Charlie Brown throwback

By: Kyle Casey, Contributing Writer 

For many college students, memories of watching the Peanuts holiday specials as a child are closely valued.

From “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” to “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the Charles M. Schulz series has touched kids and adults alike throughout the years.

The franchise headlined by Charlie Brown and Snoopy hit the big screen this weekend with the debut of “The Peanuts Movie.” Set in the wintertime, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and other favorites such as Linus, Lucy and Peppermint Patty rendezvous for a tale centered on Charlie Brown.

When a new girl moves across the street from Charlie Brown and joins the group’s class, Charlie is taken over by infatuation for the new addition to the friend group. The movie is centered on his attempts, and many failures, to woo the attractive young girl.

From practicing his dance moves, to admirably writing a book report on “War and Peace,” Charlie Brown frantically strives to gather up the courage to make conversation with the girl, but often to no avail. Complementing Charlie Brown’s story is a love ballad scripted by Snoopy and his yellow sidekick, Woodstock, in which he battles the famous Red Baron in order to win over Fifi, a fellow pilot. The Snoopy branch-off scenes are entertaining, but can drag on at times. The movie as a whole, though, does not drag on. The swift pace of the story provides pleasurable viewing.

While “The Peanuts Movie” can be interpreted as a kid’s movie, isn’t the Peanuts series really for all ages?

Despite the new storyline, much of the classic concepts stay the same. From Lucy’s secret affection for Charlie Brown, to the bickering between Woodstock and Snoopy to Schroeder’s iconic piano scenes, the film does the series justice as an extended version of the classic Peanuts stories.

This film won’t supersede any of the famous Peanuts holiday specials, but it is still a treat to watch.

I give this film eight out of 10 star

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