"SNOOPY’S REUNION"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Philip Shafran as CHARLIE BROWN Josh Keaton as LINUS VAN PELT Kaitlyn Walker as SALLY BROWN Bill Melendez as SNOOPY/WOODSTOCK Not Rated Available on DVD April 7 Official Kids WB site Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The Peanuts specials continue from the television years with the 1991 program “Snoopy’s Reunion.” The story shows Snoopy’s early days at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm and how Charlie Brown came to be his owner. After several years, Snoopy hopes to connect with his brothers and sisters, so Charlie Brown helps him organize a reunion back at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, and they soon realize that in life all things change.
WHAT I LIKED
I have always enjoyed the Peanuts television specials, even the ones that will not be remembered as some of the great classics. I was a bit too old to watch “Snoopy’s Reunion” when it first aired. (I was in college at the time, and unlike shows like “Darkwing Duck” and “Power Rangers,” the Peanuts specials were not those that were considered cool to watch at that age.)
Not being a huge Peanuts aficionado, I can’t tell you how true this story is to the Snoopy mythos and whether his brothers and sisters are close to their counterparts in the comic strip. However, I can say that it was fun to see where Snoopy came from (even if there has been a bit of artistic license for the television special).
For a Peanuts special, it’s a cute story. The characters get out of their routine a bit, offering them a larger backdrop than just their neighborhoods’ back yards. Plus, I thought the way Snoopy gets the rest of his family back home was a real hoot.
Finally, the best part of the disc was the bonus episode of “It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown.” Sure, it didn’t do a whole lot to dispel those nasty rumor about Peppermint Patty, but it was fun to watch this bit of 80s nostalgia with multiple then-hip dance segments featuring the whole Peanuts gang.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I know this was part of the general evolution of the Peanuts specials, but I do miss the muted trumpet as the faceless voice of all grown-ups. Seeing the proprietor of the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm as well as some parents took some of the magic out of the show.
Also, considering the negative connotation of a puppy farm in today’s vernacular, it’s hard to think of Snoopy’s birthplace as a loving and warm outlet that just wanted to find a good home for the pups. I wouldn’t want kids to watch this episode and get the idea that puppy farms have the dogs in their best interests.
DVD FEATURES
In addition to the aforementioned “It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown” bonus television special, there’s a featurette about a Peanuts voice cast reunion. “Together Again: A Peanuts Voice-Cast Reunion” features eight former Peanuts actors gathering for a special panel at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2008. It’s interesting to see how few stuck with any work in the entertainment industry.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Peanuts fans and Flashbeagle fans.
