On October 2, 1950, a comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz debuted in newspapers and it continued until February 13, 2000. Peanuts has been one the most popular cartoons of all time, introducing the world to a boy named Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy and a host of friends. Over a fifty-year span, Schulz created an empire that has included merchandising, books, and animated television specials that endure to this day. Paramount Pictures has taken four of these classic movies and packaged them together in one Blu-ray set. Released this week, the Snoopy 4 Movie Collection is a great way to introduce younger generations to the world of Peanuts while offering adults a small piece of their childhood memories.
The first movie, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, first ran in 1969 and depicted Charlie Brown as he navigates life with all its ups and downs. Through his struggles to get his kite to fly or pitching (poorly) for his baseball team, he learns how to problem solve and work through his self-doubt. Film two, Snoopy, Come Home (1972) revolves around Charlie Brown's adorable (don't let him hear you say that though!) beagle named Snoopy and his journey to see his original owner, Lila.
The third film called Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (1977) had the gang heading to summer camp but, of course, Charlie Brown gets left behind. Hitching a ride on Snoopy's motorcycle (yes, I did just write that), they make it to camp in time to help the gang take on some bullies.
The final film on the disc, Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) takes them all on a trip to France as exchange students. It is also one of the many instances where Snoopy is pitted against the Red Baron.
While there have been a number of Peanuts films over the years, many revolving around various holidays, these four capture the essence of the Peanuts gang and how they functioned as a group of friends. They also embodied the character of kids at the time. Bullying was very much alive and well and Charlie Brown certainly was most often a target. However, he learned to deal with the bullying and still functioned in the world around him. Lucy was most often the bully and not very likable, which gave kids a view of how ugly a bully can be inside, even if they are pretty on the outside.
Besides the four Blu-ray discs, the set includes Digital HD codes for each film. For two of the four movies - Race for Your Life Carlie Brown and Bon Voyage Charlie Brown - this will be the first time they have been released on Blu-ray. The 1080p video quality is merely ok (especially from the two older films). The picture has lots of scratches and speckles of dust and dirt which can be annoying, but the colors and details are pretty good considering the ages of these films. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless track is decent with much of the dialogue and soundtrack sitting in the center channels. The sound is rather basic and lacks a robustness that is obviously built using multi-layered tracks - little of which was available or utilized in movies of the time. Unfortunately, much like other Peanuts releases, there are only two extras in this combo pack - Travels with Charlie: The Making of Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown, and theatrical trailers.
If you grew up with the Peanuts gang watching these movies feels like a warm hug on a cold day. They feel homie and comforting and remind us of what we love about Peanuts.
This is a terrific set that every grandparent/parent should own so they can reminisce about their past while opening up a whole new generation to the wonder that was artist Charles M. Schulz.
Grade: B
Purchase your copy today of The Snoopy Collections Today at Amazon.com.
