Snoopy & Charlie Brown - The Peanuts Movie

SNOOPY AND CHARLIE BROWN : THE PEANUTS MOVIE

Director : Steve Martino

Year : 2015

Genre : Animation

Rating : ****

After a 30 year absence from the big screen, Charles M. Schultz's beloved characters return to the cinemas once again in Blue Sky's 'Snoopy & Charlie Brown - The Peanuts Movie', a controversially yet ultimately lovely looking CGI tale that could so easily have been a below-average nostalgic cash grab but instead turns out to be a very charming and irresistibly good natured tribute to the acclaimed cartoon thanks to it's eternally likable characters and a script that perfectly recaptures the simplicity, the innocence and the relatability of both the show and the comic strip.

As always, 'The Peanuts Movie' centres around the further misadventures of the perpetually pessimistic Charlie Brown who, after falling in love with the new girl in school, tries to better himself and turn himself from the blockhead to the schools most popular kid. Between the scenes of Charlie desperately attempting to make an impression on his crush,'The Peanuts Movie' explores the lives of the many other Schultz characters including Pigpen, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty and of course Charlie's loyal beagle Snoopy who, with the help of his adorable friend Woodstock, continues his endless battle with the imaginary adversary The Red Baron.

As is the case with the best of the comics and TV specials,'The Peanuts Movie' doesn't attempt to give its audience a particularly complicated or emotionally heavy narrative. In fact, when compared to many of the best animated movies of this year,'The Peanuts Movie' may seem remarkably pedestrian. However much like 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and 'It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown', it's in the simplicity where the true genius of the entire 'Peanuts' franchise lies - there's no narrative padding, no pointless diversions and no attempt to pander to modern animation conventions. It's clear that director Steve Martino is a huge admirer of the classic and highly influential specials and his respect shines through the delightful story as well as the jovial screenplay written by Craig and Bryan Schulz (the son and grandson respectively of Charles M. Schultz) and the minute attention to details such as little visual and audio cues which not only serve as ingredients in the already delightful script but also serve as little nuggets of heart-tugging nostalgia for those who have grown up with this most simple yet perfect of cartoons.