The ending is fairly predictable, but that isn't the point of the special. Those who are familiar with the Peanuts characters already know how it is likely to turn out, since each one's character flaws or quirks are such that we expect the inevitable and would be shocked if it went otherwise.
I don't have another version to compare this one to, but it doesn't seem to be all that much better than the slightly grainy versions I would watch on TV every year. The image quality isn't as sharp as modern animated films, and many of the blemishes of film are still visible in this digital edition. However, according to those more versed in this than I, the remastered edition is far superior in quality to the edition that was released on DVD by Paramount in 2000. You can see a few examples yourself (1, 2, and 3).
The more primitive animation is perhaps one of the charms of the Peanuts films. The simple line drawings filled in with some color and shading reflect the detail put into the newspaper comic strips, and so in that regard they stay true to the original. However, the slower pacing and minimalist imagery will make it difficult to continue to compete with the flash and action of modern animated films.
One scene that perhaps does not stand the test of time occurs during the Halloween party. Snoopy, dressed as a World War I Flying Ace, instructs Schroeder to play songs for him on the piano. Schroeder complies, and begins with a rousing tune, which makes Snoopy happy. However, the song shifts to a more melodramatic sounding tune, and Snoopy begins to weep, at which point Schroeder returns to a rousing march. This is repeated several times, and while the meaning of the scene is not lost, the "inside joke" aspect is.
When the animated short was first aired in 1966, many viewers were likely familiar with those songs and could pick up more than just the mimed actions. They knew the words and the social context for them. The generations that have watched this film since then are less and less familiar with these tunes. We get the humor of the scene, but we don't get the deeper layers, and that is a loss.
Article comments