A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Rating:
Summary: Weakest of the "Big Three"
Review: Unlike the timeless 5-star Christmas and Halloween classics, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving falls short. Here the gang has been transplanted from the small-town Midwest with its dark, cold fall and winters to some suburban-type setting where people can walk around in shorts in late-November.

Instead of the earnest adult-like children, we get an attempt at early-70s hip wisecracking. Further severely dating the show to 1973 is the soundtrack, typified by the horrid jazzy blues vocal number "Little Birdy" and a fight snoopy has with an animated lawn chair (segment is total filler).

The voiceovers are distracting too. Although, the actors who did the Christmas and Halloween specials were certainly well into adolescents by the time the Thanksgiving special was made, there was not even an attempt to retain any similarity when hiring the new actors (with the exception of Linus, who was voiced by the brother of the kid who did the Christmas and Halloween specials). They also sound a bit older and (perhaps as a result?)are much more wooden in their delivery.

That being said, there aren't very many Thanksgiving specials out there and it does give a short history of the holiday. It will certainly give the kids something to watch for 25 minutes during halftime.

But if you are expecting the sincerity and magic of the Christmas and Halloween specials, you will be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: The forgotten Peanuts holiday special
Review: While people often gush -- and rightly so -- about the Charlie Brown Christmas and Halloween cartoons, I often feel like this is the "lost" Peanuts holiday special that doesn't quite get the attention of its more popular siblings.

Charlie Brown, through no fault of his own, gets roped into preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for Peppermint Patty and all his friends. And this from a boy who can barely make cold cereal and toast. Snoopy and Woodstock lend a hand in the kitchen with predictably silly results.

While it's not as iconic as some of the other Peanuts specials, it's a good story that really grasps the characters very well. This DVD also features "The Mayflower Voyages," one of several specials that cast the Peanuts characters as participants in American history. It's a good educational tool for the kids, mixing in some of the harsher facts of life at Plymouth Rock with the softer, happier mood of the Peanuts gang. Together, these two cartoons are well worth the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Peanuts
Review: Who doesn't love Charlie Brown? The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown is a standard that every family can enjoy during the Halloween season. It puts you in the Halloween mood. I had never seen the Thanksgiving Charlie Brown episode, but I am glad that I purchased it. It contains a wonderful message of giving and reminds us that Thanksgiving is a time to be with others. Two super cartoons.

Rating:
Summary: AN HONEST-TO-GOD CLASSIC
Review: Yes, you read correctly: three stars. Not five. Why, might you ask? Am I crazy? No, I am not. At least I don't think I am :)

I am a huge fan of Peanuts. Every year, I look forward to the holiday specials on television. A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is one of them. Yet, I must admit: much like IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN and IT'S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN, this show is kind of dated. I do still love it -- the characters and classic Peanuts gags we have all come to cherish. Not to mention having a great storyline. But truth be told, the timing between most of the dialogue is very very very offbeat (example: towards the beginning, when Charlie Brown, Linus and Sally are conversing on the sidewalk, they sound like robots; and their timing is way off. During one instance, Linus stops talking, and there is a two or three second pause before Sally starts yelling. I mean, it's like, "Where did that come from?" LOL)).

And Peppermint Patty's voice -- that's just annoying.

Yet I still love them. There is just something about these shows that we can all relate to again and again. Yes, the later films, tv shows and specials are all better drawn, and the timing is a lot better; and some have a much smoother feel.

But these, I think, contain a certain nostalgic feeling. And that's why they are "classics."

I realize that some fans may be angry with this review; that I am somehow insulting Charles Schulz. But, you know what? I am sure even he would agree, if he saw the Thanksgiving show now, that, say, episodes from his mastefully done Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show or the NASA special is more smooth-flowing and the timing is better.

Before you click "no" under this review, watch the Thanksgiving show again. You'll see what I mean by boring pauses in between much of the dialogue.

I am not being mean here. I love Charles Schulz, and am just being perfectly honest about how I feel. And while A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is a true, honest-to-God classic, it is not one of the greatest holiday specials ever made.

Rating:
Summary: AN HONEST-TO-GOD CLASSIC
Review: Yes, you read correctly: four stars. Not five. Why, might you ask? Am I crazy? No, I am not. At least I don't think I am :)

I am a huge fan of Peanuts. Every year, I look forward to the holiday specials on television. A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is one of them. Yet, I must admit: much like IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN and IT'S THE EASTER BEAGLE, CHARLIE BROWN, this show is kind of dated. I do still love it -- the characters and classic Peanuts gags we have all come to cherish. Not to mention having a great storyline. But truth be told, the timing between most of the dialogue is very very very offbeat (example: towards the beginning, when Charlie Brown, Linus and Sally are conversing on the sidewalk, they sound almost like robots; and their timing is way off. During one instance, Linus stops talking, and there is a two or three second pause before Sally starts yelling. I mean, it's like, "Where did that come from?" LOL)).

And Peppermint Patty's voice -- that's just annoying.

Yet I still love them. There is just something about these shows that we can all relate to again and again. Yes, the later films, tv shows and specials are all better drawn, and the timing is a lot better; and some have a much smoother feel.

But these, I think, contain a certain nostalgic feeling. And that's why they are "classics."

I realize that some fans may be angry with this review; that I am somehow insulting Charles Schulz. But, you know what? I am sure even he would agree, if he saw the Thanksgiving show now, that, say, episodes from his Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show or the masterfully done NASA special is more smoothly-flowing and the timing is better.

Before you click "no" under this review, watch the Thanksgiving show again. You'll see what I mean by boring pauses in between much of the dialogue.

I am not being mean here. I love Charles Schulz, and am just being perfectly honest about how I feel. And while A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING is a true, honest-to-God classic, it is not one of the greatest holiday special ever made.