Toonzone Talkback - "Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown"

For anyone who can't wait until Tuesday, Walmart is already selling this, along with the blu-ray that apparently only they are carrying.

Bought it. Watched it. Loved it.
 
Stephan Pastis of "Pearls Before Swine" is the co-writer.

That alone is enough to make me want to watch it. Even though his comic strip is just about the polar opposite of Peanuts, he has a huge respect for the source material.
 
This is all addressed in the bonus features. It's even mentioned that there was some worry about Pastis not being right for the material because of how negative "Pearls Before Swine" is.

And there's some cause for celebration. There's a mention at the end of the last bonus feature that they're already planning another one of these.
 
You guys are saying this is actually good?

I saw a commercial for it, and figured it was a cheap cash in (albeit with some beautiful animation), but if its really that good, I'll be sure to check it out soon.
 
I always found Peanuts really negative and mean-spirited myself, which is why I could never get into it. I didn't want it to be super-positive, I just couldn't understand how the characters could go through the same cycles of disappointment and despair and pain again and again and again for 50 years and WHY ON EARTH (Rant ending deleted due to naughty language.)

Then why, do you ask, do I love 'Pearls' so much then when it's perhaps bleaker than Peanuts? Wacky situations with the likes of grenade gophers, atheist gingerbread men and more. Also, Pastis' criticism of the modern, bland comic strips of today.
 
I agree. Peanuts and Pearls are both very negative strips. The difference, however, is that Pearls is snarky and fun negativity, if that makes sense. Peanuts...well, is just depressing. I'm really wanting to watch this just to see how Stephan handles a series of characters that are so different than his own.
 
I did like that one clip where C.B. asks Linus how he handles other kids poking fun at him for having a blanket, then Linus asks him to throw something small into the air, then when Snoopy lunges for it he snaps him unconscious with the blanket and deadpans, "they never do."
 
I was already considering checking this out, but when I heard that THIS guy was a writer, that gives me another reason to look forward to this.
 
My full review will probably be up on the News soon, but the short version is: yes, it's really that good. A substantial bit better than most of the stuff on the decade collections, and probably coming close to something like Be My Valentine (which is the only one that comes anywhere near Charlie Brown Christmas or Great Pumpkin, IMO).

EDIT: And there it is:



And I always thought that the edge to Peanuts was one of the appealing things about it as compared other comic strips. But I can be weird that way.


Actually, it is. I think the big difference between this and most of the Schulz/Melendez/Mendelson specials that were done in the 60's and 70's is that the pacing and the readings make the gags work in live-action rather than making them feel like they're just reading off four-panel gag strips. The same lines are funny in a different way than they are in print. I recognize great big chunks of the movie, but despite that, I'm still laughing at the jokes.
 
Well, that's quite a pleasant surprise. I guess this proves that not all movies based on old comics/cartoons have to be tired, souless cash grabs, providing that there's actual talent behind the productions. I can only imagine what would have happened if this had been a major hollywood production instead of a modest DTV...
 
How come aside from TZ's review the only detailed reviews of this DVD I'm able to find online are from mother and parenting websites?
 
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