I was all in.īut even my son realized that “The Peanuts Movie” is sweet, gentle and not much more. I even did that thing where you can create a “Peanuts” character version of yourself online. I was a huge fan of all things “Peanuts” as a little girl-I even had Snoopy and Woodstock sheets on my twin bed-and I’m now the mother of a six-year-old boy who regularly pops classic TV specials like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” into the DVD player. ![]() It brings me no joy to report this to you, I should add. It’s all completely charming until you realize very quickly that there isn’t much going on here besides a wallow in nostalgia with little narrative drive. ![]() And all the characters you know and love are voiced by actual child actors, which gives it an immersive authenticity. Soulful Schroeder still plays a toy piano, sassy Lucy still doles out psychiatric advice from her sidewalk stand for just a nickel, loyal Marcie still calls bossy Peppermint Patty “Sir” and all the kids’ G-rated adventures seem that much more delightful with Vince Guaraldi’s jazzy score as a backdrop.ĭespite the forward-thinking technological choice of using 3-D animation, “The Peanuts Movie” hews closely to the cheerful color palette and simple stylistic touches of Schulz’s aesthetic. Telephones still have cords, Snoopy still pounds away on a manual typewriter and the few adults who exist are never seen but merely heard in a garbled wah-wah. There’s nary a smidgen of snark to be found, which is refreshing in its own way. The film from director Steve Martino (“ Ice Age: Continental Drift”)-written by Schulz’s son, Craig, and grandson, Bryan, along with Cornelius Uliano-stays true to the timeless innocence and warm-hearted humor of the later comic strips and enduring television specials. Not that the world needs a post-modern version of the late “Peanuts” creator Charles M. It’s disappointing and actually kind of cynical in its unwillingness to try anything even vaguely innovative with these beloved characters. It takes ideas, images, plot points and even verbatim bits of dialogue from previous “Peanuts” incarnations and projects them onto the big screen for a new generation without breathing much new life into them. It’s all about repackaging and regurgitating what we’ve already seen and what we already know. ![]() “The Peanuts Movie,” by contrast, is all about playing it safe.
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