Overall, this Peanuts Holiday Collection is well worth purchasing even if you already own the DVD versions as the upgrade in video and audio makes it worthwhile. For me, I’ve never been a big fan of Charlie Brown and friends but there is a fun innocence about it showing why it has the resilience it does. The features aren’t anything groundbreaking but do give a glimpse at the background for each special as well as giving bonus episodes in high-def.
Peanuts Deluxe Holiday Collection (1965 – 1975)
Genre(s): Animation/Comedy
Warner Bros. | NR – 75 min. – $42.98 | October 5, 2010
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: NA
Writer(s): Charles M. Schulz (created by)
Cast: NA
DISC INFO:
Features: Bonus Episodes, 3 Featurettes, DVD Copies
Number of Discs: 3
Audio: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), A Charlie Brown Christmas – English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: Full Frame (1.37:1)
Subtitles: English SDH
THE MOVIE – 3.75/5
The “Peanuts” have never been my favorite animated TV specials as I never quite got the comedic aspects yet still have an appreciation for what creator Charles M. Schulz did that has made these characters such mainstays both on television and in the comic strips, so much so that even older strips had appeared in papers years after Schulz retired.
In any case, Warner has released three of these specials separately and in a box set so I will outline what’s included on each Blu-ray:
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” — 3.5/5
Will this Halloween be the one when the Great Pumpkin comes? Long-time believer Linus thinks so – and keeps watch all night in the pumpkin patch to welcome him. Charlie Brown gets into the spooky spirit too, dressing up as a ghost with more eyeholes than needed – but not scaring up the usual kinds of Halloween loot when trick-or-treating. Never fear, World War I fighting ace Snoopy is here to battle the Red Baron – and in doing so, crash Violet’s Halloween party and Linus’ vigil as well.
“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” — 3.75/5
Turkey, cranberries, pumpkin pie…and the Peanuts gang to share them with. This is going to be the greatest Thanksgiving ever! The fun begins when Peppermint Patty invites herself and her pals to Charlie Brown’s house for a REALLY big turkey party. All our hero can cook is cold cereal and maybe toast. Is Charlie Brown doomed? Not when Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock chip in to save the day. With such good friends, Charlie Brown have so many reasons to be thankful.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” — 4/5
Lights may twinkle red and green, but Charlie Brown has the Yuletide blues. To get in the holiday spirit, he takes Lucy’s advice and directs the Christmaas play. And what’s a Christmas play without a Christmas tree? But everyone makes fun of the short, spindly nevergreen Charlie Brown brings back – until the real meaning of Christmas works its magic once again.
Of these, I probably preferred the “Christmas” special the best with “Thanksgiving” coming in a close second and “Halloween” bringing in the rear. As I mentioned before, while these are fun to watch, I’ve never really found these series all that laugh-out-loud funny but at the same time they also capsulate a different perhaps more innocent time based on an innocent comic strip that never (from what I can tell) devolved into sarcasm although thanks to Lucy constantly baiting Charlie Brown into kicking the football, there is some meanness to it…
In the end, the “Peanuts Deluxe Holiday Collection” is the perfect gift for the Charlie Brown fan young and old.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3/5
Each episode/special is inside a standard Blu-ray slim case which is inside a regular slip case. The individual Blu-rays were already released but came with slip covers which are not included here.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:
“It’s Magic, Charlie Brown” (24:19; HD) – Snoopy’s magic act goes awry and renders Charlie Brown invisible, a predicament which the youngster just might transform into an opportunity.
We Need a Blockbuster, Charlie Brown (13:58; SD) – This chronicles the necessity of making the latest Charlie Brown special – eventually settling on Halloween – into a success or else the network might not order any more.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving:
“The Mayflower Voyagers” (24:18; HD) – This is an episode from This is America, Charlie Brown series in which the Peanuts kids become Pilgrims sailing to the New World aboard the Mayflower and enduring the first hard winter on Plymouth Plantation. What I found most striking, and I guess they had to do it, was there were adults who actually talked.
Popcorn & Jellybeans: Making a Thanksgiving Classic (12:27; SD) – Like the previous featurette (and all the featurettes included on other “Charlie Brown” DVD releases, this one takes a look at how the Thanksgiving special came to be and using kids to be the voices.
A Charlie Brown Christmas:
“It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown” (23:00; HD) – Holiday preparations include Charlie Brown selling wreaths door-to-door to make extra money, Peppermint Patty sweating out an important book report and the entire crew appearing in a Christmas pageant.
A Christmas Miracle: The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas (15:59; SD) – The last of the making-of featurettes has more interviews with the cast and crew concerning the Christmas special brought about by Coca-Cola in the Peanuts first animated special.
Every special also comes with a DVD Copy.
VIDEO – 4.5/5
Each special is presented in its original 1.37 aspect ratio and have been remastered by Warner. I was impressed with each video presentation, especially since these are at least 30+ years old now. The colors look especially vibrant and I didn’t notice much in the way of dust, dirt and/or scratches.
AUDIO – 3.5/5
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” have been given decent 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks while “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has a standard – but remastered – Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Each episode sounds good but you’re not going to get a whole lot out of these as it is often flat which, of course, is no fault of the transfer but how it was originally recorded. Dialogue is easy to hear through the center channel and I noticed some use from the front speakers although not much came from the rears or subwoofer.
OVERALL – 3.5/5
Overall, this Peanuts Holiday Collection is well worth purchasing even if you already own the DVD versions as the upgrade in video and audio makes it worthwhile. For me, I’ve never been a big fan of Charlie Brown and friends but there is a fun innocence about it showing why it has the resilience it does. The features aren’t anything groundbreaking but do give a glimpse at the background for each special as well as giving bonus episodes in high-def.
Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 11/21/2010