RUNNING TIME:
1 hr. 33 mins
LEAD CAST: Noah Schnapp, Francesca Capaldi, Bill
Melendez
DIRECTOR: Steve Martino
SCREENWRITER: Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Charles
M. Schulz
PRODUCER: Craig
Schulz, Bryan Schulz , Cornelius Uliano
EDITOR: Randy Trager
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Christophe Beck
GENRE: Animation
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Renato Falcão
DISTRIBUTOR: 20th Century Fox
LOCATION:
USA
Technical Assessment:
3.5
Moral Assessment: 4
Cinema Rating: VA
Charlie Brown (Noah Schnapp) gets infatuated
with a new kid in the class, the Little Red-Haired girl. Since then, he exerts every
effort to be noticed by her: he tries to top a standardized test, win in a
talent show, join a school dance and lead a book report. As Charlie Brown goes
through all these, he gets help from his faithful pet dog Snoopy (Bill
Melendez) and the rest of the “Peanuts” gang. Will Charlie ever get the notice
he so longs for? How far would he go in his infatuation?
The movie is a charming adaptation of the
popular comic strip. It is able to transform the original Peanuts appeal into
moving images, animation and 3D effects while staying faithful to the original
core and feel of the comic classic. This is one animation for children that
does not resort to too much spectacle—just plain and simple classic comic strip
turned into film: the characters, the artwork and the entire look is very much
consistent with the original source. And at a time when movies and animations
are expected to be grand, this is quite a gamble. But the result is a breath of
fresh air; the audience does not always see an animation in its utter
simplicity. The story is pretty cohesive and does not distract itself from the
central characters Snoopy and Charlie. Overall, Snoopy and Charlie Brown: the
Peanuts movie is a delightful experience that followers of the popular
comic strip will get nostalgic in seeing their favorite comic characters come
to life.
The heart and soul of Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie lies in the wholesomeness
of its central message—that goodness and kindness is of ultimate importance in
one’s character. Fame, intelligence, good looks are but fleeting and
superficial traits and are nothing if those are not coupled with goodness.
Charlie is one pure character that children should emulate. His honesty, kind-heartedness,
and benevolence are commendable. Despite his weakness, he finds strength in
meaning well in everything he does. He does not lose heart nor is tempted to
cling on to something not truthful even if it would mean his humiliation and a
possibility of rejection by other people, and much worse from the object of his
infatuation. Now that is ultimate self-denial in the name of pure goodness. The
film tells the audience clearly what really matters in life and in one’s
character. In a world that puts too much premium on popularity and
self-preservation, here is a movie that shows how it is to care for the other—to
be courageous to take the ultimate sacrifice for the beloved, and to do what is
right even if it is not necessarily popular, to be kind even at a time when it
is very hard to be one.
