Written by Logan J. Fowler and Justin Matchick
Release Date: November 6th, 2015
Starring (the voices of): Noah Schnapp (Charlie Brown), Mariel Sheets (Sally), Hadley Belle Miller (Lucy), Alexander Garfin (Linus), Bill Melendez (Snoopy and Woodstock)
Director: Steve Martino (Horton Hears a Who, Ice Age: Continental Drift)
Pre-Trailer Thoughts: While I’m not a die hard fan of the Peanuts franchise, I do enjoy the Charlie Brown Halloween and Christmas specials, and I have always adored the characters that have been part of pop culture for the past 50 years. That being said, I’m all for a Peanuts feature film. –LJF
Pre-Trailer Thoughts: Peanuts is one of the most beloved comic strips in American history; its characters, catchphrases, and memorable moments are fully ingrained into the cultural lexicon. Even more so are the animated Holiday specials from the 60s and 70s, their music and animation styles being parodied and referenced in loving ways for many years afterward. Is it possible that this new animated feature can in any way, shape, or form live up to the heights of the comic and tv movies that came before it? – JTM
Rate the Trailer: 4 out 5. The Peanuts Movie looks adorable. I am glad to see that they did not do a full 3D rendering of these characters, but instead, animated them to be flat as they are intended to be. Imagine glossed over South Park animation (and one way less crude in dialogue than that) and you’ll get the picture. The movie seems to throw in all the Peanut references, such as Charlie’s obsession with the red-headed girl, Snoopy portraying the Red Baron, and of course, Lucy being bossy. Fans of the comic strip series should find much entertainment here, and hopefully it brings in a new generation of fans. –LJF
Rate the Trailer: 5 out of 5. This does an amazing job of recreating the style of both Charles Schulz’s comic strip and the Bill Melendez’s animated specials. The 3D-animation has a slightly jagged effect for character movement that makes it look almost hand-drawn and serves to emulate the way the characters looked in those 60s animations. The color palette is gorgeous, with each frame looking extremely vibrant, and providing a depth that makes the film almost look like a moving diorama. All of the voicework is top notch as well, using child actors as opposed to hiring famous actors and attempting to have them sound like the old cartoons did. The comedy is done very well too, with a great sense of timing and visual work that should have a cross-generational appeal. – JTM
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided? Theater (hopefully). This fall season is packed with a ton of films I want to see, and The Peanuts Movie is definitely one of them. It seems like the movie hasn’t made a mess of its beloved characters, or tried to modernize a concept that doesn’t need updating. If I can get to the theater for it, great, but if not, I’ll be sure to spend some time with Snoopy and company when they arrive on home video. -LJF
Theater, Rent, Undecided, No Thanks? Theater. I have a feeling that The Peanuts Movie and The Good Dinosaur will be competing for the family audience this fall, but with Peanuts coming out a few weeks earlier and, for my money, having the better trailer, I’m leaning towards seeing this out in the theaters and waiting on The Good Dinosaur. – JTM
The Peanuts Movie won’t let go of its blanket on November 6th, 2015
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