Everyone knows and loves The Peanuts, whether from the comic strips created by Charles Schulz or the famous holiday specials like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The Peanuts have become a staple for fans and families all around the globe. In 2015, when it was announced that Blue Sky Animation Studios (a small animation studio owned by 20th Century Fox at the time) would create a feature-length CGI film based on The Peanuts, I was concerned about how the final product would turn out, especially considering the studio’s track record with the quality of their films at the time. While Blue Sky has produced entertaining movies such as Ice Age, Robots, and Rio, they weren't quite on the same level as the most loved and cherished Pixar or Disney films. When I finally saw the film in theaters for the first time, my doubts were relieved. I was pleasantly surprised that a lesser-known animation would come through and deliver a faithful representation of the Peanuts that would even make the legendary Charles Schulz proud.
Charlie Brown (Noah Schnapp) is known as the kid who feels like the world is always against him whether it’s trying to kick a football, getting a kite off the ground, or always trying to do the right thing even if things go wrong for him in the end. One day, a little red-haired girl (Francesca Capaldi) moves into the neighborhood, and Charlie Brown finds himself love-struck and goes on a journey of self-discovery with the help of some of the other Peanuts characters in order to gain the confidence to win the heart of the little red-haired girl over. Meanwhile, Snoopy and Woodstock (Bill Melendez) have an adventure of their own as they find an old Typewriter in the dumpster and decide to write a story about the infamous red barren based on his experiences with the events of Charlie Brown’s story arc.
The Story is everything a Peanuts fan could ever dream of, filled with multiple callbacks to many of Peanuts’ most iconic lines and references to past works. Most importantly, the narrative is very sweet and avoids modern slang or pop culture references, which lends a timeless quality to it. The great thing is that you don’t need to know anything about Peanuts to enjoy the movie fully. While there are plenty of nods and references for longtime fans, newcomers won't feel confused. There are two interwoven storylines. The main narrative follows Charlie Brown as he hopes to win the affection of the Little Red-Haired Girl. No matter how hard he tries, Charlie Brown makes mistakes in his quest for her love. The secondary story features Snoopy and Woodstock discovering an old typewriter and writing a tale about the Red Baron, who has captured the flying ace’s romantic interest. Both storylines connect surprisingly well, with events in one often inspiring developments in the other. Charlie Brown’s story arc is both silly and heartwarming, while Snoopy’s side adventure is action-packed and adventurous. It's worth noting that although the film may lack some of the mean-spirited edge that made the original holiday specials so beloved, it overall does a great job of balancing the tone, ensuring it's neither too harsh nor overly sentimental. The storytelling is quite traditional, but the emotions effectively capture why we loved this lovable gang of characters in the first place.
The Characters in this film don't need much of an introduction, as most of us are familiar with the Peanuts gang, which includes Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, and, of course, Snoopy and Woodstock. The Peanuts characters are voiced by actual children, and they all do an excellent job, of breathing new life into these iconic figures as if we're seeing them for the first time. While all the kids deliver impressive performances, the main star is Charlie Brown, voiced by Noah Schnapp, who is also known for his role as Will Byers in Stranger Things. Schnapp perfectly captures Charlie Brown's clumsy and somber qualities, making him irresistibly relatable, especially when the world seems to turn against him. One of the coolest aspects of the film is that the voices for Snoopy and Woodstock are primarily sourced from audio recordings of Bill Melendez, who provided their voices in the classic holiday specials. This not only serves as a faithful nod to the past but also makes the characters sound just like they did before, giving them more depth than modern voice-over work could achieve. New characters, such as Fifi and the Little Red-Haired Girl, may only have small amounts of screen time, but their moments are impactful, fitting seamlessly alongside the other beloved Peanuts characters. Overall, the characters remain true to their original comic strip counterparts while also being made relevant for a new generation.
The Animation can best be described as innovative, as it successfully translates simple 2D illustrations into 3D software—something that CGI in the past struggled with. You might think that bringing the Peanuts characters from 2D drawings to 3D would be a bad idea, but the movie surprisingly achieves the impossible. It manages to make the 3D designs of the Peanuts characters feel just like their 2D counterparts without appearing uncanny. The entire film is crafted to resemble a 2D Peanuts cartoon, despite being rendered in 3D. The characters move with the same limited expressions that were iconic in the animated specials, giving the movie an impressive and expressive quality. Throughout the film, there are several instances featuring 2D illustrated segments—whether it’s dotted lines depicting action or segments that look like Charles Schulz’s illustrations coming to life. The film is filled with visual nods to past Peanuts works, along with clever visual gags that balance the old with the new. During the Snoopy "Flying Ace" segments, the film adopts a more action-oriented approach, showcasing dynamic 3D angles while still adhering to the Peanuts style, such as not showing the bottom of Snoopy’s doghouse, which serves as his imaginary makeshift plane. Most of the movie, however, focuses on Charlie Brown's story, meaning the backgrounds are less chaotic than those in Snoopy’s plot. Nevertheless, these backgrounds remain visually impressive, featuring occasional 2D illustrations and charming settings, such as the winter neighborhood or the nostalgically illuminated homes of the characters. Blue Sky Studios should be proud of this movie’s achievements. This animation is a key reason why many other films have adopted similar techniques that this one pioneered.
The Music for the film is composed by Christophe Beck, the same individual who scored the soundtrack for "Frozen." His compositions are beautifully nostalgic and wonderfully whimsical, drawing from many recognizable Peanuts tunes while still making them feel fresh and relevant to today’s culture. However, I do have a concern about the modern pop songs that are interspersed throughout the film, as they detract from its timeless quality. That said, I do enjoy the main theme of the movie, "Better When I'm Dancing," by Meghan Trainor; it’s catchy and irresistible to listen to. It would have been even better if the focus had remained primarily on the original score, but overall, the music still excels quite nicely.
Blue Sky Studios could have easily turned this movie into an uninspired cash grab filled with loud humor, dated references, and obvious pop culture nods. However, what unfolded was one of the most surprising films of 2015, filled with heart, humor, and nostalgia for everything related to Peanuts. It successfully brought these beloved characters to life, pleasing both newcomers and long-time fans. While some of the modern pop songs might detract from the overall enjoyment, The Peanuts Movie is still a charming and delightful film that effectively uses simplicity to its advantage. Both old and new characters are endearing, and the visual style was innovative for its time, paving the way for other studios to adopt similar techniques. This is undoubtedly the best film from Blue Sky Studios and possibly one of the finest adaptations of the Peanuts brand. It’s a film that had no business being this great, but I’m genuinely glad it is.
(Final Grade: A-)