Review: Snoopy & Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie

When I was about 6, my nan bought the family a VCR for Christmas. It came with three children’s videos, the best of which was It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown. We watched that video to death; even after my dad had mastered the art of recrding movies and cartoons from the TV (we had an 8-hour collection of Thundercats), the Snoopy video was still our favourite. 

Like many people my age, I grew up on Peanuts. We had Snoopy toys, Snoopy books, Snoopy bedding. Even now, when someone is saying something I don’t understand, I make a noise like the teacher in Peanuts. Don’t pretend you’re not making the same noise in your head right now!

When Mumsnet contacted us about reviewing the new Peanuts movie, I jumped at the chance, having missed the movie in the cinema. 

In Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie, good ol’ Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved Peanuts gang appear as you’ve never seen them before in a brand-new feature film from the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of Ice Age. Join everyone’s favourite eternal optimist, Charlie Brown, as he embarks on a heroic quest, while his beagle pal Snoopy takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis, the Red Baron. It’s a hilarious and heart-warming adventure!

When I first heard that they’d made a Peanuts movie, I was horrified; how dare “they” CGI the beloved characters of my childhood? I couldn’t stand the idea that they would become these weird, 3D, humanoids rather than the stylised characters I knew and loved. I needn’t have worried; both the son and grandson of Peanuts creator Charles M Schulz were involved in the making of the film, and they’ve actually succeeded in upadting the animation without taking away from the original design. The teacher even talks in the same “wah-wah” voice!

When the dvd arrived S and I settled down on the sofa for some serious viewing… we actually watched the movie twice through in one sitting. I was so pleased to see that S shares my love of Peanuts! All my favourite characters were there: Pigpen, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Schroeder, Lucy, Linus, Sally, Charlie Brown… oh, and Snoopy of course!

My favourite character from Peanuts is Marcie because she’s such a great straight guy to Peppermint Patty – and the entire cast! There’s a fantastic part in the film where Charlie Brown needs to write a book report and Patty tells him he needs to find a book called Leo’s Toystore… of course, when he gets to the library, Marcie sets him straight!

Of course, S loves all of the scenes with Snoopy; I love that they’ve kept in his sometimes crabby disposition, the faces he pulls and the noises he makes! She thinks he’s hilarious with all the antics he gets up to in the movie.

Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie is out now on Digital HD, and on Blu-ray and DVD from 30th May. For me this is the perfect entertainment for half term – if we end up with typical British weather, or if you just fancy a chilled family afternoon. We’ll certainly be watching it again and again!

I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Panel, a group of parent bloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and retain full editorial integrity