The Peanuts Movie

What a wonderful movie. What a wonderful tribute to Charles Schulz. A very sweet and delightful movie. It brings to like all the vast array of Peanuts characters in a charming and loving way.

The story is:. The little red haired girl has moved into the neighborhood. Charlie Brown is smitten with her. He tries for the rest of the movie to try and get her to notice him. Not all of his attempts work out. In fact none of them work out the way Charlie Brown hopes that they will. He tries to impress her at a dance. He does very well until he slips and some how sets off the sprinkler system. He is assigned to work with her on a book report. She has to go and see a sick relative. Charlie Brown takes it on himself to write the report on War and Peace no less. And it goes from there.

There are the usual side plots with Snoopy taking on the Red Baron. Lucy giving out advice. Linus having problems with Sally.

Here’s a sampling of the reviews:

From USA Today:

You’re in a good movie, Charlie Brown!

Those who have seen the vintage Halloween and Christmas specials a bazillion times or are just finding out now what a Pigpen is will find something to adore about the clever and charming The Peanuts Movie (*** out of four; rated G; in theaters Friday nationwide). Director Steve Martino (Horton Hears a Who!) and producer Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) bring Snoopy, Peppermint Patty and all the gang to computer-generated 3-D life while never overshadowing the timeless quality of the late Charles M. Schulz’s comic-strip world.

Yahoo News:

Maybe the Peanuts gang hasn’t been on the big screen in decades because they’ve had so much success on the small one, with specials like “The Great Pumpkin” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” that have been annual TV traditions since the 1960s.

Thankfully, “The Peanuts Movie” isn’t just a small-screen special writ large. The filmmakers take advantage of their cinematic scope with a bigger story, more sophisticated animation and effective use of 3-D that gives new depth to the Peanuts world. But the characters loved by generations of fans — Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Woodstock and beloved blockhead Charlie Brown — are as charming and timeless as ever.

Washington Post:

Director Martino has captured the emotions that made “Peanuts” so meaningful, masterfully replicating Schulz’s hand-drawn expressions, including Charlie’s sighs, Sally’s smiles and the exasperated yells of Lucy (Hadley Belle Miller). The filmmakers also stay true to the timelessness of Schulz’s world. The only tweets come from Woodstock, and Linus (Alexander Garfin) grips his blanket instead of an iPhone. Schroeder (Noah Johnston) still plays Beethoven on his toy piano, and Lucy charges only five cents for advice.

Parents’ hearts will melt every time Sally (Mariel Sheets) lovingly calls Charlie “Big Brother,” and when Charlie — feeling dejected at his prospects — laments that he has no future with the Little Red-Haired Girl because “she’s something, and I’m nothing.” An entertaining combination of humor and tenderness.

I saw it in 3D. Mostly because the time worked for me because of the other things I did that day. But I’m glad I saw it in 3D. It brought a whole new perspective on the whole Peanuts gang. This is a wonderful, delightful and just plain fun movie. Go and enjoy. Make sure you stay until the end for a couple of additional treats from the film makers.