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The unlikely beauty of Charlie Brown is that no matter how many times he flails and fails, he keeps trying. Whether he’s humiliated in front of his classmates, tangled up in kite string or knocked on his butt on the pitcher’s mound or football field, he gets back up, dusts himself off and gives it another go. He isn’t content to let the blockhead nickname define him. He consistently strives to improve—to surprise us all and even himself.

As antithetical as it may seem to his insecure, underdog persona, Charlie Brown is actually a pretty ballsy dude.

“The Peanuts Movie,” by contrast, is all about playing it safe. It’s all about repackaging and regurgitating what we’ve already seen and what we already know. It takes ideas, images, plot points and even verbatim bits of dialogue from previous “Peanuts” incarnations and projects them onto the big screen for a new generation without breathing much new life into them. It’s disappointing and actually kind of cynical in its unwillingness to try anything even vaguely innovative with these beloved characters.

Not that the world needs a post-modern version of the late “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz ’s decades-old vision. The film from director Steve Martino (“ Ice Age: Continental Drift ”)—written by Schulz’s son, Craig, and grandson, Bryan, along with Cornelius Uliano —stays true to the timeless innocence and warm-hearted humor of the later comic strips and enduring television specials. There’s nary a smidgen of snark to be found, which is refreshing in its own way.

Telephones still have cords, Snoopy still pounds away on a manual typewriter and the few adults who exist are never seen but merely heard in a garbled wah-wah. Soulful Schroeder still plays a toy piano, sassy Lucy still doles out psychiatric advice from her sidewalk stand for just a nickel, loyal Marcie still calls bossy Peppermint Patty “Sir” and all the kids’ G-rated adventures seem that much more delightful with Vince Guaraldi’s jazzy score as a backdrop.

Despite the forward-thinking technological choice of using 3-D animation, “The Peanuts Movie” hews closely to the cheerful color palette and simple stylistic touches of Schulz’s aesthetic. And all the characters you know and love are voiced by actual child actors, which gives it an immersive authenticity.

It’s all completely charming until you realize very quickly that there isn’t much going on here besides a wallow in nostalgia with little narrative drive.

It brings me no joy to report this to you, I should add. I was a huge fan of all things “Peanuts” as a little girl—I even had Snoopy and Woodstock sheets on my twin bed—and I’m now the mother of a six-year-old boy who regularly pops classic TV specials like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” into the DVD player. I even did that thing where you can create a “Peanuts” character version of yourself online. I am the target audience. I was all in.

But even my son realized that “The Peanuts Movie” is sweet, gentle and not much more. (He also knew immediately when he heard Peppermint Patty say to Charlie Brown: “ You’re holding my hand, Chuck. You sly dog ,” that the line had been lifted straight from “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”)

The film essentially consists of a series of vignettes tied together by a couple of intertwined through-lines: Charlie Brown (voiced pretty darn perfectly by Noah Schnapp ) tries to work up the nerve to talk to the mythological Little Red-Haired Girl ( Francesca Capaldi ) while his trusty beagle, Snoopy—in his rich fantasy world as the World War I Flying Ace—tries to woo a comely female pilot named Fifi ( Kristin Chenoweth ) while also battling his nemesis, the Red Baron.

Simply describing the plot makes it sound like it’s too much, but it’s simultaneously not enough. After a lively opening sequence in which the kids realize it’s a snow day and bound joyously out of their homes and onto the ice, the pacing settles into a lull from which it never even tries to emerge.

Time and time again, these characters and all the others do exactly what you expect they will do—no more, no less. Lucy ( Hadley Belle Miller ) pulls the football away, just as Charlie Brown is about to kick it. Linus ( Alexander Garfin ) says something quietly insightful while clutching his blue blanket. Sally ( Mariel Sheets ) lovingly refers to Linus as her “sweet baboo.” And Snoopy swoops in and steals the show, every time.

It’s all harmless and reassuring, and a totally suitable first film choice for the smallest kids in your home. It won’t ruin their childhood or memories of your own. But it could have been great.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Bill Melendez as Snoopy / Woodstock (voice--archive)

Venus Schultheis as Pepperment Patty (voice)

Hadley Belle Miller as Lucy van Pelt (voice)

Madisyn Shipman as Violet Grey (voice)

Francesca Capaldi as The Little Red-Haired Girl/Frieda (voice)

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Mariel Sheets as Sally Brown (voice)

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Marleik Mar Mar Walker as Franklin (voice)

Rebecca Bloom as Marcie (voice)

Anastasia Bredikhina as Patty (voice)

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The Peanuts Movie is surprisingly good, but it gets one big thing wrong

Which two characters shouldn’t be the same age?

by Emily St. James

The Peanuts Movie is a surprisingly engrossing watch. It’s beautiful to look at, rather faithful to the spirit of the comic strip, and a much better movie than you’d expect after hearing the words “computer-animated Peanuts movie.”

But it also gets one thing horribly, horribly wrong.

This is not Peanuts canon!

Much of the film takes place in a classroom setting, as Charlie Brown tries to work up the nerve to show the Little Red-Haired Girl (who has just moved to town) that he’s a cool, happening dude. It’s not a bad storyline to unify the film’s plot, which would otherwise feel too episodic since it’s based on many of Charles Schulz’s comic strips .

But by setting The Peanuts Movie at the kids’ school, the filmmakers at Blue Sky Studios were forced to cheat: They put all of the students in the same class, when they’re clearly not.

Well, I shouldn’t say “all.” Sally Brown, who can interact with her big brother at home, gets to remain younger than everybody else, and even attends a different school. And Snoopy and Woodstock, of course, don’t attend school at all. But every other major character is in the same classroom for the many scenes set there.

That’s inaccurate in two major ways.

• Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Franklin are from another neighborhood and don’t go to school with Charlie Brown, Linus and Lucy, etc. Schulz originally added those characters to give him something to “cut to,” essentially, and to give the main kids an opponent in baseball and other sports. It’s why Patty is always calling “Chuck” on the phone and why they rarely interact directly in the comic strip.
• Lucy is Linus’s big sister (and both are older siblings to Rerun, who doesn’t play a major role in the film). Though Charlie Brown and Lucy are roughly the same age, he and Linus are best friends. (Age in the Peanuts universe is a bit wonky and elastic, particularly in the TV specials, but Schulz usually kept to these truisms.) Thus, Charlie Brown isn’t just some kid she hates. He’s best friends with her younger brother, even though he’s her age. That puts both her cruelty and her advice giving in perspective.

The changes are understandable, though

In a 90-minute movie, establishing that Peppermint Patty and her crew live in a different neighborhood probably would have been difficult. Thus, it’s just easier to have them attend school with everybody else, and for dedicated fans, it’s simple enough to imagine that at some point between the 1960s (when the characters were introduced) and right now, the two neighborhoods’ schools were consolidated into one. (We’ll assume the film takes place in 2015, though there’s no evidence of modern technology.)

But making Lucy the same age as Linus, while also understandable, is somewhat ruinous to both characters. The nature of Lucy’s relationship with the rest of the kids hinges on extending the unearned authority of being a big sister to everybody else in her life. That she continues to fill that role when she’s effectively Linus’s direct peer subtly unmoors her.

Plus, it essentially cuts her out of having any scenes with Linus, since their entire relationship is based on the tensions between an older sister and her younger brother. Even if the new Peanuts reimagined them as twins, it would sacrifice much of their sibling rivalry.

The effect is even more deleterious to Linus, who’s often off in his own little world in the comic strip and gains a certain ironic power from being among the younger kids but also being the smartest one around. Now that he’s just another one of the kids in the main classroom, he loses both of those qualities. That means he appears in the film very little, for such a major character.

Of all of the major Peanuts figures, Lucy and Linus struggle the most in this film, which is too bad. The two have one of the most interesting, complex relationships in Schulz’s comic strip, and it’s fun to see how they interact with each other and how each of them interacts with Charlie Brown.

Too much of The Peanuts Movie coasts off viewers’ recognition of the characters from their 65 years of prominence in American pop culture. It seems safe to bet this will be effective with Charlie Brown and Snoopy, who remain major figures, but it’s likely that some of the others will seem a bit lost. Blurring some of Schulz’s more sharply defined relationships only hurts that even more.

Here’s one thing that’s not a major break from the past

True, the Little Red-Haired Girl didn’t appear physically in the comic strip, but that’s easier to manage in a format that requires only four panels a day. In a cinematic format, it’s trickier to tell a story about her in which she never appears, something that Schulz and his TV collaborators quickly learned when producing TV specials about her.

Schulz considered these TV appearances noncanonical, but didn’t quash them, perhaps because he realized how hard it is to tell a story onscreen where a major character is never seen (though the TV specials tried that too ).

The TV specials even gave the Little Red-Haired girl a name: Heather. That’s something the movie doesn’t do, because naming her might be even more sacrilegious than seeing her.

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Movie Review: “The Peanuts Movie”

“You blockhead!” and “Curse you, Red Baron!” to “Good grief.”

“The Peanuts Movie” is “Peanuts Greatest Hits.” The little profundities — “It’s the courage to continue that counts” — the swinging jazz stylings of Vince Guaraldi, the warm fuzzies, all carry over from the many “Peanuts” TV specials to the computer-animated 3D movie screen.

The Blue Sky (“Rio,””Ice Age”) filmmakers pay homage to the scribbly, DIY-looking original Charles M. Schulz comic strip and those 1960s TV specials with hand-drawn flashbacks and thought-balloons. And if they never achieve the sublime sentiment of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” they still manage to make this timeless source material utterly charming.

Generations removed from the newspaper comic strip — or newspapers in general — and from the family gathering to watch oft-repeated TV specials, may wonder what the fuss is about. That lovable loser Charlie Brown still can’t fly a kite, still can’t pitch a one-two-three inning, still can’t screw up the guts to chat up that Little Redhaired Girl. His beagle steals his thunder at every turn. His “friends” take advantage of him and disparage him when they aren’t ignoring him.

But the bald kid with the yellow shirt with the black stripe keeps getting up, dusting off the dirt of the pitcher’s mound, and tries again.

The story here takes place over an entire school year — touching on the seasons that marked those long-ago TV specials. A new girl is in school. She doesn’t know Charlie Brown (voiced by Noah Schapp) or his tortured history. It’s his chance to start fresh,  make a great impression. But he stumbles, as always. The blockhead.

Snoopy, giving dance him dance lessons when he isn’t off fighting the Red Baron in sharply-animated dogfights in his Sopwith Camel doghouse, also has a love interest.

Lucy (Hadley Belle Miller) is still full of nickel-a-session psychotherapy, Linus still soulful enough to recognize his friend’s heart. And Charlie’s sister Sally (Mariel Sheets) still assumes Linus is her “Sweet Baboo.”

It’s more an exercise in adult nostalgia than a re-invigoration of a valuable animated “brand.” The sound effects (squawky adults) are the same, and the new voices closely resemble the old. Schulz’s darker, deeper touches never really made it into the TV specials, and certainly have no place in this cartoon for the very youngest viewers.

But the character’s EveryBoy humanity still shimmers through in “The Peanuts Movie,” especially when another line drive’s knocked the cap off that shiny, baldish noggin. Whatever children take from it, adults may find themselves choking up, just a bit, at the realization that you’re still a good man, Charlie Brown.

MPAA Rating: G

Cast: The voices of Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller ,  Alexander Garfin, Anastasia Bredikhina , Mariel Sheets Credits: Directed by Steve Martino, script by Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, Cornelius Uliano. A 20 Century Fox/Blue Sky release.

Running time: 1:33

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THE PEANUTS MOVIE (2015) review

written by: Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, & Cornelius Uliano, Based on the Comic Strip by Charles M. Schulz produced by: Paul Feig, Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, Michael J. Travers, Cornelius Uliano directed by: Steve Martino  rated: G runtime: 92 min.  U.S. release date: November 6, 2015

“The whole world seems to be conspiring against me.”

For men – and women – of a certain age, Charles Schulz’s Peanuts characters are among the most cherished in all of popular culture. Therefore the prospect of these characters making their way to the big screen at a time when other beloved characters from the same time period (Alvin and the Chipmunks, Yogi Bear, The Smurfs) are being turned into shameless cash grabs is a tad disheartening.

However, the advertising for 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Animation’s “The Peanuts Movie” gave me hope that this would be different, and much like 2011’s “The Muppets”, this is a big screen return to form for a property that hasn’t had a lot of love in a very long time.

If the mark of a truly great children’s film is that it can be enjoyed equally by all ages, “The Peanuts Movie” is an unqualified success. Foregoing the overused “origin story” that’s so damn prevalent right now, “The Peanuts Movie “jumps right into its story without bothering to set everything up.

Trusting that the audience is aware of Charlie Brown ( Noah Schnapp ), Snoopy, and the rest of the gang saves valuable time, allowing the story room to breathe. Granted it’s not much of a story, but that same statement can apply to virtually all of Schulz’s work.

The casting of children to voice all of the roles was a brilliant move in that it not only keeps with the franchise’s tradition of doing the same, but also lends the film an air of authenticity it may not otherwise have had. The most savvy move of all, however, was recycling the old voice work for Snoopy and Woodstock done by the late Bill Melendez . I’m sure there were ways around this and another voice actor would have done a perfectly competent job, but this decision adds a level of consistency to the franchise as a whole, helping it to stand out among its competitors.

There are little things sure to bug the purists in the audience – Lucy ( Hadley Belle Miller ) and Linus ( Alexander Garfin ) being in the same class, the complete absence of their younger brother Rerun, Frieda’s ( Francesca Capaldi ) hair being orange instead of red, etc. – but there’s not a single change that’s been made that could be considered a betrayal of the fans’ loyalty. This is a film made with tender loving care for the source material, and imbued with a timelessness that will make it equally relevant to kids fifty years from now.

Director Steve Martino’s recent output has been a mixed bag to say the least, but he got his start turning Monty Python films into video games in the late 90s. This film is much more in line with that brand of loving homage, and he proves a far cannier director than his work on the fourth   “Ice Age” movie would have led me to believe.

The animation style is a gorgeous mix of 21st century computer animation and the hand-drawn aesthetics of the original strips and cartoon specials, and it works incredibly well in 3D making the $3 surcharge well worth it.

As a fan of the source material, a film fanatic, and a parent, “The Peanuts Movie” makes me about as happy as can be. Sure, there’s not a whole lot of new ground covered here, particularly if you’re a steeped in Peanuts lore, but at a time when playing it safe is about the best you can hope for as an audience member, this film gets it right across the board. 

Like a warm blanket, “The Peanuts Movie” delivers feelings of warmth, security, and happiness that are virtually impossible to find elsewhere at the multiplex at the moment.

RATING: ***1/2

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A film that attempts to show us the importance of being kind and noble embodied in Charlie Brown.

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Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie – Film Review

Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie – Film Review by Emily Elphinstone

Director: Steve Martino Writers: Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz Stars: Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez, Hadley Belle Miller

It’s been a while since the last Peanuts film: Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown in 1980; so it’s unsurprising that the latest outing has made an effort to appeal to a fresh generation by using 3D animation. But in what is mostly a successful decision, little else is changed from the original stories of the Peanuts comic strip.

Unlike the recent Tintin adaptation which modernised the lead character nearly beyond recognition; the franchise is immediately recognisable from the moment Schroeder’s piano solo begins, and much of the film is created with the same profile/ three quarter angle so recognisable to generations of fans.

The episodic storyline is also faithful to Charles M. Schultz’s original vision; focusing on eternal underdog Charlie Brown, his friends, and adventurous pet Snoopy. The film is most certainly safe for younger children to watch, avoiding overly dramatic situations in favour of a gentle story about Charlie Brown’s desire to catch the attention of ‘The Little Red-Haired Girl’, along with classic scenarios of his highs and lows; from his accidental brush with celebrity after a 100% test score, to the struggles with proficiency at kite flying and baseball. This is paired with Snoopy’s imagined adventures (inspired by Charlie Browns trials and tribulations), which transform him into the Ace Pilot, hunting ‘The Red Baron’ and rescuing the object of his desire, pink pompom clad Fifi.

However, what makes the film a success is also where it is lacking. Though it is refreshing to see popular figures like the Peanuts gang left in their original form; the new adaptation, co-written and produced by Schultz’s son Graham and grandson Craig along with Cornelius Uliano, is so true to the original that it fails to go anywhere new. Moments like Lucy’s Psychiatric booth, Charlie Brown’s wardrobe of identical jumpers, and Snoopy’s ‘reality versus imagination’ adventures are undoubtedly brilliant; but the action fails to acknowledge the modern era in any way, and the lack of diversity amongst characters except Franklin (who was first introduced in the 1960s) means that the whole piece has a whiff of nostalgia surrounding it.

Unlike other ‘family films’, Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie is aimed firmly toward young children; promoting ‘compassion, honesty, and bravery’ rather than necessarily including hidden layers to keep adults engaged. It may not offer anything new, but with characters like Peppermint Patty, Woodstock, and an underused Marcie; it’s easy to see why the Peanuts gang are still going strong after 65 years.

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An entertaining story with an agile script, easy to understand, full of innocence and lots of warmth, as well as comical situations that will surely make you laugh.

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THE PEANUTS MOVIE – The Review

Review by Dane Marti

Finally, a new Peanuts movie has arrived to add another choice for viewers that look forward to seeing James Bond and Star Wars, but want something they can take their kids to right now!  Of course, for people who might disparage this film as childish, old or uncool in the present modern age of cartoons such as American Dad , Pixar and The Simpsons , I must remind people that there were a number of Peanuts films through the years and at least the first two were fantastic, receiving sterling reviews. And they were highly entertaining during the dark, revolutionary 1960’s.

When I was a little dude, back in grade school, I was obsessed with ‘Peanuts’ by Charles M. Schultz! Was this the first signs of mental illness? I don’t know. However, the cartoons greatly improved my childhood. Literally. Of course, there have been other great comic strips: Recently Calvin and Hobbs’s was first-rate on all levels, as was The Far Side. Pearls Before Swine makes me laugh, sometimes. In the past, Pogo was amazingly interesting and unique. So was Little Abner. Still, Peanuts has always Rocked! Like Joe Cool—it was cool in more ways than one.  It was—and still is— the greatest comic strip ‘world.’

To me, these little people were not just cute, two- dimensional drawings–they literally existed. 
And, in some respects, I understood and appreciated these cartoon ‘little folks’ more than the actual humans moving around me, although the cartoons also dramatically highlighted the cool moments in a kid’s life. Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus: They ALL Rocked. I collected all the paperback books; saw all the TV specials and movies.

This legendary cartoon had the universal ability to communicate with everyone. Of course, Peanuts had brilliant writing (humorous insights!) coupled with clever, yet beguiling drawings: images that I consider easily some of the best Art of the 20th Century. I loved Peanuts and still do. 
So, in my middle age, it was a blast viewing the upcoming Peanuts movie for WAMG movie website. As with all my previous reviews, I reviewed it with aesthetic honesty, all the while valiantly attempting to leave preconceptions at the theater door. Ha.

THE PEANUTS MOVIE is super: The film could have gone overboard, adding elements that Schultz and Peanuts devotees would have been shocked by. For instance, the new filmmakers/animators could have added snarky, mean-spirited humor and satire.

However, since much of the cartoonist’s family had a hand in the film, the movie is definitely well made on all levels. It isn’t perfect, but for me, it came close. It’s entertaining for grade school kids, of course, but I heard adults laughing throughout the theater.

The plot cleverly utilizes many old stories from the comic strip’s past, but brings a fresh perspective to the famous and legendary comic strip’s timeless story lines.

As for the animation: While I viewed the movie in 3D, and there is a subtle element of C.G. to the characters, backgrounds and action, it never strays too far from the original animated /comics/TV/Movies.

The moviemakers create a well-fused balance between old and new styles. Basically, this is a quality Animated film for all ages that doesn’t destroy our memories of the classic cartoon! I loved watching it. Actually, it made me want to start collecting Peanuts Memorabilia once again. Any parent interested in taking there kids to this flick will definitely not be making a mistake, no ‘good grief’ about it!

3 1/2 of 5 Stars

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‘the peanuts movie’: film review.

The Peanuts gang amusingly reunite for their first feature-length animated adventure in 35 years.

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You did it, Charlie Brown!

Going where many before him have stumbled and fallen, Charles M. Schulz’s iconic, follicly-challenged underdog has made a notably smooth transition to computer-animated 3D with The Peanuts Movie , a delightful romp that captures the spirit of the adored 65-year-old comic strip.

The Bottom Line Does Charles M. Schulz proud.

It’s evident from the very start—with Schroeder accompanying the Fox fanfare on his baby, baby grand—that those who may have initially cried “Good grief!” when the studio announced the upgrade three years ago could just sit back and relax.

Well aware that they were dealing with precious cargo, director Steve Martino, previously credited with preserving the distinctly Seussian qualities of his 2008 adaptation of Horton Hears A Who!, and screenwriters Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz and Cornelius Uliano , have similarly brought the Peanuts gang into the 21 st century without betraying that crucial, fondly nostalgic element.

Related Stories

Apple sets 'peanuts' animated film, featuring charlie brown and snoopy going to the big city, 'ice age' studio blue sky extends lease to stay in connecticut.

The thoroughly engaging result, coinciding with the 50 th anniversary of the first airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas , should deservedly carry its good cheer well into the holiday season.

Read More TV Ratings: Charlie Brown’s ‘Great Pumpkin’ Strong as Ever Ahead of ‘Peanuts’ Box-Office Bow

Technically the fifth feature-length Peanuts outing (the first was 1969’s A Boy Named Charlie Brown ), the film doesn’t venture too far from home despite that larger canvas, once again confining the action to the immediate neighborhood, save for Snoopy’s fantasy air battles with arch-nemesis the Red Baron.

Driving this particular collection of character vignettes is the arrival of the Little Red-Haired Girl with whom Charlie Brown (pitch-perfectly voiced by 10-year-old Noah Schnapp ) is instantly and hopelessly smitten.

All the touchstones are in play, including CB’s kite-flying challenges and Lucy’s counseling sessions (still 5 cents), as are all the main characters, voiced, for the most part, by actual kids.

The only bit of stunt-casting comes from the presence of Kristin Chenoweth as Snoopy’s love interest, a femme-fatale flyer named Fifi ; while the electronically modulated voice recordings of the late Bill Melendez have been incorporated for those Snoopy/Woodstock “line readings.”

Similar care has been notably taken with those 3D character renderings which manage to bring warmth into an often soul-less technology by retaining Schulz’s deceptively simple, remarkably expressive squiggles depicting eyebrows and smiles rather than attempting to go for deeper visual dimension.

Read More Annecy : ‘Peanuts’ Director Steve Martino on Translating the Comic to CG-Animated Film

That same respect for the past can be found in the script, credited to Schulz’ son, Craig, and grandson, Bryan, along with the younger Schulz’s writing partner Cornelius Uliano , which still favors rotary telephones and manual typewriters, although introducing blue recycling boxes into the mix.

Also wisely retained are Vince Guaraldi’s jazzy themes, performed here by David Benoit, which mesh nicely with Christophe Beck’s original score.

Only Meghan Trainor’s bouncy dance-pop contribution “Better When I’m Dancin’” feels a bit out of place in an otherwise caringly organic, affectionately composed love letter to Charles Schulz.

Production companies: 20th Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios Cast: Noah Schnapp , Hadley Belle Miller, Bill Melendez , Kristin Chenoweth Director: Steve Martino Screenwriters: Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano Producers: Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano , Paul Feig , Michael J. Travers Editor: Randy Trager Composer: Christophe Beck Casting director: Christian Kaplan Rated G, 92 minutes

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Movie Review – The Peanuts Movie (2015)

December 18, 2015 by Scott J. Davis

The Peanuts Movie , 2015

Directed by Steve Martino.

Featuring the voice talents of Bill Melendez, Noah Schnapp, Francesca Capaldi, Hadley Belle Miller, Alexander Garfin, Anastasia Bredikhina, Rebecca Bloom, Noah Johnston, Venus Schultheis, Mariel Sheets, A.J. Tecce, Kristin Chenoweth, and Trombone Shorty.

Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life.

In an age where comic-book characters created in a bygone era are one of (if not the) biggest commodity on the planet, it was inevitable that some of the most beloved and revered would make their leap onto the big-screen once again. Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang have never really gone away, with everything from Scrubs to Family Guy showcasing their love of the characters (Stewie and Brian from Family Guy are almost copies of the famous duo), but now they have been put through the Blue Sky Studios animation machine for their first big-screen adventure.

Directed by Steve Martino ( Horton Hears a Who ), The Peanuts Movie acts as both a new adventure for the gang, as well as acting as a continuation to those stories that have gone before (days have passed, but the characters stay the same age) – back for a new term at school, Charlie, Patty, Lucy, Linus, Violet, Franklin and co. return to find a new girl has joined the class, who Charlie instantly takes a liking to. Liking meaning falling madly in love with, but it will take all of Charlie’s might to pluck up the courage to speak to her before school is out. Snoopy and Woodstock aren’t missing out on the fun by battling the Red Baron, who is keeping our favourite dog’s new beau Fifi (voiced by Kristen Chenoweth) hostage. Cue many delightful aerial battles and flights of fancy in amongst the beautiful skies above.

The true test for Martino and Co was how to bring a 55-year-old comic to the big screen in 2015. Computer generated? Hand-drawn like the classic tales of days gone by? Or completely revamp the animation in a way we have never seen before? The final product, in truth, is an amalgamation of all of the above, which brings the stories into the modern age without losing any of the animation, and indeed charm, of what preceded it.

The classic Schulz characteristics are all accounted for, from the wavy stink-lines around Pig Pen to the furrowed, worrisome brows of our hero Charlie, it’s classic meets contemporary all to wonderful effect. Of course, being a Blue Sky production the 3D animation aspects also come into play, but where usually such glossy “upgrades” can become a nuisance, it works quite well here: the surrounding settings which burst with colour and life, adding a further dimension to the already glowing images on-screen. That said, it stills remains to be seen if the little ones the film is aimed at will happily endure such extras.

The filmmakers also do a fine job in keeping the spirit of the comic on-screen as well as some of the more familiar beats with everything from kite flying, counselling sessions accounted for. Again, whether kids of today will be as interested in such things when a phone screen gives them so much more, but it may will peak their interests in reaching the “highest heights” of kite-flying. The film also does a great job with its message, for kids and adults, that even the smallest person can make a difference, and that even though we may feel like an outsider, we always have someone to lean on, all it takes is the first step. And lots of dancing.

A loving tribute to the glory of the Schulz’s long-enduring tales of a boy and his dog and their crazy adventures together, The Peanuts Movie is one of the more impressive animations of the year and is sure to keep everyone from eight to eighty entertained throughout, despite a slightly overlong runtime. A Christmas cracker.

Flickering Myth Rating  – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Scott J. Davis is Senior Staff Writer at Flickering Myth and co-host of The Flickering Myth Review Podcast. Follow him on Twitter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=WWU57JuvPl0

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The Peanuts Movie (2015)

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'The Peanuts Movie' review: More than a small-screen special writ large

• Updated: Nov. 06, 2015, 10:00 a.m.
• | Published: Nov. 06, 2015, 9:00 a.m.
• The Associated Press

Maybe the Peanuts gang didn't come to the big screen before because they've had so much success on the small one, with specials like "The Great Pumpkin" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" that have been annual TV traditions since the 1960s.

Thankfully, "The Peanuts Movie"  isn't just a small-screen special writ large. The filmmakers take advantage of their cinematic scope with a bigger story, more sophisticated animation and effective use of 3-D that gives new depth to the Peanuts world. But the characters loved by generations of fans -- Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Woodstock and beloved blockhead Charlie Brown -- are as charming and timeless as ever.

"The Peanuts Movie," written by the son and grandson of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, doesn't cover new thematic territory, but it doesn't really need to. Relying on 50 years of character development, the Peanuts gang stays true to their original selves -- there's no new edge or post-modern snark in the mix. The central concepts (be honest, be yourself, do your best) are as gentle as the curves of Charlie Brown's silhouette.

There are two simultaneous stories at play in the film: one set in the "real world" of Charlie Brown and his friends, and a more fantastical tale of Snoopy as his alter-ego, the Flying Ace.

"The Peanuts Movie" opens during wintertime, and a snowy introductory scene with Woodstock sets viewers up for the 3-D experience. Charlie Brown and the gang are excited about a new kid moving into their neighborhood. She turns out to be the Little Red-Haired Girl, and Charlie is instantly smitten.

School starts up again, bringing a series of challenges. First of all, the Little Red-Haired Girl is in Charlie's class.

"I just came down with a serious case of inadequacy," he says.

Then there is the talent show, school-wide tests, book reports and other kid-sized hurdles to overcome. The story follows the gang through the school year, focusing on Charlie's foibles. Sally Brown plays a supporting role. Everything looks as colorful and round as the comic strip.

Meanwhile, Snoopy types himself into a high-flying adventure atop his doghouse as he battles his nemesis, the Red Baron. These sequences are distinguished by more realistic background animation -- snowy mountains and grassy landscapes that look more like the world outside the movie theater. Snoopy's Flying Ace, aided by a team of Woodstock mechanics, flies off in pursuit of his love, Fifi, just as Charlie Brown tries to work up the nerve to introduce himself to the Little Red-Haired Girl.

Director Steve Martino cast child actors to voice the Peanuts gang, and used vintage recordings of late actor-producer Bill Melendez to realize Snoopy and Woodstock's inimitable expressions. A catchy new song contributed by pop star Meghan Trainor is a bouncy bonus.

While "The Peanuts Movie" may lack the wink-wink wisdom aimed at adults often found in Pixar releases, it retains the wholesome appeal of those stalwart TV specials. The 3-D makes it look modern, but the Peanuts' sweetness is satisfyingly old-fashioned.

-- Sandy Cohen, AP Entertainment Writer

"The Peanuts Movie"

Running time: 92 minutes

Playing at: Opens Friday, Nov. 6 at multiple locations

Cast and crew:  Written by Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz and Cornelius Uliano, based on the Charles M. Schulz comic strip; directed by Steve Martino.

The lowdown:  In this sweet, 3-D take on the classic comics, Charlie Brown tries to reinvent himself as a cool kid when his crush, the Little Red-Haired Girl, moves into his neighborhood. While our beloved blockhead deals with his feelings, his best friend Snoopy embarks on his own fantasy adventure as a World War I flying ace.

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'The Peanuts Movie' Review: Charlie Brown and Snoopy Make a Delightful Return

‘The Peanuts Movie’ (Blue Sky Animation/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation via AP)

By Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter

You did it, Charlie Brown!

Going where many before him have stumbled and fallen, Charles M. Schulz’s iconic, follicly-challenged underdog has made a notably smooth transition to computer-animated 3D with The Peanuts Movie , a delightful romp that captures the spirit of the adored 65-year-old comic strip.

It’s evident from the very start—with Schroeder accompanying the Fox fanfare on his baby, baby grand—that those who may have initially cried “Good grief!” when the studio announced the upgrade three years ago could just sit back and relax.

Well aware that they were dealing with precious cargo, director Steve Martino, previously credited with preserving the distinctly Seussian qualities of his 2008 adaptation of Horton Hears A Who! , and screenwriters Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz and Cornelius Uliano, have similarly brought the Peanuts gang into the 21st century without betraying that crucial, fondly nostalgic element.

The thoroughly engaging result, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas , should deservedly carry its good cheer well into the holiday season.

Related: TV Ratings: Charlie Brown’s ‘Great Pumpkin’ Strong as Ever Ahead of 'Peanuts’ Box-Office Bow

Technically the fifth feature-length Peanuts outing (the first was 1969’s A Boy Named Charlie Brown ), the film doesn’t venture too far from home despite that larger canvas, once again confining the action to the immediate neighborhood, save for Snoopy’s fantasy air battles with arch-nemesis, the Red Baron.

Driving this particular collection of character vignettes is the arrival of the Little Red-Haired Girl with whom Charlie Brown (pitch-perfectly voiced by 10-year-old Noah Schnapp) is instantly and hopelessly smitten.

Watch the trailer:

All the touchstones are in play, including CB’s kite-flying challenges and Lucy’s counselling sessions (still 5 cents), as are all the main characters, voiced, for the most part, by actual kids.

The only bit of stunt-casting comes from the presence of Kristin Chenoweth as Snoopy’s love interest, a femme-fatale flyer named Fifi; while the electronically modulated voice recordings of the late Bill Melendez have been incorporated for those Snoopy/Woodstock “line readings.”

Similar care has been notably taken with those 3D character renderings which manage to bring warmth into an often soul-less technology by retaining Schulz’s deceptively simple, remarkably expressive squiggles depicting eyebrows and smiles rather than attempting to go for deeper visual dimension.

Related: Annecy: 'Peanuts’ Director Steve Martino on Translating the Comic to CG-Animated Film

That same respect for the past can be found in the script, credited to Schulz’ son, Craig, and grandson Bryan, along with the younger Schulz’s writing partner Cornelius Uliano, which still favors rotary telephones and manual typewriters, although introducing blue recycling boxes into the mix.

Also wisely retained are Vince Guaraldi’s jazzy themes, performed here by David Benoit, which mesh nicely with Christophe Beck’s original score.

Only Meghan Trainor’s bouncy dance-pop contribution “Better When I’m Dancin’” feels a bit out of place in an otherwise caringly organic, affectionatelycomposed love letter to Charles Schulz.

Production companies: 20th Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios Cast: Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, Bill Melendez, Kristin Chenoweth Director: Steve Martino Screenwriters: Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano Producers: Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Paul Feig, Michael J. Travers Editor: Randy Trager Composer: Christophe Beck Casting director: Christian Kaplan Rated G, 92 minutes

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The peanuts movie, common sense media reviewers.

Gentle family-friendly comedy has sweet messages.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Intended to entertain rather than educate, but off

Believe in yourself, and be true to who you are; i

Charlie Brown repeatedly talks about being insecur

Snoopy's World War I flying ace fantasy sequences

Lots of puppy-love crushes -- Charlie Brown blushe

A couple uses each of "stupid" and "blockhead." Al

Nothing within the movie, but there are tons of ti

The gang celebrates Snoopy's victory over the Red

Parents need to know that The Peanuts Movie is a sweetly nostalgic, mostly gentle take on the characters from the beloved comic strip/TV specials. Charlie Brown is still his same awkward, insecure self -- and Lucy is still rude and yells a lot -- but there's less of the insult language ("stupid," "blockhead")…

Educational Value

Intended to entertain rather than educate, but offers valuable lessons about friendship and self-confidence. Snoopy's fantasy sequences could introduce interested kids to a bit of World War I history.

Positive Messages

Believe in yourself, and be true to who you are; it may not always feel like it, but people see and appreciate the real you. As long as you try your hardest and persevere, it doesn't matter whether you're the best at something. It's important to be liked for who you are. Be kind and compassionate. If you want to get to know someone, talk to them.

Positive Role Models

Charlie Brown repeatedly talks about being insecure and a failure ("everything I try turns out wrong," "I'm nothing"), but it's very clear that he's really compassionate, honest, brave, helpful, and an all-around nice guy. He worries a lot but keeps trying new ways to improve himself and get the Little Red-Haired Girl to see the real him. Snoopy is extremely confident. Many of the supporting characters are true to their comic strip personas -- Lucy is often brusque and rude, Sally is flighty, Linus is serious, etc. -- but with slightly softer edges.

Violence & Scariness

Snoopy's World War I flying ace fantasy sequences include airplane dogfights, bullets, storms, crashes, and peril. Many slapstick moments/pratfalls as Charlie Brown wrestles with a kite, plays hockey, learns to dance, rides an out-of-control sled, etc.; some cause breakage/mess/chaos. Lucy yells at Charlie Brown.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Lots of puppy-love crushes -- Charlie Brown blushes over the Little Red-Haired Girl, Sally calls Linus her "sweet babboo," Lucy always tries to get Schroeder to notice her, Peppermint Patty thinks Charlie Brown is flirting with her, etc. Snoopy "kisses" Lucy. Snoopy's fantasy sequences include the "love of his life," French poodle Fifi. One of Charlie Brown's falls knocks his clothes off; he shakes his butt when performing the "Chicken Dance" song.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

A couple uses each of "stupid" and "blockhead." Also "dumb" and "slug" (as in "to hit").

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Nothing within the movie, but there are tons of tie-in products available (toys, clothes, books, and much more). Also lots of promotional deals with partners from Safeway to Target and more.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The gang celebrates Snoopy's victory over the Red Baron with a round of root beers.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Peanuts Movie is a sweetly nostalgic, mostly gentle take on the characters from the beloved comic strip/ TV specials . Charlie Brown is still his same awkward, insecure self -- and Lucy is still rude and yells a lot -- but there's less of the insult language ("stupid," "blockhead") than in the classic specials, and there's no mistaking the movie's positive messages about being yourself, trying hard, and liking people for who they really are. Many characters have crushes on others (Charlie Brown blushes around the Little Red-Haired Girl, Sally calls Linus her "sweet babboo," Lucy flings herself at Schroeder, etc.), and you can expect aerial dogfights and peril in Snoopy's World War I flying ace fantasy sequences (which may feel even more intense in 3D), but it's nothing that most older preschoolers/younger grade schoolers won't be able to handle. Charlie Brown shakes his bottom briefly during a dance scene, and his clothes fall off as the result of one of his many comic pratfalls, but overall the movie has a slightly softer edge (and more upbeat tone) than some of the older specials. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (66)
• Kids say (73)

Based on 66 parent reviews

Concerning messages

Charlie brown (8 yrs old) spends the whole movie trying to romance a nameless girl, what's the story.

In THE PEANUTS MOVIE, Charlie Brown (voiced by Noah Schnapp ) is having a typical winter -- ice skating with his friends (and knocking them all over by accident), being berated by Lucy ( Hadley Belle Miller ), getting advice from Linus (Alexander Garfin), looking forward to kite/baseball season -- when his world is turned upside down by the arrival of the Little Red-Haired Girl ( Francesca Capaldi ). Immediately besotted, our insecure, accident-prone hero wants more than anything for her to see him for who he really is, which sets off a series of vignettes in which he tries to turn himself into a winner: performing at the school talent show, showing off his new moves at the winter dance, writing the world's greatest book report. Of course, since he's Charlie Brown, even the best intentions can't prevent things from turning out wrong. But then something unexpectedly goes right , and he becomes the toast of the school: Will the Little Red-Haired Girl finally notice him? Meanwhile, Snoopy ( Bill Melendez ) dreams of being a World War I flying ace -- when he's not helping Charlie Brown or kissing Lucy, of course.

Is It Any Good?

Sweet, gentle, and nostalgic in tone (there's nary a smartphone to be seen!), this movie does right by the classic comic strips and TV specials so beloved by fans. While it has a slightly softer edge than the older stuff (fewer disgusted uses of "stupid" and "blockhead," for example, and more optimism on the part of Charlie Brown), all of the touchstones are there: Vince Guaraldi's jazzy music, Snoopy's vivid fantasy life, Lucy's psychiatric advice booth, the classic Peanuts dance moves, Pigpen's dust cloud, Linus' earnest advice -- heck, there's even a zamboni.

A particularly nice touch is the way the characters' eyes are animated; they look and feel hand drawn, which makes them both expressive and reminiscent of the comic strips. That style also comes into play when the characters remember things (their memory bubbles look like the comics) and when Snoopy slurps Lucy's face with a big SMAK! The Peanuts Movie is true to its roots in other ways, too: Its humor is more thoughtful than laugh-out-loud, and there are lines that little kids were never meant to understand ("I just came down with a serious case of inadequacy" and "I'm cashing in on your celebrity," for instance). But while they may not always know why their parents are chuckling, kids will definitely get the movie's core messages about believing in yourself and trying hard.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what Charlie Brown learns during The Peanuts Movie . Why is perseverance more important than winning? What matters more: Being popular or doing the right thing? What's the danger of always thinking of yourself as inadequate/a failure? And what do the other characters learn about Charlie Brown? Why is it important to like someone for who they really are? How can you figure out who that is? Are first impressions always right?

Is Lucy a bully ? Why or why not? What things does she do that could be considered bullying? How do the others react? Which characters show compassion ? What would you say or do if someone talked to you the way Lucy talks to Charlie Brown?

For those who love the Peanuts comics and/or the classic TV specials: How do you think this movie compares? What does it have in common with the comics and specials? How is it different?

Nobody says what time period the movie takes place in, but the characters use rotary phones (and don't have devices/screens everywhere). Did you notice the lack of technology in the kids' lives? How does that compare to what you're used to? Do you think one way is better than the other?

Kids: What made you want to see this movie: the story or all the product tie-ins? Do you want something because Charlie Brown/ Peanuts is pictured on it? What's the impact of advertising on kids?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 6, 2015
• On DVD or streaming : March 8, 2016
• Cast : Francesca Capaldi , Noah Schnapp , Hadley Belle Miller
• Director : Steve Martino
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Gay actors
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Friendship
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Perseverance
• Run time : 93 minutes
• MPAA rating : G
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : July 4, 2024

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The Peanuts Movie

• Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their archnemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life.
• Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang are back in a heartwarming story. A new girl with red hair moves in across the street, and Charlie Brown falls in love. Now he tries to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl to make her feel like he's a winner, but Charlie Brown just can't do anything right. At the same time, Snoopy is writing a love story about his continuing battles with The Red Baron. Then Charlie Brown has accomplished something never done before. He gets a perfect score on his standardized test, but there has been a mistake. Should he tell the truth and risk losing all of his newfound popularity? Can Charlie Brown get the girl to love him, or will he go back to being a nothing? — Adam Nunez
• The Peanuts gang, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Sally, Linus, Lucy, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Franklin, and Pigpen, are back. Some stories from the lives of these children, including Charlie Brown's infatuation with the Little Red-Haired Girl and Snoopy versus The Red Baron. — grantss
• When the Little Red-Haired Girl moves into his neighborhood, Charlie Brown becomes infatuated with her, though worries his long-running streak of failures will prevent her from noticing him. After Lucy tells him he should try being more confident, Charlie Brown decides to embark upon a series of new activities in hope of finding one that will get the Little Red-Haired Girl to notice him. His first attempt is to participate in the school's talent show with a magic act, helped by Snoopy and Woodstock. However, when Sally's act goes wrong, Charlie Brown sacrifices his time for her, rescues his sister from being humiliated, and is humiliated himself in return. Attempting to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl with his dance skills, Charlie Brown signs up for the school dance and gets Snoopy to teach him all his best moves. At the dance, Charlie Brown attracts praise for his skills but slips and sets off the sprinkler system, causing the dance to be cut short and all the other students to look down upon him once more.
• A young male who is always being left out of everything and not very much liked does everything that he can to fit in and be the best version of himself. His dog tries everything to help him including writing a story of a wild adventure that can help both of them. — RECB3
• When the Little Red-Haired Girl moves into his neighborhood, Charlie Brown develops a crush on her, but is frustrated that his long-running streak of bad luck will prevent him from ever getting noticed. Lucy tells him that he should try being more confident. Because of Lucy's advice, Charlie Brown decides to embark upon a series of new activities in hope of finding one that will get the Little Red-Haired Girl to notice him. His first attempt is to participate in the school's talent show with a magic act and his beagle Snoopy helps. However, when his sister Sally's act goes wrong, Charlie Brown sacrifices his time for her and then with Snoopy's help, rescues his sister and her act, only to humiliate himself in return. Learning that the Little Red-Haired Girl likes dancing, Charlie signs up for the school dance and gets Snoopy to teach him all his best moves. At the dance, Charlie Brown starts to attract praise for his skills until he slips and sets off the sprinkler system, which causes the dance to be cut short and all the other students to forget his success. Later, Charlie Brown is partnered with the Little Red-Haired Girl to write a book report. At first, he is excited to have a chance to be with her, but she is called away for a week to deal with a family illness, leaving Charlie Brown to write the report all by himself. Hoping to impress both the Little Red-Haired Girl and his teacher, Charlie Brown writes his report on the collegiate-level novel War and Peace. At the same time, Charlie Brown finds he is the only student to get a perfect score on a standardized test. The other children congratulate him, and his popularity begins to climb. However, when he goes to accept a medal at a school assembly, he learns that the test papers were accidentally mixed up and that the perfect score actually belongs to Peppermint Patty. Charlie Brown declines the medal, losing all his new-found popularity. He feels worse when his book report is destroyed and admits to the Little Red-Haired Girl that he has caused them to both fail the assignment. At the end of the school year, Charlie Brown is surprised when the Little Red-Haired Girl chooses him for a pen pal. Linus convinces Charlie Brown that he needs to tell the Little Red-Haired Girl how he feels about her before she leaves for the summer. Racing to her house, he discovers that she is about to leave on a bus for summer camp. He tries to chase the bus but is prevented from reaching it. Just as he is about to give up, Charlie Brown sees a kite fall from the Kite-Eating Tree, and the string becomes entangled around his waist and sails away with him, quickly bringing him up to the bus's window. Amazed to see Charlie Brown successfully flying a kite, the other children follow. Upon reaching the bus, Charlie Brown finally asks the Little Red-Haired Girl why she chose him in spite of his failures. The Little Red-Haired Girl explains she admires his selflessness and praises him as an honest, caring, and compassionate person. The two promise to write to one another. The other children catch up to Charlie Brown and crowd around to congratulate him before picking him up on their shoulders and carrying him away. In a side story, Snoopy, upon discovering a typewriter in a dumpster, decides to write a novel about his alter-ego, the World War I Flying Ace, trying to save his lover Fifi from the Red Baron. He ends up acting out his adventure, coming across the Peanuts gang several times along the way. He successfully defeats the Red Baron and rescues Fifi. However, as Snoopy is celebrating his victory with Fifi and his siblings, he learns that the Red Baron has survived, causing him to furiously declare revenge.

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'the peanuts movie' review: i kinda hated your movie, charlie brown.

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I'm apparently allergic to  Peanuts . 

The Box Office:

20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Entertainment present  The Peanuts Movie , coming to theaters everywhere on Thursday night. The film, a feature length adaptation of Charles M. Schulz's 65-year-old comic strip, is hoping to catch both kids who want a lighthearted animated romp and adults who still enjoy the property and/or have fond memories of the many television specials. The official tracking puts this one at a $40 million debut, which sounds about right although a noticeably higher number wouldn't surprise me considering the positive reviews (this one is an outlier) and the popularity of the property. Having said that,  The Lorax  and  The LEGO Movie  (which snagged over/under $70m debuts) were coming off of relative droughts in animated films, while we just had the surprisingly good and surprisingly leggy  Hotel Transylvania 2 .

And  Spectre  is going to be huge competition this weekend, especially for adults having to choose their nostalgia accordingly. Meanwhile, the film will have three solid weekends of kid-friendly play before Walt Disney's   The Good Dinosaur plows into theaters on Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, this is Fox, which means it's going to make a gazillion dollars overseas regardless of how leggy it ends up in America. Even if the film really did cost $100 million to produce (so says this  year-old video from MIP Markets), this should be an easy win for Fox in the short term. Whether or not it spawns a series of  Peanuts  movies, I cannot say. But if we get a few that aren't necessarily Charlie Brown/Snoopy-centric, forbwell, that I can get behind. And of course if this hits as big as expected, you can be darn sure that we'll start hearing rumblings about a new animated  Garfield  movie. Just as long as nobody gets near  Calvin and Hobbes ...

The Review:

This is a challenging review for me to write. There is nothing objectively wrong with The Peanuts Movie,  directed by Steve Martino. If you are a fan of the Charles M. Schulz comic strip and/or the related television specials, you're probably going to enjoy this film, especially if you prefer the later "happiness is a warm puppy" era as opposed to the more somber and pessimistic early run . It is brightly animated, engagingly acted by actual child voice over artists (nice touch), full of just enough frantic slapstick humor to entertain the kids while cobbling together a screenplay (by Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, and Cornelius Uliano) with almost enough story and plot to justify an 80 minute (plus credits) movie. I did not grow up with much hardcore exposure to  Peanuts and its world. I grew up with a little bit of  Garfield and a lot of  Calvin and Hobbes  and  The Far Side . So this is my first extended exposure to the world. And good grief, I do not like this film's Charlie Brown. I do not like him one bit.

I will admit that part of my annoyance stems specifically from the plot the film takes from the storied history. The entire film is built around Charlie Brown attempting to win over the affections of a new girl at school. Longtime fans will be familiar with the "little redheaded girl" as a recurring character over the years, an object of affection who remains forever at an arm's length and somewhat shrouded in mystery. But this film bases its entire plot line on Mr. Brown chasing a girl who has no name, no personality, no traits beyond having a pretty face, no interaction with any of the other characters, and barely a single line of dialogue. That would be a minor pet peeve in a movie filled with other tangents, but that is literally the only thing that happens in this film. Correction, there is also a periodic subplot involving Snoopy's air duels with the dreaded Red Baron which also involves a "your princess is in another castle" type romantic conquest.

Yes, stuff like this in films for very young kids makes me roll my eyes a little, but that's not a deal breaker. Unfortunately, I apparently fall into the "Charlie Brown is a loser" camp. Because yes, the entire film is Mr. Brown failing again and again in various sitcom-ish attempts to impress the object of his affection. So brutal are his failings, so relentless is his self-pity, and so squirm-inducing are his self-fulfilling prophecies of doom that I started wondering if I was watching a kid-friendly, context-free variation of  Inside Llewyn Davis. I was half expecting it to end with a drunken Charlie Brown being thrown out of the school dance as a young blond spiky-haired boy and his stuffed tiger entertained the crowd signaling that Charlie's time had passed for good. But whatever realism and pessimism existed in those original strips is absent here and the film ends with the equivalent of Charlie Brown getting a participation trophy.

That's not a bad thing, and it says something that this film snagged a G-rating even in an era where Shaun the Sheep  (an animated film with no dialogue) snagged a PG. But the fact remains that Charlie Brown's flaws and failings have been turned up a bit to a somewhat more frantic degree, while merely ending on a generic and wholly unearned  Rudy  moment. And while I totally get that this is film is allegedly faithful to the tone and spirit of the original strip, although perfunctory research shows that this is clearly the Hallmark Card version of  Peanuts  on display, I kind of hate Charlie Brown as presented in this film. That's no slight on actor Noah Schnapp, but I'm apparently in the "anti-Charlie Brown" camp. And that's a fatal flaw considering that the entire film is focused on his unending self-pity and inability to do even a single thing right for 80 minutes.

I loathed watching him fail again and again and found no endearment in his constant ability to not only ruin his own plans but do so in a way that harmed others around him. I didn't so much root for his destruction but rather for the film to provide me with something else, anything else, beyond his squirm-inducing pursuit of a girl so important than she lacked a name or any distinguishable personality. The rest of the gang shows up in token supporting roles, but I did want more from Lucy and the rest of the characters. But this is squarely the Charlie Brown show, and that's a problem for people like me. Obviously I am dropping the full force of my critical weight on a G-rated film for kids based on a classic comic strip. If you are a fan of the property and/or specifically a fan of Charlie Brown in all of his somewhat pathetic glory, then you'll probably enjoy this film a bit more than I did. Unfortunately, it would appear that I am not a  Peanuts  fan, or at least not a fan of this specific version of  Peanuts .

Now for the record, those who are longtime fans, as well as young children who will enjoy the Snoopy-centric slapstick, will likely have a ball with this. It is indeed a loving and affectionate tribute to a specific property, with the hopes that likely box office glory will bring about a new wave of fans and/or more merchandise sales for an old-school property. I take no joy in panning this film, because there is little wrong with it save for the fact that I dislike the main character. Yeah, I could make a case that the movie should have been more like the grim and emotionally potent 1950's strips, but that's an unreasonable demand for today's marketplace. If you're reading this thinking that I'm an insufferable grinch, then you probably will enjoy the film just fine.  The Peanuts Movie  is a well-made, affectionately constructed animated feature that just happens to center around a main character in whose constant cringe-inducing missteps I took no entertainment value. But don't let them get their hands on Bill Waterson's Calvin and Hobbes ...

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The Peanuts Movie

Where to watch.

Watch The Peanuts Movie with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

The Peanuts Movie offers a colorful gateway into the world of its classic characters and a sweetly nostalgic -- if relatively unambitious -- treat for the adults who grew up with them.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Steve Martino

Noah Schnapp

Charlie Brown

Hadley Belle Miller

Mariel Sheets

Alexander Garfin

Francesca Capaldi

The Little Red-Haired Girl

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Peanuts, featuring good ol' Charlie Brown, is one of the most venerated comics of our generation, and possibly all time. Join us in this subreddit for discussion, postings, and everything from security blankets to baseball blowouts.

Current consensus on The Peanuts Movie?

What's the current overall opinion on the film these days? I loved the film like a lot of others, but I've seen several people (especially in video essays) talk about how it's "too corporate" and "not in the spirit of Peanuts". Is that what most people think or just a vocal minority? The movie was "toned down" a bit, sure, but I thought it was for the better, and the Schulz Family's heavy involvement helped make it into a charming and fun experience!

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The Story Behind Peanuts' Final Comic Strip

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• Peanuts debuted in 1950 and grew rapidly in popularity, showcasing a lovable cast of characters fans grew attached to.
• In 2000, Charles Schulz created his final Peanuts comic strips, hinting at the end of an era as his health declined.
• The legacy of Peanuts continues after Schulz's passing, with tribute strips and the series' growth into a multimedia franchise.

Peanuts debuted in 1950 and became a beloved comic strip series that grew in popularity rapidly year after year. Creator Charles M. Schulz developed one of the most adorable casts of comic strip characters , making it hard not to get attached to the Peanuts comics. Fans would open the Sunday comic section to see Charlie Brown miss the football or to watch Snoopy embark on amazing adventures. As the series became more loved, Peanuts eventually became a multimedia franchise with its own movies and television shows.

Fans everywhere held their breath as Peanuts neared its final days in February 2000. At the time, it was common knowledge that creator Schulz was getting ill and having an extremely difficult time continuing to illustrate the comic strips. While there were warning signs that the comic strip series was coming to a close, nobody could have predicted how the end of Peanuts would pan out.

Charlie Brown and Friends Had Their Last Snowball Fight

This is the final peanuts comic strip with a story line.

Peanuts & 9 Other Comics Strips Too Good To Last

Peanuts had plenty of competition in the newspaper funnies, but even some of the world's best comic strips weren't imagined to last forever.

On January 1, 2000, three comic strips were released that would inevitably become Charles M. Schulz's final Peanuts strips . The first of that trio is featured above, where we can see Charlie Brown and his friends having a snowball fight while Snoopy tries to learn how to throw a snowball.

True fans of the series noticed something off about this comic strip right away. It became evident to readers all over the world that this comic strip, unlike the hundreds of others that came before it, had been lettered with a computer rather than with Schulz's pen and pencil. His health would sadly deteriorate quickly from this point on, and the comic strips that followed would also be typed rather than written by hand.

Peppermint Patty Played Her Final Ball Game

This comic strip features the final appearances of patty and marcie.

10 Most Popular Comic Strips Of All Time

Comic strips feature some of the most influential and amazing pieces of fiction, led by iconic strips like Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes.

The full-color Sunday comic was published in the newspaper the next day, Jan. 2. This comic strip features fans' final moments with Peppermint Patty and Marcie. The strip tugged on readers' heartstrings as Peppermint Patty asked if they had fun, noting that nobody said "good game." Reflecting on what would come in the following month regarding creator Charles Schulz's health, this comic strip has a sad aura that fans could feel in their chests.

This comic strip would be the final one before Charles' last Peanuts comic strip. After that point, beginning around Jan. 4, the newspapers would begin running reruns of old Peanuts comic strips while Charles' well-being progressively got worse. People had grown up with Peanuts since 1950, and the end was growing closer.

Charles M. Schulz Announced His Retirement in the "Final" Daily Peanuts Comic Strip

This would not be the end of the story, however..

10 Ways Peanuts Changed Between 1950 & 2000

Peanuts was one of the most famous comic strips in the world and remained popular despite the rise of Marvel and DC, thanks to a number of changes.

Monday, Jan. 3 would mark the final Peanuts daily comic strip published in newspapers. Schulz took the opportunity in this comic strip to write a heartfelt message to fans of the comic strip, as well as an ode to his main characters.

Dear Friends, I have been fortunate to draw Charlie Brown and his friends for almost fifty years. It has been the fulfillment of my childhood ambition. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to maintain the schedule demanded by a daily comic strip. My family does not wish "Peanuts" to be continued by anyone else, therefore I am announcing my retirement. I have been grateful over the years for the loyalty of our editors and the wonderful support and love expressed to me by fans of the comic strip. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, …how can I ever forget them… — Charles M. Schulz

The comic strip featured Snoopy in front of his typewriter atop his doghouse, as he had been many times before in the series. Charles M. Schulz dedicated his entire life to the Peanuts comic strip series. His farewell to fans and his legacy was both beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking.

Six Unpublished Sunday Comics Were Then Released

These comic strips kept fans' hearts warm through the winter.

10 Funniest Peanuts Strips From The '60s, Ranked

The 1960s is sometimes considered the Golden Age for Schulz's Peanuts. In many ways, this was Charlie Brown and company's funniest era.

Much to the public's surprise, after Schulz's announcement regarding his retirement, more comic strips were released only on Sundays, from Jan 9 to February 13. The six comic strips released at this point had been done by Charles previously yet remained unpublished.

These comic strips fit the classic art style and humor fans had grown to know and adore. Readers could pick these Sunday comics out as ones they had never seen before among the reruns that ran for daily comics. With Charles officially retired, people could only wait and watch as Peanuts played out its final days .

Beautiful moments between Charlie Brown and Snoopy and strips featuring popular running gags were featured. Snoopy's alter-egos even appeared , with fans getting one last strip featuring a Lumberjack Snoopy sent off to chop wood for George Washington.

The Sixth and Final Peanuts Comic Strip Was Released

On february 13, the comic strip world was forever changed.

On Sunday, February 13, the final Peanuts comic strip was released to the public. It was an alternate version of Schulz's original retirement notice with a twist. As Snoopy sat before the typewriter one final time, fans watched as memories of the series floated around his head. The beloved characters everyone knew in their prime moments circled Snoopy's mind.

Tragically, the night before this comic strip was released, Charles M. Schulz had passed away from a heart attack. As Peanuts left the world, so did Charles Schulz. The man who had created a legacy within comic strips was no longer with us, and his fifty-year legacy was left in the unknown as he did. He noted that his family did not want anyone else illustrating the comics, and rightfully so, leaving fans wondering what would become of Peanuts , if anything at all.

Peanuts Touched The Entire World

Other comic strip creators honored the late charles m. schulz.

"I think I've discovered the secret of life -- you just hang around until you get used to it."

- Charles M. Schulz

What Charles Schulz would not live to see were the beautiful homages other illustrators would make to his work. On May 27, 2000, over fifty comic strip creators honored Schulz's lifetime of work by paying tribute to him through their comic strips. Some of the most notable tributes came from the Garfield series, Mother Goose & Grimm , Blondie , and Get Fuzzy .

He would also not be here to see how Peanuts continued to grow and flourish after his death, truly speaking to his talent as both a storyteller and a creator. As Peanuts has grown into a multimedia industry known for its television shows and timeless Charlie Brown Christmas specials , Charles' memory continues to live on with it.

Charlie Brown, an everyman plagued by self-doubt, navigates life's challenges with his loyal dog Snoopy and friends like the bossy Lucy, philosophical Linus, and talented pianist Schroeder. Through everyday adventures and heartfelt moments, the series explores themes of friendship, resilience, and the simple joys of childhood.

Screen Rant

10 funniest peanuts comics that will make you nostalgic for summer camp.

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10 Funniest Peanuts Comics That Capture the Joy of Childhood Summers

Ben 10 is back in epic new series, spinning out of sdcc, "we wanted the kind of power thor & captain marvel have": sorry, peter quill - marvel's new star-lord is officially an a-list powerhouse.

• The yearly summer camp misadventures of the Peanuts Gang will make many readers feel nostalgic for their own youthful exploits away from home during the summer.
• From canoe races, to practical jokes, to Snoopy's Flying Ace Persona, every summer camp storyline showcased the unique personalities of the characters.
• Peanuts' summer camp comics struck a perfect chord of humor by taking the cartoon's beloved characters out of their familiar context and giving them a fresh setting to explore, resulting in memorable moments that readers still enjoy today.

Though the Peanuts Gang didn't always have the best time at summer camp, their visits became an annual tradition for Charles Schulz's beloved comic – and returning to them is sure to have readers looking back on their own childhood summers with nostalgia. Throughout the course of the comic's run, Peanuts' camp cartoons were always eventful, featuring a number of funny recurring bits and memorable moments.

Things do not always go the way that the Peanuts kids would like at camp, something that has been highly relatable for many young readers throughout the decades.

From going to a camp where the rain seemingly never ends, to Peppermint Patty and Marcie inadvertently getting Charle Brown kicked out of camp and sent home, the Peanuts kids always made an impact at summer camp. The summer camp fun was not limited to the kids though, with Snoopy making quite the impression when he tagged along in some years.

Peanuts always delivered comics that were nostalgic but not overly sentimental, striking a perfect balance in these sun baked summer strips.

10 "Life Here In Camp Is Wonderful"

First published: june 27, 1973.

Receiving a rash on the head that makes one's scalp look like a baseball sounds like an awful case of bad luck – and a medical anomaly – but it turns out to be one of the best things to happen to Charlie Brown during one 1973 Peanuts summer camp plotline. Due to the baseball rash, Charlie Brown wears a grocery sack over himself, in order to avoid people trying to autograph his head, which did almost happen to him.

The doctor prescribes Charlie Brown a visit to camp for the baseball rash to go away, because it will get his mind off of baseball. Oddly enough, at camp, the sack wearing Charlie Brown becomes beloved by his camp mates and is elected camp president. The kids all ask Charlie Brown for advice and openly admire him thanks to the sack on his head, a first for Charlie Brown.

The "Sack" storyline was Charles Schultz's favorite story of the entire Peanuts series.

9 "My Poor Dog"

First published: june 20, 1975.

When Charlie Brown's favorite baseball player is a mile away from his camp in the town of Waffletown, Charlie Brown brims with excitement at the possibility of meeting his hero after dinner, while he also thinks the event will be a distraction from thinking about how Snoopy is doing at home.

Charlie Brown should know better, because Snoopy will always keep himself entertained, as he is shown renting his doghouse to Peppermint Patty and Marcie as the Flying Ace. Charlie Brown does end up meeting his hero and getting an autograph, even though Joe Shlabotnik cries while giving him the autograph – which is a story for another day – making for a rare win for Charlie Brown, while Snoopy is doing just fine at home too.

8 "A Hundred Miles"

First published: june 23, 1967.

One special summer, Peanuts sent Snoopy to camp with Charlie Brown. There was a catch though; Snoopy went to camp as his World War I Flying Ace persona. Snoopy would eventually go to camp with Charlie Brown as himself – and bring a bowling ball, for some inexplicable reason – but that was not the case in June 1967. In this strip, when Charlie Brown embarrasses himself at a baseball game with his crummy skills, he is determined to redeem himself, and decides to do so by winning the canoe race.

Tasking Snoopy as his first mate on board, Charlie Brown gives his all. Unfortunately for him, his all is not enough, and not only does he lose, but it's quickly revealed he made it barely four feet from the dock despite frantic paddling.

7 "Woodstock Is Making Fun Of Me"

First published: july 23, 1971.

Traveling to camp with Charlie Brown as his Flying Ace persona, Snoopy didn't exactly make the best company for his owner, who seemingly hoped to ease his usual troubled time at camp by bringing along his dog.

In this strip, when Charlie Brown delivers Snoopy his mail to his tent, Snoopy finds he gets a letter from his buddy Woodstock. Normally, it would be great news to get a postcard from a friend. In this case, though, Snoopy finds Woodstock's postcard to be poking fun of him, which is not the best thing to receive in the mail. While Woodstock could have been 100 percent sincere with Snoopy, playing along with his make-believe scenario, Snoopy instead figures that the letter is meant to ridicule him.

6 "After All That What Can We Say?"

First published: june 18, 1968.

Unlike many of the other members of the Peanuts Gang, Peppermint Patty was not initially included in Peanuts' summer camp fun – or the lack thereof, according to Charlie Brown and Linus. However, finally Peppermint Patty got to go to camp in June 1968, where she was given the special responsibility of being the camp monitor for a group of girls.

Introducing herself to the girls she will be monitoring, Peppermint Patty explains a story about her name and nicknames, something that the girls are intimidated by when it is time for them to introduce themselves. The names of the characters are eventually revealed as Clara, Shirley, and Sophie, and they would reappear again at the summer camp in subsequent years. As it soon becomes clear, Peppermint Patty has her work cut out for her with this trio, with the girls always having something smart to say, keeping her on her toes.

5 "You? A Troublemaker?"

First published: june 16, 1972.

One word that would not apply to Charlie Brown is troublemaker; he's a good egg through and through. Yet, after a mix-up at camp, he not only gets labeled a troublemaker, but is sent home as a result. Interestingly enough, this is all Peppermint Patty and Marcie's fault. When the two girls consider confronting the Little Red Hair Girl – because of Peppermint Patty's jealousy – they gain the attention of the girl's camp counselor, who in turn alerts the boys' camp counselor. Somehow, Charlie Brown ends up getting into trouble through his loose connection to it all.

That said, Charlie Brown could not care less about being booted from camp, as he's just happy that his name has been mentioned at the Girls' Camp. While Linus may want to take up the false accusations and camp ejection to the Supreme Court, it's safe to say that Charlie Brown isn't all that concerned.

4 "Just Teasing You, Sir"

First published: june 9, 1989.

Marcie and Peppermint Patty are two peas in a pod, stuck like glue to each other for most of their Peanuts appearances. However, the summer of 1989 featured events that separated the pals for a time. When Peppermint Patty has to attend summer school, and Marcie goes to camp with Charlie Brown and the gang, the iconic duo are split, though the pair keep in touch through calls.

Marcie takes telephone communication to full advantage to pull a joke on her buddy, briefly pretending that her and Charlue Brown are holding hands. With Peppermint Patty's massive crush on Charlie Brown, she does not think the joke is at all funny, having to stuff the phone in her mouth to ensure she doesn't blow up. Marcie always tries to bolster Peppermint Patty into sharing her feelings with Charlie Brown, but she just can't seem to take the advice even with Marcie's gentle ribbing.

3 "A Hideout This Isn't!"

First published: june 14, 1966.

Linus and Charlie Brown are not fans of camp, yet they always end up there when summer comes along. Even when Lucy brings up the mere mention of camp, LInus is upfront about his staunch opposition to the idea. Yet his pleas not to have to go are moot, and he is called for the bus to camp before it leaves. Linus has a plan in place though, and hides in Snoopy's doghouse – until Snoopy sells him out.

While Snoopy may get along with Linus, it does not mean that he's cool with him using his doghouse as a hideout, even if Snoopy rarely sleeps inside his humble abode. Linus does not take the betrayal kindly, with kicking and screaming, making readers wonder how bad the Peanuts Gang's summer camp could possibly be; apparently, bad enough for the usually even-keeled Linus to fly into his own little rage fit.

2 "What Friends?"

First published: june 1, 1965.

The first Peanuts comic featuring summer camp has Charlie Brown bemoaning the fact that he had to go to camp once the school year finished. He is scared that he'll miss his friends, being away from home. Rather than be a supportive friend, Lucy decides not to pull any punches and responds with quite the cutting retort, questioning if Charlie Brown even has any friends.

Lucy has a tendency to go for the jugular, even if there aren't necessarily bad intentions behind her behavior. She can't help but kick a man when he's down either, as is the case in this comic. Charlie Brown is already down in the dumps about having to go to camp; then for Lucy to suggest he has no friends adds another layer of hurt to it all, much to Charlie Brown's irritation.

1 "Yesterday, I Had To Stand In The River To Get Dry"

First published: june 14, 1985.

Charlie Brown and Linus' initial disdain for camp was inherited by the rest of the Peanuts kids, especially Sally, as exhibited in Peanuts' 1985 camp storyline. When the summer camp suffers torrential downpours every single day they are there, even the day they drive there, they dub the camp, appropriately enough, Rain Camp. There is no one that the horrible weather infuriates more than Sally, who wants to sue to get her money back – with Snoopy as her lawyer, of course.

While Sally mostly gripes about the rain situation, she does find her sense of humor again when writing a letter home to her parents, making a joke about how she has to stand in the river to get dry . She finds her little joke hilarious, though Snoopy does not feel the same, resulting in Sally spouting off that the beagle can write his own letters home if he doesn't care for her jokes.

Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is a multimedia franchise that began as a comic strip in the 1950s and eventually expanded to include films and a television series. Peanuts follows the daily adventures of the Peanuts gang, with Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy at the center of them. Aside from the film released in 2015, the franchise also has several Holiday specials that air regularly on U.S. Television during their appropriate seasons.

Jon Voight on Being Hollywood’s Most Outspoken Trump Supporter and Fighting Angelina Jolie Over Israel-Palestine: ‘She’s Been Influenced by Antisemitic People’

Photographs by Frank Ockenfels 3

Jon Voight keeps moving. The 85-year-old actor is shadowboxing, his footwork nimble for a man of any age, let alone someone older than even Joe Biden and Voight’s friend Donald Trump .

He pauses and arches an eyebrow and becomes a matinee villain. “You think you’re tough. I’ll show you tough.”

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His antics have a manic “Let’s put on a show” quality to them, not unlike the comedy stylings of Sid Caesar, one of Voight’s boyhood heroes. Today, Voight doesn’t resemble any of the troubled men tortured by circumstances he’s played in his six-decade career, including would-be hustler Joe Buck in “Midnight Cowboy,” paralyzed Vietnam vet Luke Martin in “Coming Home,” and Ed Gentry, a suburban everyman turned avenging killer in ”Deliverance.” Today, he’s all loopy grandpa, which is a role he plays for his six grandchildren now that he has reconciled with his once-estranged daughter, Angelina Jolie . 

Coppola’s film, which premiered last spring at Cannes, is all about the fall of an empire, and this is something that concerns Voight greatly. 

On May 31, shortly after the conviction of Donald Trump for tax fraud, Voight posted a video lacerating President Joe Biden. In it, Voight, seated in front of an American flag, unleashes a stream of invectives that are all the more startling if you’ve spent time with the otherwise soft-spoken actor. “We’re allowing this sick President Biden to give permission for all to steal, cheat, lie and kill,” he says, “and no one is paying the ultimate price for this. We must stop these animals.” 

No one is spared Voight’s seething right-wing political opinions, including his daughter, who he feels has fallen victim to antisemitic subterfuge. (“Angelina wishes him well but does not speak about him publicly,” said a source close to the actress.) He says her politics are, to put it mildly, not his, while his are the subject of an endless circular conversation — especially now that Trump is on the upswing. The actor is a staunch supporter of Israel, most recently its response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, and Jolie is a longtime refugee activist, currently decrying Israel’s killing of women and children in Gaza. In our conversations, Voight never lets it go, criticizing her Palestinian stance repeatedly, like a candidate going after an opponent in a 30-second ad. “She has been exposed to propaganda,” he says. “She’s been influenced by antisemitic people. Angie has a connection to the U.N., and she’s enjoyed speaking out for refugees. But these people are not refugees.”

Back in Beverly Hills, Voight keeps it light. We move into the house, and he bounds up the stairs to his bedroom. Hanging on the wall are faux stones from the 1999 TV miniseries “Noah’s Ark,” in which Voight portrayed the titular character. There’s his easel and a large photo of his father. He puts on a robe and spreads out on his bed. A giant smile crosses his face, and his blue eyes are lit. “What else do you need?”  

Once the photographer leaves, Voight falls into a chair at his dining room table. He looks tired. It has already been an exhausting summer. Not only is he doing press for “Megalopolis,” but he’s getting ready to move from the house where he’s lived for the past two decades. 

Voight’s doting side is one that’s far removed from the gallery of eccentrics he’s come to specialize in on-screen. Crassus is just the latest in a line of gonzo performances in a 60-year career that includes Voight as Voight biting Kramer’s arm on “Seinfeld,” an appearance as a blind Indian in Oliver Stone’s “U Turn,” and an Ahab-like snake hunter in “Anaconda,” who gets eaten and regurgitated by his own white whale. The more insane the part, the more outrageous the challenge, the better for Voight.  

“I appreciate the great ones like Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant,” he says about his favorite actors. “But for me it was always Lon Chaney with his makeup bag.” 

Two of the best examples of Voight’s approach to morphing into characters include his appearances as Nate, a criminal operator with some startling facial disfigurements in “Heat” and his chameleonic Oscar-nominated turn as sportscaster Howard Cosell in “Ali,” both Michael Mann films. 

“For Jon, the transformation, that’s the adventure,” says Mann. “The adventure is the wild way he gets to transform himself to get into this character. As a director, I know enough about Jon that the further into outer space the idea is, the more attractive it is.” 

Mann says that Voight spent more than four hours every day in makeup being transformed into Cosell. Between takes, Voight and Will Smith, as Muhammad Ali, would verbally spar in character to the delight of hundreds of extras. “I was trying to set up shots, and then all of a sudden, these guys are doing ad-libs so good I’m trying to write it down,” says Mann. 

Praise like that is what keeps Voight working in lefty Hollywood even as he compares Joe Biden to Satan and muses that George Soros is hell-bent on destroying the country. Hollywood is in a recession, and Trumpists like Scott Baio and Kevin Sorbo have been banished to right-wing productions and reality TV. Jon Voight? He has appeared in three movies in the past 24 months. 

Sometimes, over the past year, Voight called late at night just to say hello. We spoke of Blake’s “Jerusalem,” our children, Renaissance art and how Burt Reynolds broke his tailbone doing his own stunts in “Deliverance.” There were two Jons in our conversations: the cultured and kind acting icon, curious about art and poetry, and the right-wing warrior ripping Biden and dismissing Palestinians as frauds with no claim to the Holy Land.  

Recently, Martin Short’s talk-show alter ego Jiminy Glick turns to actor Sean Hayes and says, apropos of nothing, “What makes Jon Voight so angry?” It’s a good question.   

I meet Voight for the first time at a Santa Monica restaurant. He still has the movie-star blue eyes and wide smile, but depending on where you are sitting, you see two different sides of the actor. His profile from the left features the cheekbones that made him famous. From the right, Voight’s face is dented and looks menacing. 

That day, Voight tells me he wants this story to be centered on his acting. That lasts for the first 20 minutes of our relationship. He is showing me Renaissance-era paintings on his phone that he took on a recent trip to Greece, when a middle-aged woman approaches our table, holding a loaf of challah just purchased for her family’s Shabbat dinner. Voight waves her over. She grasps his age-spotted hands: “I just want to thank you for all you have done for Israel. It means so much to all of us.” 

Voight thanks the woman, but she isn’t done. “You should play Bibi in a movie. You would be perfect!” 

Voight laughs. “He’s a great, great man,” he says, “but I’m not going to play him.” 

Remarkably, an almost identical scene occurs a few months later, when Voight and I meet at the Beverly Glen Deli, his favorite hangout. Same-age woman, same sentiment. (I put the chances of this being an elaborate setup at less than 10%.)

Voight often acts startled when bystanders, reporters and legendary directors want to engage with him on politics, despite his X and Instagram posts and occasional Fox News appearances. (His videos in support of Trump and Israel have millions of hits.) At the Cannes press conference for “Megalopolis,” Coppola spoke in apocalyptic tones of the dire state of American politics. “There is a trend toward the more neo-right, even fascist division, which is frightening,” Coppola said. “Anyone who was alive during World War II saw the horrors that took place, and we don’t want a repeat of that.”  

“Megalopolis” has a definite anti-Trump vibe, with Jan. 6-style riots featuring red-capped thugs and Confederate flags. Some have suggested Voight’s Crassus is a buffoonish version of Trump. I ask Voight about it. 

“I didn’t see that,” he says. “If I had, I would have told Francis he was out of line.”  

Coppola remains diplomatic when I ask about Voight. “Working with Jon is always an interesting, potent and joyful collaboration,” he says. “He’s an artist, and I enjoyed our time together making ‘Megalopolis.’” 

At Cannes, Coppola played it a little looser. He turned to Voight after he finished venting and said, “Jon, you have different political opinions than me.” Then he passed him the microphone. Voight didn’t engage, instead offering generic praise and saying that Coppola simply wants to make “a better world.” 

“I’ve been telling Francis to make that movie for over 30 years,” he says, looking genuinely confused. “I really don’t know why he thought that was the time to talk about our politics.”  

After Cannes, Voight stopped in New York on his way back to take in “The Outsiders.” “It was amazing,” he says proudly. “Angie is amazing.” 

Father and daughter seem to be getting along better these days. That is, except when Voight is attacking her over the Israel-Hamas war. Jolie has been an advocate for refugees for more than two decades. She has worked on projects bringing attention to genocides in Southeast Asia and in the former Yugoslavia. People listened when she released a statement last November on the Israeli invasion of Gaza.  

“This is the deliberate bombing of a trapped population who have nowhere to flee,” wrote Jolie on Instagram three weeks into the conflict. “Gaza has been an open-air prison for nearly two decades and is fast becoming a mass grave. 40% of those killed are innocent children. … Whole families are being murdered.” 

Voight responded with his own post on Twitter a day later. It started, “I’m very disappointed that my daughter, like so many, has no understanding of God’s honor, God’s truths. This is justice for God’s children of the Holy Land. ….” 

This seemed massively counterproductive, because Voight has spent the past 30 years trying to right the wrongs of his wild years with his children. And yet, during our conversations, Voight, who keeps praising his daughter’s talent and accomplishments, cannot resist repeatedly schooling her on his political worldview. Voight’s relationship with his children has been fraught since their mother, Marcheline Bertrand, divorced him in 1978, citing adultery. During his children’s adolescence, Voight wasn’t around much, and over the years, there have been schisms, silence and reconciliation. 

“I love my daughter — that’s No. 1,” he says. “I am happy when Angie is happy.” His eyes begin to well up with tears. “When she’s having a tough time, I’m having a tough time. When she is down, I’m down.” 

That sentiment makes his public attacks on his daughter all the more puzzling. For instance, in May, we meet for coffee in Hollywood, and Voight offers long monologues on the history of the British Mandate for Palestine and the Ottoman Empire’s decline that, he says, conclusively prove Jolie’s position is profoundly wrong. He then falls back on an old chestnut of Hollywood detractors. 

“Angie, I think she hasn’t been available to this information because in Hollywood people don’t share this kind of stuff,” he says. “They’re way off. They have no idea what’s going on. It’s a bubble.” 

Leaving aside the fact that Voight lives in Beverly Hills and had us meet twice in the shadow of studio lots, it’s hard to believe that Jolie isn’t able to access the right information. I bring this up, and he disagrees. His face goes red, and beads of sweat appear on his forehead. “I love my daughter. I don’t want to fight with my daughter,” he says heatedly. “But the fact is, I think she has been influenced by the U.N. From the beginning, it’s been awful with human rights. They call it human rights, but it’s just anti-Israel bashing.”  

Heads turn in the café. Voight is talking louder than usual and continues without taking a breath. “She’s ignorant of what the real stakes are and what the real story is because she’s in the loop of the United Nations.” 

So we talk about the rape scene in “Deliverance.” Voight is convinced that only Ned Beatty could have done the “Squeal like a pig” scene that shocked moviegoers in 1972. “He was so human. Anyone else, and it would have come off as camp.”  

We finish our coffee and say our goodbyes. That night my phone rings. It’s Voight. “Let’s meet again,” he says. “We can talk about how Angie is coming across.” 

Voight grew up in Yonkers, the middle son of a golf pro and a stay-at-home mom whose great-uncle was an isolationist and a staunch Joseph McCarthy supporter. Barbara and Elmer Voight must have done something right because Voight’s brothers also rose to fame, one as a volcanologist and the other as the writer of the Troggs classic “Wild Thing.” His parents nurtured his artistic side, and filled their small apartment with his paintings as a 3-year-old. He still paints, but says he gave up his obsession when his dad took him to the movies when he was 8. “I knew my painting couldn’t keep up with all that action and motion,” Voight says. “I wanted to perform.” 

Voight’s father worked at a Westchester country club featuring predominantly Jewish members shunned by WASP golf courses. It left Voight with a specific idea of how an oppressed people should rise above their status.  

“As a little boy, I remember seeing a Life Magazine picture of a boy in a striped suit behind barbed wire,” Voight says on more than one occasion. “And I thought, ‘That could be me.’ I identified with the suffering of these kids. What I knew very early on from my father’s work and the dinner table was that the people who started this club couldn’t get into other clubs when they came here from Europe. And so what did they do? They simply gathered together, got some money, bought land and made their own club. They didn’t riot or protest. From then, I was connected to their culture.” 

He is convinced that his father’s relationships with the Jews at the club changed him forever and allowed him to have the life he has lived. In 2018, he told Fox News’ Mark Levin that his father’s brother and two sisters couldn’t compare to him. “He was so superior in every way,” Voight said. “Not to demean them — they were very nice people — but they just didn’t have the grace that he had. And I said to myself, ‘You know something? My dad was raised in the Jewish culture. That’s who he is.’” 

By the transitive property, Judaism made Jon Voight possible since it was his father who encouraged his dreams first while in high school and then at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.  

Voight told me how in college he worked on his acting technique by going on a date with a different girl every week. “I think they appreciated me because I wasn’t trying to score,” Voight says. “I’d listen and try to talk about what they wanted to talk about. I think it made me a better actor.”  

Voight also stumbled across theater critic Kenneth Tynan’s book “He That Plays the King” and made copies of all his reviews of Laurence Olivier’s performances. “I knew it might take years or decades, or I might not even get there, but that was what I wanted to aim for.”  

The plan never materialized. Instead, Voight cobbled together a career on Broadway before being cast by John Schlesinger opposite Dustin Hoffman in “Midnight Cowboy.”  

I wonder what his father thought of his son after he became a movie star, but Voight doesn’t want to get into it.

Later, I give him a book I wrote about my Navy pilot father who was killed in a plane crash when I was 13. My phone rings that night. It’s Voight. He blurts out something about his past: “My dad died when he was 63. It was a car accident, and my mother was driving.” 

I don’t know what to say. I tell him that must have been so hard for him. 

“That was a long time ago,” he says. “OK, lad, have a good night.” And then he hangs up. 

Voight’s support for Israel wasn’t controversial for most of his life, even if his affection for the oft-accused, never-convicted Benjamin Netanyahu seemed over-the-top. But then came the savage Hamas attacks that slaughtered more than 1,100 Israelis, including 38 children. Initially, Israel had near-global support outside the Arab world. Then, as Israeli bombs leveled Gaza, the United Nations and human rights activists began suggesting that Israel was repeating the mistakes of America after 9/11, inflicting rage-filled indiscriminate violence on the Gazan civilian population resulting in the deaths of an estimated 35,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, as neighborhoods were razed in the pursuit of Hamas terrorists. 

Voight doesn’t see it that way. He believes the whole concept of a separate and distinct Palestine is an antisemitic con perpetuated by Arab countries hell-bent on the destruction of Israel with the assistance of the U.N. Voight maintains that the key point in what he calls “the fraud” was when the U.N. granted refugee status to Arabs who had tried to destroy Israel in the country’s 1948 war for independence. “Every year, the U.N. features more antisemitic motions against Israel than the ones offered against Iraq, China and Syria combined,” he says. 

Voight holds a special contempt for activists who have embraced the U.N. position that there are more than 5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank. “They are so naive,” he says. “They’re dupes who never get outside of their bubble.”  

Unfortunately, according to Voight, one of those “naive dupes” is Jolie.  

There’s a profile of Voight from The New York Times from back in 1979 that captures the demons that he dealt with in the wake of the success of “Midnight Cowboy” and “Deliverance.” “He agonizes his way toward every decision,” said Jane Fonda, his co-star in “Coming Home.” “What his next movie should be. Whether to go out to lunch. He’s a good, tortured person.” 

He spent years trying to center his chaotic and chattering life by devouring books on mysticism and Eastern philosophy. He disappeared from the public eye for most of the 1980s. Mann told me Voight was a regular at Duke’s in Malibu during that era, sitting in the corner, his face obscured by long hair. “I didn’t go up to him,” remembers Mann. “I was a little scared of him.”  

“I was too screwed up to act,” says Voight. 

Finally, in his 40s, he had a spiritual awakening. He was crying on the floor of his home and asked God why everything seemed so hard. God gave him an unexpected answer: It’s supposed to be hard.  

The work came back after that. He got another Oscar nomination for 1985’s “Runaway Train” and appeared in “The Rainmaker,” his first work with Coppola. He also helped Tom Cruise relaunch the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.  

There was some accompanying Voight weirdness. He unsuccessfully sued an ex-business partner, Laura Pels, in 1994 after claiming she backed out of investing in his films because he wouldn’t sleep with her. There was another series of lawsuits involving two New Zealand producers over a failed movie project that ended with no assignment of blame but much bad blood. 

Voight’s spiritual awakening is the one aspect of his life that the actor is reluctant to talk about in detail. “I get too emotional,” Voight says. He then tells me where I can learn more about it. “I did an interview with Tucker Carlson,” he says. “It’s all there.” 

Jon Voight remembers when he first met Donald Trump. “It was at a party in New York in the 1990s,” he says. “He came all the way across the room to tell me how much he loved one of my films. I was so impressed.” 

Voight has returned the favor exponentially; he compares Trump to Lincoln and Richard the Lionheart and declares his enemies to be less than human. But Voight wasn’t always like this; back in the ’60s, he considered himself a typical Hollywood lefty. But an experience toward the end of the Vietnam War changed that.  

In the early 1970s, he was sitting next to a soldier on a flight. The man was on his way home from Vietnam. “He was shaking, clearly had PTSD,” Voight says. “I knew when he got off the flight he’d be spit on and called a baby killer.” 

Voight is repeating a long-dismissed myth that soldiers returning from Vietnam were spat on and called murderers by their fellow Americans, but the viewpoint led him to the role of Luke Martin, a paraplegic Vietnam vet in “Coming Home.”  

Voight’s takeaway from “Coming Home” wasn’t that Vietnam was a tragic mistake that cost thousands of American boys their lives in a pointless war. No, Voight thinks we should have stuck it out. He measures a tiny distance between his thumb and forefinger and says, “We were this close to winning. Then there were the protests and the riots.” 

Most military historians disagree with Voight’s analysis. The idea that our country would not have suffered an ignominious defeat if only the military had been given endless resources and not been stabbed in the back is as old as history. Still, it set Voight on his political path. While he campaigned for George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, it was the rise of Barack Obama that infuriated him.  

Voight has been rhetorically at Trump’s side since the former president announced his first candidacy in 2015. He still believes Obama is pulling Joe Biden’s strings and calls the current president a mastermind of the largest political crime syndicate in American history. Trump’s shortcomings are dismissed as nothing more than propaganda coming from Democratic Party political conspirators. I ask him if he seriously thinks Trump is the equal of Abraham Lincoln in the pantheon of American presidents, as he has repeatedly stated. “Absolutely,” he says. “Who else has faced greater challenges and enemies since Lincoln?”  

I immediately think of FDR but say nothing.  

It speaks to Voight’s talents that his inflammatory rhetoric has not stifled a late-career renaissance, particularly Voight’s seven seasons on “Ray Donovan,” where he added to his fractured-masculinity arsenal with his role as Donovan’s manipulative ex-con dad, Mickey. Voight says the key is that he never talks politics at work, and that’s why he took great offense when his “Ray Donovan” co-star Eddie Marsan sent this tweet with a picture of him and Voight on the set of the show: “Hey America, I know this is the most important election ever & the survival of your democratic institutions and the soul of America is at stake but … can we just take it back to me for a second. Please vote for Joe Biden, I can’t spend another 4 years listening to this bullshit.”  

This did not please Voight. His voice rises when I remind him of the tweet: “If he is saying I brought up Trump on set, that is a lie.” 

But there have been some benefits. A fan tweeted praise of both Voight’s acting and his patriotism in 2019: “Academy Award winning actor (and great guy!) @jonvoight is fantastic in the role of Mickey Donovan in the big television hit, Ray Donovan. From Midnight Cowboy to Deliverance to The Champ (one of the best ever boxing movies), & many others, Jon delivers BIG. Also, LOVES THE USA!” 

The fan was Donald Trump. The same year, Trump gave Voight the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal. I ask Voight if he’s proud of the recognition. He waves me off. “I don’t care about all that stuff. I only have a few years left, and I want to spend them trying to save our American way of life.” He gives an actor’s pause. “It’s slipping away forever.” 

After the Fourth of July holiday, I get a message from Voight asking if we could meet for a quick lunch at the Beverly Glen Deli before he leaves to shoot a film in Bulgaria. The request seems odd: We had already said a last goodbye at his house. I wonder what’s left to say and suspect he’s going to try to take back the words he said about Jolie’s views on Gaza.  

The exact opposite occurs. It’s a week after Joe Biden’s incoherent debate performance, and Voight is feeling vindicated. “It’s a disgrace, all the drugs and steroids they’ve been shooting him up with,” he says. He struggles to open the pull tab on a can of root beer. I’m about to reach over and help when he grimaces with concentration and the pop-top relents.  

Jamie steps out for a moment. I steel myself for Voight sweet-talking me in an attempt to get me to soften his statements about his daughter. But instead he starts another lecture about Jolie’s Israel information deficit. “It comes from ignorance, like everything else,” Voight says. “It’s like, why are these kids in the universities siding with Hamas, right? It’s because of ignorance. They don’t know the story.” 

I realize that this is the key to being Jon Voight. He can sell Coppola’s Crassus because he believes it. He can convince me of his spiritual conversion because he believed that too. But that self-belief — a requirement of any actor, but stronger in Voight than in anyone else I’ve interviewed — has toxic consequences: A true believer cannot comprehend that someone, much less his own flesh and blood, might hold a different view.  

I ask him, not for the first time, if he thinks that instead of attacking Jolie on Instagram, he might just pick up the phone. He shakes his head. “It’s hard for me to talk to her about this,” he says with a resigned look. “She doesn’t really want to share this kind of stuff, because she’s of another mind about it.” 

Instead, he filibusters about the myth of the Palestinian homeland, referencing the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the British mandate over the Holy Land from 1920 to 1948. It’s the same talk he gave me a few weeks ago, almost verbatim. After about 10 minutes, I gently tell him he explained all of this to me before. He looks confused. “Are you sure?”  

At this moment, Voight does not look like a movie star or a soldier for Trump. He just looks lost and agitated, not unlike Biden on the night of his debate. 

Five days later, Donald Trump survives an assassination attempt in Butler, Pa. Voight and I connect after a couple of missed calls. He sees Trump’s survival as a sign and speaks of it in messianic terms. “There’s a prophet who predicted there was going to be an attempt on his life,” says Voight. “He was going to go to his knees, and during the moment he was on his knees, he was going to connect with God.”  

He then mentions the evil that’s spreading across the world via satanists like Soros. He says we can too easily access it on our smartphones. 

The line goes quiet for a moment. “Well, that’s your opinion,” Voight says. “I’m very careful about what I say. But when I see the attacks on this man, I know they’re coming from a hateful, evil place.” 

He transitions quickly to Jolie being brainwashed by antisemitic propagandists and then a familiar stalking horse, Soros. 

“What do you say about Soros?” Voight says. “That he seems normal when you talk about him? No. He bought out DAs, he bought out judges, he bought out politicians. You have to have strength. You have to be righteous.” 

And that’s when I give up. For all the lovely talk Voight and I had about paintings, poetry and Old Hollywood over deli sandwiches and root beers, it is now clear that he is also coming from a hateful place. He natters on about Marxists and other ghosts, but I tune him out. I tell him I must go, but he wants to end on a hopeful note. 

“I’ve been the most outspoken supporter of Donald Trump in Hollywood,” he says with pride. “I’ve been saying he’s the answer, the only answer.” He slips into the third person for the first time in all our conversations. “Now, after this, maybe they will look at Jon Voight in a different way. If Donald Trump is being revealed in this way, maybe they will see a supporter like me in a different light.”

 I wish him a good night. There is nothing left to say. 

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