — even better — a Snoopy. That brings us to The Peanuts Movie, which is timed to honor the 65th anniversary of the introduction of Schulz’s famed comic strip and the 50th anniversary of its first TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Schulz would approve. But it’s hard not to imagine him not liking how his producer/writer son Craig and his writing partner Cornelius Uliano, and producer/writer grandson Brian, have treated his beloved characters. From the kid actors who sound eerily like the kids from the original projects, to the style of the animation, the three writers and director Steve Martino (Ice Age: Continental Drift) are faithful to the style set by Schulz, producer Lee Mendelson and the original TV director Bill Melendez.

That goes from the characters to Vince Guaraldi’s original music. Done in sections like the famed TV specials, The Peanuts Movie has some laugh-out-loud moments — especially the Leo Tolstoy bit — and there are places that almost bring tears to your eyes. This is perfect for adults who grew up with Schulz and his animated friends, and for kids just being introduced to these classic characters.

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 4:20 PM with the headline "‘Peanuts Movie:’ We still love you, Charlie Brown."