The Peanuts Movie

 "I oughta slug you. Ugh! I've been kissed by a dog! I have dog germs! Get hot water! Get some disinfected! Get some Iodine!"

Charlie Brown (Schapp) and his friends enjoy a snow day.  After he unsuccessfully tries to fly a kit, he decides that this is the year that he will accomplish something wonderful.  His musings are interrupted by the arrival of a new family, who are moving into the house across the street from the Brown's.  Charlie Brown is instantly smitten by The Little Red-Haired Girl (Capaldi) and resolves to impress her.

Lucy van Pelt (Miller) tells him to be confident.  He enlists his dog Snoopy to help him find ways to stand out.  Snoopy finds a typewriter, and with the help of his bird friend Woodstock, starts writing about his exploits with the Red Baron.  Can Charlie Brown prove himself?

The Peanuts comic strip debuted in 1950.  The series was created by Charles Schulz and ran in newspapers for 50 years (reruns still appear in newspapers).  The strip is considered one of the most popular and influential comic strips ever.  In 1959 the characters appeared in TV ads and made their movie debut in 1965 in A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Since then, the characters have appeared in numerous movies, TV shows, and TV specials.  After Schulz's death, a few new specials were released (based on Schulz's strips or his ideas for future specials.

This is the first Peanuts film to be released in 35 years, and their first full-length film.  The script was written by Schulz' son, Craig Schulz, and grandson, Bryan Schulz.  The Schulz family selected Steve Martino to direct, after seeing the way he handled Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who film.

The old familiar gags are there: Snoopy's adventures, his writing career, the kite, etc.  They even pay tribute to the beloved Christmas Special at least twice: a choir sings "Christmastime is Here" and the classic dance moves are back for the school dance.  These and other little moments will remind long-time fans what they loved about Schulz's characters and their TV / movie appearances (which were produced by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson).  Archival recordings of Melendez were used to bring Snoopy and Woodstock to life (and make them sound the way they sounded in past Peanuts films).

I grew up loving the Peanuts.  I still get the comic strip emailed to me every day, and as I write this review, I'm drinking out of a Peanuts glass (from the 1980s).  I grew up watching and loving their specials, and I can still sing many of the songs featured in those programs.  I also love the Broadway musicals that are based on the Peanuts ("You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy!").  So obviously I was excited, but also a little nervous, about this film.  I loved the idea that these characters would be in a new movie... but I also worried that it wouldn't stay true to the characters, or that it would try to modernize them.  I was very happy with their portrayal (and the fact that members of the Schulz family involved).  I loved the nostalgia and the innocence of the characters.  And I even loved the new songs by Megan Trainor.

Overall, a sweet and funny film.  A must-see for all Peanuts fans, that will please kids and adults.

The Peanuts Movie (2015) 88 minutes
Director: Steve Martino
Starring: Noah Schnapp as Charlie Brown
Hadley Belle Miller as Lucy van Pelt
Alex Garfin as Linus van Pelt
Mariel Sheet as Sally Brown
Venus Omega Schultheis as Peppermint Patty
Rebecca Bloom as Marcie
Noah Johnston as Schroeder
Francesca Angelucci Capaldi as Little Red-Haired Girl / Frieda
Bill Melendez as Snoopy / Woodstock
Anastasia Bredikhina as Patty
Madisyn Shipman as Violet
AJ Teece as Pig-Pen
Marelik "Mar Mar" Walker as Franklin
William "Alex" Wunsch as Shermy