'The Peanuts Movie' Film Review: It's a Sweet But Imperfect Film

— -- Rated G

Three out of five stars

I took my wife and 5-year-old daughter to see "The Peanuts Movie." Afterward, when discussing the movie with my daughter (she liked it), my wife turned to me and noted, “You didn’t laugh out loud once.” I nodded in agreement and replied, “Nope, but I did smile a lot.”

"The Peanuts Movie" is extremely familiar. Every single character is exactly as the late Charles M. Schulz wrote them. Charlie Brown is still a lovable loser, Lucy’s whole existence is still to antagonize him, Snoopy is still the mischievous, adorable brains behind the operation, and so on and on. The only thing different here is the 3D animation and the overall production values which, more than anything, help bring Snoopy’s imagined battles with the Red Baron to life.

It’s also a familiar plot. Charlie, or Chuck as Peppermint Patty calls him, spends the entire movie trying to figure out how to make the Little Red-Haired girl like him. In the process, he attempts things he never thought he would and, seemingly, executes them successfully. That is, until everything falls apart.

"The Peanuts Movie" is ultimately a sweet film but it’s also a bit flat. Chances are, your kids will laugh out loud but, like me, you won’t. But if you were ever a fan of "Peanuts," sentimentality for these characters will inspire smiles, and so will your child’s laughter.