Breathe a sigh of relief, Peanuts fans: Blue Sky Studios, the animation house behind the Ice Age franchise and both Rios, does nothing ruinous to the Blockhead and his pals. Cue the music of Vince Guaraldi (here mimicked by Christophe Beck), the silly dancing, Snoopy’s aerial antics and plenty of misery for Charlie Brown. All the key characters are present—Linus, Lucy, Sally, Franklin, Schroeder, Pigpen, Woodstock, etc.—during a school year that introduces Charlie Brown’s crush, the Little Red-Haired Girl, to the class.
The Peanuts Movie does nothing revolutionary in story, animation or humor, but Charles Schulz’s kids prove they are not too old-fashioned for the 21st Century. Parents who grew up on “The Charlie Brown Christmas Special,” “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” or my favorite, “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown,” will enjoy sharing this new Peanuts experience that is more aesthetically in line with what their kids expect from today’s animated features.
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