Search - Peanuts - A Boy Named Charlie Brown on DVD

A "Peanuts" Classic

S. Fennell | Somewhere out there.....beneath the pale moon ligh | 04/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I, like the other reviewer before me, remember watching this in a movie theater when it was first released; my grandfather took me to see it and I must have been about 4 or 5 years old. I remember being totally mesmerized at the thought of seeing my "heroes" on the big screen, and I didn't move a muscle the entire time the movie was rolling. And yes, I will also agree that the film's end can have you shedding a tear or two, with Linus' reminder, "Did you notice something, Charlie Brown? The world didn't come to an end", after Charlie Brown feels that he has humlitated himself one too many times. You can imagine, this film has a very special place in my heart. It retained several of the original character voices, including Peter Robbins, the first and best Charlie Brown. This is also the only one of the four theatrical features to use Vince Guaraldi's trademark theme music. I take issue with the statement that the additional songs composed for the movie by Rod McKuen are "absurd". I thought the title tune was very touching, featuring the lyric, "We're all a Boy Named Charlie Brown". Indeed.......That was the genius of Charles Schulz in a nutshell; he created characters that mirrored all of us. Please get this film and introduce your kids to it.......Help pass along Mr Schulz's legacy. (If you can find the out-of-print soundtrack album for this film, I highly recommend it as well.)"

A premium in entertainment for people of all ages

Adam | 06/11/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though I highly recommend this film for children, it is by no means a movie that can be enjoyed only by children, with mindless dialogue and aimless plot. On the contrary; I am a 19-year-old college student, and even though I should technically be writing a review on Fellini's "Satyricon" as I sip some kind of mocha and smoke a cigarette, I instead choose to rave about the merits of this intelligent, wonderful little film. I would first like to state that the soundtrack is absolutely ASTOUNDING. Vince Guaraldi really outdoes himself in this film, with my favorites being "Baseball Theme" and "Surfin' Snoopy". I'm sorry to say that many of the songs on this film can only be acquired through the VHS medium; though there is a soundtrack, it provides music from an NBC Charles Schultz special, not this film. Consumers, beware! :) Secondly, the original compositions by Rod McKuen, such as "Champion Charlie Brown" and "Boy Named Charlie Brown" are heartwarming and delightful, again with paradoxically smart and mature lyrics (these too, unfortunately, are unavailable on CD). The animation is delightful. I love the bright, cheerful hues of the wallpaper in Charlie's hotel room and his bathroom. And yes, the visual rendition of Beethoven's "Pathetique Sonata" is stunning, with animation reminding you of the "Eleanor Rigby" scene from "Yellow Submarine" (NOT the psychedelic type); for some, it can definitely be a tear-jerker. Snoopy's graceful skate at Rockerfeller Plaza in New York City is additionally delightful. If you're a parent concerned with the lessons your child may learn from this film, allow me to present you with a list: gleeful content with who we are, acceptance of failure, healthy appreciation of victory, and perhaps most of all, how to be a friend. Charming. Beautiful. It will bring a smile to your face even after years of viewing. You will NOT be disappointed with this buy."

Charming film, but they Letterboxed a Full Frame movie!

Paul J. Mular | San Carlos, CA USA | 03/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This movie was shot full frame, and meant to be seen full frame. When you compare the movie to the old Full Frame Laserdisc you will see that this Letterboxed DVD cuts off the top & bottom and ads little to the sides.



Enough complaining, there are positives about this DVD. The picture quality is 100 times better than the old, yellowed & grainy Laserdisc. The colors look true and the image is smooth & clean. Even the soundtrack is punched up.



The movie itself is a delight. This is Peanut's first full length theatrical movie, and the story of Charlie Brown & the gang going off to a spelling bee will keep the young ones watching. Even the old ones like me.



The false letterboxing will not distract from the enjoyment of the film."

Charlie's finest hour!

Dave Fernandes | Chelsea, MI United States | 01/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Charlie Brown is at his best in his first film as Charlie addreses his own insecurities and gets the remarkable achievement of going to a major spelling bee only to loose when final victory is so close. Along the way we are treated to a brilliant rendition of Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata with some wonderful gothic imagry. We have Snoopy at the Rockefeller plaza skating around and letting his imagination run wild, and we have a great flying sequence as Snoopy does an air battle. There's so many wonderful moments it's hard to list. Rod McKuen's theme is just so poignant for the ending. After Charlie looses he realizes through simple images that life has indeed moved on and that he's going to be OK. The ending is just so moving and to have that juxtiposed with smart and quite witty scenes early on is such a rare thing in any film. The biggest shame is that this is NOT available on DVD. This is a lost treasure and I'm glad at least we can see it on VHS!





Rod McKuen"