by Jodie Zoll, Guest Reviewer
Happiness is… Peanuts: Snow Days, the newest DVD release from Warner Bros, brings us more Peanuts fun from the Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, containing three short stories: “The Play”, “Sweet Babboo!”, and “Snoopy’s Story”.
In “The Play”, Charlie Brown revisits the most interesting Christmas he can remember, during which Lucy tells the gang that she was put in charge of the school’s Christmas play. In “Sweet Babboo!”, love is in the air as the gang anxiously yet hopefully awaits the arrivals of Valentines from their prospective sweethearts. In “Snoopy’s Story”, Peppermint Patty has to report on the most interesting animal she’s ever seen. Marcy recommends Snoopy, and so her award-winning story begins. Remarkable voice actor/director, Bill Melendez oversaw this one as well as the rest of the series and several well-known Peanuts classics.
The Snow Days collection also includes the classic TV special, She’s A Good Skate, Charlie Brown. Peppermint Patty is getting tired of disappointing Snoopy, her skate coach, despite practicing so much that she’s falling asleep in school. After a minor wardrobe malfunction followed by a musical malfunction, Patty finally gets to show off her hard work. This was artfully directed by Phil Roman, who worked on many other Peanuts classics, such as A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown.
Schulz is obviously great at capturing emotions and expressing them in comic form. The transition from comic strip to animation is always smooth and effective thanks to great direction and well-timed, genuine delivery. Sometimes it will be something as simple as whistling a tune when your friend’s ice-skating tape is ground up in the player, and goes berserk in the middle of a performance. Other times, it’s a group of friends participating in a play in which they despise their parts but do their best anyway. Be it love, grief, joy, disappointment, or pride, this collection of winter-themed classics will bring your inner child out to play in the snow while your adult self feeds on the frequently mature emotions playfully conveyed by Charlie Brown and the gang.
Special Features:
There are no special features included in this set.
Overall:
Though it’s hard to imagine being tired of seeing the regular Christmas classics (A Charlie Brown Christmas, etc.), it’s nice to have a new and refreshing slew of wintry Peanuts entertainment this season, particularly after Schultz’s passing. This release honored his memory, and will hopefully lead to more digital releases, considering that there will be no further brand-new Peanuts specials. But Peanuts fans of all ages will enjoy this release, and it definitely helps to bring in the Christmas spirit, as The Peanuts always do.
ComicsOnline gives Happiness is… Peanuts: Snow Days – 4.5 Christmas-tree topping stars out of 5.
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