Film Reviews: Christmas Edition 14: Charlie Brown

In memory of

Charles M. Schulz (the writer of, and real-life, Charlie Brown)

November 26^th, 1922 – February 12^th, 2000

Bill Melendez (director, animator, and original voice of Snoopy)

November 15^th, 1916 – September 2^nd, 2008

Vince Guaraldi (fantastic and innovative jazz musician)

July 17^th, 1928 – February 6^th, 1976

I love the Charlie Brown specials but I especially love the Christmas specials. We grew up with the first one on VHS, and would watch it every year. This is one of my dad’s favorite Christmas specials. When he was a kid, this was his first introduction to Christianity. His parents were Christians but never practiced. Before Charlie Brown, my dad was pretty much a cynic when it came to Christmas, just like most of the characters in Charlie Brown.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

“Everything I touch gets ruined…”

This is the greatest Charlie Brown special, let alone Christmas special. It is also the first Charlie Brown animation. They had only six months to write a special and they did a fantastic job. The biggest concern was how the comic strip would translate into animated film. At first, most of the people thought it looked bad but they ran it anyway and it was a huge success. I love the animation style even though there are so many continuity animation errors but I would rather keep those than have it digitally re-mastered with all of them fixed. One of the greatest things and creative things about Charlie Brown is that all the characters are voiced by real children. No one before had ever done this and I cannot think of any examples of anyone doing it since. Yes, it has religious overtones so if you are into Christmas for the spirit and the feelings, or purely for the capitalistic consumerism that Christmas has become you probably will not like Charlie Brown—though you may still appreciate it from an aesthetic perspective and its other messages. The other main message of the special as well as most every Charlie Brown special is anti-consumerism. This is huge message in A Charlie Brown Christmas—so you will probably especially hate A Charlie Brown Christmas if you work for Fox news. The only reason the conservative never called the Peanuts gang communists is that there are messages of what Christmas is really about which is the birth of Christ.

It is heartfelt, heartwarming, speaks about the true meaning of Christmas, and it very creative. In addition, the background music is done by the great jazz artist Vince Guaraldi who does a fantastic job. I may be biased for growing up with it but I give it 5 out of 5 stars.



It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992)

“Hockey stick!”

This special is not as great as the first one but it is still Charlie Brown, and it is still brilliant. This episode is less centered on a single plot like the first but it still has that whimsical feel to it. Unfortunately, Vince Guaraldi had died before this one was made but everyone else was still alive, kicking, and producing wonderful child-hood animated adaptations of the brilliant comic strip. The first one was still in the early days of Charlie Brown so not all the characters were present. However, in It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, the rest of the gang makes an appearance such as the fantastic Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Franklin. This time the episode it again, featured around the Christmas play, but it is mostly animated adaptations of original panels from the comic strip strung together to make somewhat of a plot, but really, plot is absent from this episode.

As far as twenty minute animated children’s Christmas specials go, I give this a 4.5 out of 5.



I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)

“Happiness is a warm puppy next to you”

Sadly, by this point, Charles Shultz has passed away. However, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown was still written by him since most of the material, like the last Christmas special, is from the comic strips. Although, unlike It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, this one has more of a plot and instead of being around twenty minutes long like the last two, this one is around forty minutes.

The plot it that Rerun, Linus and Lucy’s little brother, who this is the first time he has appeared in a Christmas special, wants a dog for Christmas because he really loves Snoopy. And who doesn’t love Snoopy? Snoopy is amazing and can do anything!

At first, I was hesitant about watching this because it is new and two members of the team the created the animated escapades of Charlie Brown are deceased. In fact, it is really quite good, considering. It still has that old Charlie Brown feel to it and the style is only slightly noticeably different. It is funny, warm, and classic Peanuts. I give it 4.25 out of 5 stars.