HOLLYWOOD—Can you believe that it has been more than 35 years since the last feature-length “Peanuts” movie? Well those avid fans that have been patiently waiting, the wait is now over. “The Peanuts Movie” reunites all of those favorites including Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Peppermint Patty, Linus, Lucy van Pelt and a host of others in a flick that takes many adults back to their childhoods.
The bulk of the narrative revolves around Charlie Brown developing a crush on the new Red-Headed Girl next door. That same sentiment is echoed for Snoopy who develops a crush on Fifi. What remains iconic about this cartoon series after years of delighting youngsters and adults is the fact that simplicity works at its core.
Could some say the dialogue of the Peanuts comic strip was far beyond its time? Without a doubt, while it has its cartoony moments, there is plenty of adult humor interjected that is not as easy for most kids to instantly catch onto. That is the telling of the times because creator Charles Schultz crafted a series that is without a doubt geared to a wiser child.
Kudos go to the writers of “The Peanut Movie” for crafting a narrative that hits all chords in my opinion. It talks about the somewhat cruel world of childhood. How kids can be somewhat torturous to their peers, how that first love is not always easy to approach, the art of learning without aiming to learn, but more than anything life has no shortcuts.
At times you have to fall a million times, but in the long run it’s all about getting back up. The evident theme of confidence plays out throughout the entire movie as Charlie Brown questions his skills and ability to do things that so many other might deem stupid or pointless. We have that wit from Lucy that never gets old, the shenanigans of Linus that will always keep the viewers and Mr. Brown on his toes, and of course who can forget Peppermint Patty for all her wise talk.
Of course there is Snoopy as well who has his own mission that takes his focus slightly off Charlie Brown. So we have a movie that has dueling narratives with two central characters that all have a happy ending. What more could you ask for in an animated flick? “The Peanuts Movie” satisfies that nostalgia for those adults who grew up watching The Great Charlie Brown Pumpkin Patch and A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Many kids nowadays find it quite difficult to sit down and watch a “Peanuts” movie or cartoon. However, with a slight touch of patience, kids will find themselves greatly rewarded for the teachings they learn from “The Peanuts Movie.”