The Show
The Peanuts cartoons are some of the most timeless and classic animation ever. Getting its start decades ago, Peanuts has transcended time to become an iconic symbol of our society. Charlie Brown and the gang have made indelible impressions on me, and countless others, over time. New cartoons come and go, but Peanuts keeps sticking around, and hopefully garnering new fans from the younger generation.
It’s hard to believe after all these years, but these Peanuts holiday specials are still regularly seen on network TV around this time of year. There’s something about them that just kicks our nostalgia into overdrive. They help us remember a simpler time — a time when cartoons had heart and simple animation rather than overblown fight scenes and CGI.
This new three-disc set from Warner Bros. is the most comprehensive and detailed Peanuts holiday set to date. Eight years ago Paramount released these three films (It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas) in a set. But, then Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the entire Peanuts library and did an overhaul, adding special featurettes and a digital remastering that will surely leave any viewer satisfied.
The DVDs
There are three discs each with its own regular size snap case. Each disc contains the feature presentation and then an additional 25 minute bonus feature.
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and “It’s Magic Charlie Brown!”
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and “The Mayflower Voyagers”
- A Charlie Brown Christmas and “It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown”
Each disc has an animated menu that's easy to navigate.
The Quality
Each feature is presented in its original fullscreen aspect ratio. When taking into account the source material is decades old, Warner Bros. has done an amazing job remastering these classics to look like they were just animated. The colors are vibrant and seem to pop off the screen.
The audio quality is also very well done considering how old the source material is. You do hear a few pops and hums, but not as many as you would think. This is one of the best remastering jobs I’ve seen since the new edition of Sleeping Beauty. It’s hard to believe that animation that was done so long ago can still be restored to this kind of quality and luster.
The Packaging
While I wish that each film could have been packaged in slimcases, this packaging is one that you’ll want sitting on your shelf even though it takes up quite a bit of room. Each case has simple colors, corresponding with the holiday it’s representing. The outer cardboard box that holds the cases together is an extremely nice embossed cover that you wont mind displaying in all its glory, facing out, at least during the holiday season.
The Special Features
Each disc has an all-new featurette that was never included on the original Paramount release.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – “We Need a Blockbuster Charlie Brown!”
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – “Popcorn & Jellybeans: Making a Thanksgiving Classic”
A Charlie Brown Christmas – “A Chritmas Miracle: The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas”
These featurettes feature a cavalcade of who’s who in the Peanuts universe — people like Peanuts historian Scott McGuire, Jean Schulz (Schulz’ wife), Monte Schulz (Schulz’ son), director/animator Bill Melendez, some of the actors and more. It’s a fantastic list, and a great view behind the scenes on how these specials came to be.
Ending Thoughts
This is the “be all end all” set when in comes to a collection of these fine cartoons. This is one of those sets you’ll be proud to own. You’ll be able to share the Peanuts joy with your kids and grandkids. Warner Bros. has kept this heartfelt cartoon alive and well with their digital remastering of it, but they haven’t changed its impact in anyway.
These three films will touch your hearts exactly like they did when you were a child. They are timeless and deserve to be treated as such. This is a set worthy of that.
Article comments