The star and most affectionate character of Charles M. Schulz's marvelous comic strip Peanuts (which actually has evolved into so much more than that) is Charlie Brown the classic American un-success story. But apparently the most memorable character is the one whose used as the symbol of MetLife: Charlie Brown's ubiquitous and enigmatic beagle Snoopy. There are dozens of half-hour animated specials based off Peanuts and four feature-length movies. The first one was a true masterpiece. "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" moved and touched me in so many ways that I went on to call it the best animated film I've ever seen. The movie was about Charlie Brown. So it only made sense that for the next one that Schulz and animation director Bill Melendez to focus on Snoopy. Now "Snoopy Come Home" is not as good as the first movie, but it is memorable not because it completes the feeling of the Peanuts world as the first movie did, but because it's arguably the most saddening.
In this movie, we come to discover that Snoopy was not always Charlie Brown's dog. Previously, he belonged to a little girl named Lila (voice by Johanna Baer). Snoopy gets word one day that she's been hospitalized and teaming up with his clumsy avian sidekick Woodstock, heads off to visit her. After rendezvousing with Lila, Snoopy them finds himself feeling he has to leave Charlie Brown and commit himself to his former owner.
This is a very sad premise and "Snoopy Come Home", especially in its last half-hour, turns out to be a very sad movie. I am eighteen years old and it still tugged at my heartstrings and drew tears to my eyes. And oddly enough, the brilliance of this movie and the way these scenes are written by Charles Schulz and they way they are animated by Melendez in his team makes you admire these scenes after the inevitable happy ending (that's really no spoiler considering this is a kids' movie).
But the movie is not all sad tear-jerking moments with the characters crying their eyes out. Again, Schulz installs into the screenplay his classic sense of humor that was written for adults but appeals to all ages. The movie opens up with a joke and proceeds to have many before it takes a somber note. The Lucy vs. Snoopy boxing scene has deservedly gone on to become a cult classic iconic scene because not only is it well animated, but it's really funny. Most of the movie focuses on Snoopy and Woodstock, but there are some moments that revolve around the other characters such as Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Schroeder. And while I do wish there had been more impact in these scenes, they do fulfill their purpose and complete the feeling of a "Peanuts world" I guess you could say.
Now I do have my complaints. Primarily, it concerns the voice acting. Chad Webber, I'm afraid, was not quite the perfect actor to voice Charlie Brown. He just sounds too soft and gentle. We prefer Peter Robbins' voice and his imitators. Sometimes I also think the actresses who voice Lucy have had too strident of voices, but Robin Kohn isn't strident enough and by far, Pamelyn Ferdin is still the best Lucy voice actress. Another thing I missed was the presence of a jazz score by Vince Guaraldi whose music to "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" was so wonderful. The songs are also, I'm afraid, not memorable.
But in the end, my few gripes aside, I very much enjoyed "Snoopy Come Home" and I've found it a lot more fun than a lot of modern day movies, animated or otherwise if, ironically enough, because it made me feel very sad. It's not as good as "A Boy Named Charlie Brown", but it most certainly is enjoyable and a must-see for Peanuts fans.
In this movie, we come to discover that Snoopy was not always Charlie Brown's dog. Previously, he belonged to a little girl named Lila (voice by Johanna Baer). Snoopy gets word one day that she's been hospitalized and teaming up with his clumsy avian sidekick Woodstock, heads off to visit her. After rendezvousing with Lila, Snoopy them finds himself feeling he has to leave Charlie Brown and commit himself to his former owner.
This is a very sad premise and "Snoopy Come Home", especially in its last half-hour, turns out to be a very sad movie. I am eighteen years old and it still tugged at my heartstrings and drew tears to my eyes. And oddly enough, the brilliance of this movie and the way these scenes are written by Charles Schulz and they way they are animated by Melendez in his team makes you admire these scenes after the inevitable happy ending (that's really no spoiler considering this is a kids' movie).
But the movie is not all sad tear-jerking moments with the characters crying their eyes out. Again, Schulz installs into the screenplay his classic sense of humor that was written for adults but appeals to all ages. The movie opens up with a joke and proceeds to have many before it takes a somber note. The Lucy vs. Snoopy boxing scene has deservedly gone on to become a cult classic iconic scene because not only is it well animated, but it's really funny. Most of the movie focuses on Snoopy and Woodstock, but there are some moments that revolve around the other characters such as Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Schroeder. And while I do wish there had been more impact in these scenes, they do fulfill their purpose and complete the feeling of a "Peanuts world" I guess you could say.
Now I do have my complaints. Primarily, it concerns the voice acting. Chad Webber, I'm afraid, was not quite the perfect actor to voice Charlie Brown. He just sounds too soft and gentle. We prefer Peter Robbins' voice and his imitators. Sometimes I also think the actresses who voice Lucy have had too strident of voices, but Robin Kohn isn't strident enough and by far, Pamelyn Ferdin is still the best Lucy voice actress. Another thing I missed was the presence of a jazz score by Vince Guaraldi whose music to "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" was so wonderful. The songs are also, I'm afraid, not memorable.
But in the end, my few gripes aside, I very much enjoyed "Snoopy Come Home" and I've found it a lot more fun than a lot of modern day movies, animated or otherwise if, ironically enough, because it made me feel very sad. It's not as good as "A Boy Named Charlie Brown", but it most certainly is enjoyable and a must-see for Peanuts fans.