Review #424: Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown.
Cast
Duncan Watson (Charlie Brown), Bill Melendez (Snoopy/Woodstock), Stuart Brotman (Peppermint Patty), Jimmy Ahrens (Marcie), Gail M. Davis (Sally Brown), Melanie Kohn (Lucy van Pelt), Liam Martin (Linus van Pelt), Greg Felton (Schroeder/Camp announcer), Kirk Jue (Bully), Tom Muller (Franklin/Another Bully), Jordan Warren (Another Bully), and Jackson Beck (Brutus) Directed by Bill Melendez (#295 - A Boy Named Charlie Brown and #298 - Snoopy, Come Home) and Phil Roman.
Review
Once again I'm reviewing a Charlie Brown movie, and I was satisfied with the last two, so what could go wrong here? As it turns out, this is an okay film that while feeling awfully short does have its moments. Once again the voice actors are different, except for Bill Melendez who is probably the only one to star in all of these Peanuts films, as the other actors are different, they being child actors and all. The child actors are alright, mostly consistent with their characterization, though Peter Robbins will always (for me anyways) be the definite Charlie Brown. Melendez does good, Snoopy and Woodstock always being a delight. It's alright in characters, but sometimes it makes you wonder why Charlie Brown hasn't gone insane or simply moved away from the seemingly destructive group of "friends" that manage to even ruin his leadership of a boat race, for pete's sake. The bullies are typical, bullying for no real reason and boasting ad nausea, but at least the ending satisfied me. The animation is okay, but it is a bit of downgrade from the last two films, but at least the story works alright (even though in one scene it is snowing even though they are in vacation) and it does have some laughs, even for a short (70 minute) length. Charlie Brown and Snoopy were usually my favorite characters, a "lovable loser" is a good one to like, though I always imagined he kicked that football, no matter what.
Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
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