Pretty Good

good back-story, and good acting

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

"Charlie Brown's All Stars!" is the rare occasion of a Charlie Brown sports movie. Just like the others, it runs for 25 minutes, was written by Charles M. Schulz and directed by Bill Melendez. This was is going to have its 50th anniversary next year, so it's one of the very early Charlie Brown films from the 1960s. And it's all about baseball. The bunch keep losing their games because Charlie Brown simply sucks at the game and not even great plays by Snoopy (voiced by Melendez himself) and the red-haired girl cheering for Charlie can make him a winner here. So, it's all set for Charlie's usual depressed state. Apart from that, it is also about new team uniforms and a lesson on friendship at the ending. At 9-10 minutes, this may have been a good watch, but at almost 30, this 2-time Emmy-nominated piece sadly isn't. Really drags occasionally and Charlie standing at each base for ages and talking instead of running is just the most unrealistic thing ever. Not recommended.

The second Peanuts TV special is a baseball-themed one. Charlie Brown sucks at baseball and his team, frustrated with "that old blockhead" for losing them the first game of the season, quits. Shortly after Charlie finds out the team has the chance to join the Little League, with a sponsor who will pay for new uniforms and everything. Everyone's excited and eager to play again, even with sucky Charlie Brown. But then the news is handed down to Chuck that the team can't have the girls or Snoopy on it. So he struggles with how to tell them, knowing they will rip him a new one. Lots of funny lines in this one but also lots of heart. Love the ending.

If you're a fan of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," "Charlie Brown's All-Stars" will not disappoint. It has the heart and warmth of the other two, a sweet story and the feel of Charles Shultz's comic strip, a quality that seemed to diminish after the first three episodes. Maybe it's just me, but everything after "The Great Pumpkin" Charlie Brown specials seemed forced and lightweight.I watched "All Stars" with my family last night when it was paired with "The Easter Beagle." Nobody sat still during Easter Beagle, but all were seated and laughing during All-Stars. For me, everything came together for the first three specials; a sweet and solid story with a nice message, great Vince Guaraldi jazz and voices that suited the Peanuts characters wonderfully; particularly the voices of Charlie Brown and Linus. I read that one of the producers had heard Peter Robbins' voice in a mall and knew immediately that he would be perfect for Charlie Brown. They credit his voice and characterization as one of the reasons the Christmas special was so effective.

In this second ever Peanuts TV special Charlie Brown is in the bad books of the rest of the gang (as if he's ever in their good books) for being utterly hopeless at baseball and losing every game. He's a curse on their team and they'd all rather spend summer doing their own individual thing.But when he arranges to have personalized shirts made for the team they come back, though he neglects to tell them it's on the condition that Snoopy and the girls get kicked out.He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Old Blockhead just can't do anything right. For a 1966 effort the colors and sound in this one were surprisingly good. It may not have the lasting appeal of the seasonal specials, but it's still worth watching.