The Peanuts Movie

There are some cartoons that are a major part of your childhood but then there are some cartoons that are part of every childhood to at least some extent. I am optimistic enough to say that everyone who is and was once a child has been exposed to "Peanuts" by cartoonist Charles Schulz in some way. There is the original newspaper comic strip that debuted in 1950, the animated TV specials, the other feature films and the merchandise. The Peanuts universe now enters the realm of 3D animation thanks to "The Peanuts Movie" but what is noteworthy is how the reverential the film is to its source material. Sometimes, staying completely true to the original source material can hurt a feature film and I am happy to say that this movie is special because of the respect it shows to its origins. Things may have gone a little overboard in this regard but I can overlook that. The design and style of animation are the focus of this movie and normally, that means the story took a back seat. Thankfully, we still get a great story in this movie because the filmmakers maintained the essence of the characters.

As with "How the Grinch Who Stole Christmas", this movie must not only reference a still-drawn work of art but must also pay tribute to the equally famous animated television specials. Unlike "The Grinch" though, this is one universe that couldn't be adapted into live action. One might consider using motion capture to bring the Peanuts characters to a new dimension as was done with the works of Herge and author/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. However, even utilizing motion capture would have felt like dancing on Charles Schulz's grave. "The Peanuts Movie" had to be fully animated but to do it in 2D would have felt somewhat idle and repetative. Movie audiences always want something new, even from something old. Adapting the beloved characters for 3D animation seems almost required considering it is the new millennium but Blue Sky Animation wasn't creating this adaptation alone. Charles Schulz's son and grandson wrote this film and then pitched it to studios with the stipulation that they produce the film as well in order to stay true to their patriarch's work. This I believe is why the movie was enjoyable. As mentioned, the design and the style of the animation are the two most noticeable qualities of the film. The "choppy" animation of the TV specials and films from the 60's and 70's that we have come to love is recreated. It is humorous to me that as technology moves forward, we then make steps to try and replicate old & imperfect styles using that technology. The design of the film is equally respectful, especially with the eyes of the characters and the way the characters walk. Most of the action on the screen is perpendicular to our point of view, just like in previous incarnations of "Peanuts". The biggest flaw of the movie is that it tried to incorporate nearly everything that the comic is known for: the psychiatrist booth, the wall, football, the Great Pumpkin, "War and Peace", etc. The film felt congested as a result. The only missing reference I can think of is Charlie Brown getting a rock. It took away from the story being told but not so much that it completely ruined the movie. I also had a problem with how fast we went from winter to summer in the film. One wonderful decision in the creation of "The Peanuts Movie" that I didn't even realize while watching the show was the absence of cell phones and computers. Some TV shows or comic strips such as "The Simpsons" and "Garfield" stay contemporary and that works for them. The Peanuts universe however doesn't have to keep wup with the present day or current evens because some things never change and by extension, some things will always be funny. The funniest moment in "The Peanuts Movie" for example is not original but is from the source material and that tells you something about the legacy that Schultz left. Charlie Brown says that he has trouble talking to pretty girls but has no trouble talking to Lucy about it, which sends a clear, offensive message to Lucy. It is universal humor that Schultz employed by way of his unique art and sense of humor. The filmmakers were able to perfectly reprise this joke in the film. Charlie Brown's endearing personality qualities are used to tell the story and that is what makes the movie great. He is humble, honest and determined albeit pessimistic at some times. This allows for a dramatic narrative with highs and lows.

Because this movie must pay tribute to animated adaptations from past decades, the casting of the characters were an important decision. I was pleased to find out before seeing this film that Noah Schnapp, who voices Charlie Brown, was in Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies" as the son of the main character. It proves that Blue Sky made a decent choice and I like Schnapp's work in both movies. The best casting choice in the film was Mariel Sheets as Sally. Her performance made the classic character very cute, something she has always been known for. The worst casting choice concerns Peppermint Patty and this is a piece of criticism that I cannot defend or back up. I don't know why the voice doesn't work but it just doesn't. It does sound similar to past performances of the character and therefore should have worked and that bothers me even more. I was impressed by how perfect the voices of Snoopy and Woodstock were in the film and then I found out that it is archival recordings of Bill Melendez (the original voice for those characters on TV). I applaud that. Noah Johnston plays Schroeder but I liked his work better on "Monsters University". The one thing I was praying for the most concerning this film adaptation was that no adult would be seen or verbally understood by the audience throughout the movie. When that trombone was sounded to denote the presence of Mrs. Othmar, I made a little cheer in my head. The studio even employed the services of one of the most famous trombonist in the world for this film: Tony "Trombone Shorty" Andrews from New Orleans. A huge part of the Peanuts universe is the music of Vince Guaraldi. Most people would be happy to know that the composer of this film, Canadian Christophe Beck, also wrote the musical score for "Frozen". Beck however had a lot of film music under his belt such as "Garfield: The Movie" and its sequel (a fact that relates to this film adaptation). What most qualified him to write the musical score for "The Peanuts Movie" in my eyes is his work on the short film, "Paperman". Just as the whole film is the tribute to Charles Schulz, Beck's musical score is a tribute to Guaraldi. Director Steve Martino was the director of "Horton Hears a Who!" so he had the experience to adapt Schulz's comic strip/TV special into a 3D animated film. Many artists on this movie are from my alma mater, BYU, including Professor David Dibble and others who acted as visual development, story and material artists as well as lighting directors. Finally, when it comes to a Blue Sky film, I always give a shout out to my high school classmate, animator AJ Conrad.

I remember back in 2000 when Charles Schulz retired and then died shortly thereafter. He even died one day before his final Sunday strip ran in the newspapers. While this may not apply to every frame in "The Peanuts Movie", most of the film frames are near-perfect 3D renderings of Schulz's drawings. It is almost like the studio used the comic strips as storyboards and then regenerated them with love and care in the computer. That is the best compliment I can give the film. Another compliment concerns the end credits and its use of music. As I left the theater after the movie, I overheard one of the theater employees say that they hadn't yet seen the film but the end credits made them feel genuinely happy. 2015 was a perfect time for a reboot because it was the 65th anniversary of the comic strip and the 50th anniversary of the first TV special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas". This feature film effectively introduces the characters to a new generation and this is my favorite film to come out of Blue Sky Studios but this is due to original source material unfortunately. The movie pays tribute so much to the original comic and beloved TV specials that it is almost no longer a Blue Sky Studios film. On the other hand, many of today's animated films have a lack of sophistication. In my opinion, an animated film doesn't need to rely on cheap laughs and silly gags. Anything that can make a person laugh must be used in moderation. Slapstick for example gets overwhelming if used too much. "The Peanuts Movie" has a great balance between drama and comedy. Furthermore, its humor is not just one kind of comedy. All ages will be entertained as a result but this is in large part due to what Charles Schulz did for exactly half a century.

4 Stars