19 reviews
I saw this last night on ABC after 1965's Charlie Brown Christmas, so it may be unfair to compare the two, but I will anyway! This special is far from the 1965 classic simply because it really doesn't stand out. The 1965 version tackled issues like commercialization and what Christmas is really all about. This special simply has different segments devoted to different characters (Lucy, Sally, etc) around Christmastime. Don't get me wrong, this special is cute, generates some good laughs (I liked Linus's infatuation with the weird girl that sits behind him), and sticks to the Peanuts formula. It's just not a groundbreaking special, and I doubt it will really ever stand out. It's worth the 30 minutes though, and if you're a Peanuts fan, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
My IMDb rating: 7/10
My IMDb rating: 7/10
I have noticed that a few people gave these "Peanuts Christmas Shorts" bad reviews. Perhaps far too many people compare this to "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Granted, I will say of all the Peanuts specials "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was the best of the bunch. However, each of the Peanuts Holiday specials were good in their own way, this one is no exception. Depite the fact Charles Schulz had since passed away when this debuted, I want to thank Mr. Schulz for the Peanuts Gang. It just would not be Christmas without Charlie Brown, the world's favorite underdog, and the rest of the Peanuts gang. I most certainly will not end this review without Snoopy, his short is the best of the bunch. Lucy, Linus, Sally, Charlie Brown, and Snoopy offer their takes on Christmas. As usual it is Snoopy who steals the show. Charles Schulz, Christmas just would not be the same if it wasn't for you. Thank you so very much for Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and all the Peanuts gang.
It's 18 minutes. It's a series of Christmas theme vignettes without a continuous story. It's disjointed but it's still watchable. In the end, this is like a TV version of the newspaper comic strips. It has its charms but it doesn't last like the classic Christmas special. The most notable things are the side characters. Linus meets a mysterious girl who calls herself Jezebel and then proceeds to keep changing her name. I think that character has lots of potential. On the other hand, Sally has a fight with an angry kid over a small Christmas tree. The kid is off-putting and doesn't really fit the Peanuts style. It also pales in comparison with the iconic Charlie Brown tree. This is a functional Christmas special but it's nowhere near the classic.
- SnoopyStyle
- Aug 17, 2015
- Permalink
- Angels_Review
- Mar 10, 2014
- Permalink
- mitsubishizero
- May 19, 2019
- Permalink
Just watched this, the third of four Peanuts animated specials after "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown" but before "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown", on ABC after the classic first one, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" came on. Done and first aired after the untimely death of creator Charles Schulz, it took some of his comic strip vignettes and compiled them for this show. What we get is Lucy trying to get a skating partner with the only choices between Snoopy and Schroeder. Guess who she wants? Next, Linus has a crush on a classmate who keeps changing her name. Then, Sally grabs a Christmas tree that falls down in a neighbor's yard which she only did because that neighbor kid said it's hers if it did so. Watch the cartoon if you want to find out what happens. There's other situations but I'll just say this was quite funny and is a fine tribute to the man long known as Sparky. Also, the late Vince Guaraldi's music is excellently interpreted by David Benoit here. So on that note, Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales is highly recommended.
This was a pretty good special. The Peanuts gang feels natural and at home in this special. I know this animated special was largely inspired by original Peanuts comic strips written by Charles M. Schulz not just because I read so, but because you can just see the original strips coming to life as the music and characters be themselves. Cute but clever.
I think that while many might know about this special, it may be a hidden gem for later generations or even earlier generations who remained negligent of the Peanuts animated specials since the early 1970s.
It's truly worth a watch especially when watching the original 1965 Christmas special!
I think that while many might know about this special, it may be a hidden gem for later generations or even earlier generations who remained negligent of the Peanuts animated specials since the early 1970s.
It's truly worth a watch especially when watching the original 1965 Christmas special!
- KinoBuff2021
- Jan 20, 2023
- Permalink
Now I am a long time of the Peanut Gang because they are part of my childhood it's just never can't go wrong with Snoopy, Charlie Brown and all of your favorite Peanut Characters
While this might not be as strong as the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas but it has a appeal to it.
This Christmas special features the Peanut Gang in five different stories all in one which you have to watch to understand
But each one is center around Christmas some can be foolish others can be enjoyable
The Animation is pretty good for the Peanuts can always be counted on for smooth animation
The voice acting is decent because it's not easy to consider it one of the gang best works
However if you're a Peanuts fan you'll enjoy the film because it still has what made them great to begin with.
It will also be good for the whole family to watch
I give Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales an 8 out of 10
While this might not be as strong as the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas but it has a appeal to it.
This Christmas special features the Peanut Gang in five different stories all in one which you have to watch to understand
But each one is center around Christmas some can be foolish others can be enjoyable
The Animation is pretty good for the Peanuts can always be counted on for smooth animation
The voice acting is decent because it's not easy to consider it one of the gang best works
However if you're a Peanuts fan you'll enjoy the film because it still has what made them great to begin with.
It will also be good for the whole family to watch
I give Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales an 8 out of 10
I have loads of trouble believing that Charles "Sparky" Schultz signed off on this let ALONE wrote it! For those of us who grew up on Peanuts characters, both the specials and the comic strip, this bears very little resemblance other than the characters look relatively the same. You need look not further than some of the quotations posted on the quotations page for this show.
Lucy Van Pelt (to Schroeder): You know why I don't want you to get me anything for Christmas? Because I know you hate me.
Lucy Van Pelt (to Linus): You have to give me a Christmas present. It says so in the Bible.
In one scene, Sally steals a tree out of another kids yard. When he confronts her and they have words, she calls him "ugly". Then she later returns the tree, dismissing her theft as a "misunderstanding".
Please do not "misunderstand" ME here. I realise this is not 1965 any longer. And no, people don't like their icons being messed with. I get that. But the original Christmas special is a classic because it addresses issues we all contend with during the holidays, from commercialism, to greed, to loneliness and disaffection, to matters of spirituality. And it does so in a way that both children and adults can understand. When someone is mean to Charlie Brown, you feel the despair he feels. There are no actual arguments, and other than the term "blockhead" (which I have never heard anyone use even in real life), no one says anything mean. Words like "hate" are never used. No one ever "steals" ANYTHING. And it certainly never perverts the Biblical message.
Children (and most adults) parrot what they see on TV. Are these the values that we wish to be teaching our children? That it's okay to steal and then call people names? That, if you don't hate me then you should be buying me something to prove that you don't hate me? I know our values as a society have gone askew, but is THIS the they way we wish to teach our children to behave? Do we not have nearly enough negative images for those who are very impressionable to sink their teeth into? To this I can only say, "OH GOOD GRIEF!!!!!!!!"
Lucy Van Pelt (to Schroeder): You know why I don't want you to get me anything for Christmas? Because I know you hate me.
Lucy Van Pelt (to Linus): You have to give me a Christmas present. It says so in the Bible.
In one scene, Sally steals a tree out of another kids yard. When he confronts her and they have words, she calls him "ugly". Then she later returns the tree, dismissing her theft as a "misunderstanding".
Please do not "misunderstand" ME here. I realise this is not 1965 any longer. And no, people don't like their icons being messed with. I get that. But the original Christmas special is a classic because it addresses issues we all contend with during the holidays, from commercialism, to greed, to loneliness and disaffection, to matters of spirituality. And it does so in a way that both children and adults can understand. When someone is mean to Charlie Brown, you feel the despair he feels. There are no actual arguments, and other than the term "blockhead" (which I have never heard anyone use even in real life), no one says anything mean. Words like "hate" are never used. No one ever "steals" ANYTHING. And it certainly never perverts the Biblical message.
Children (and most adults) parrot what they see on TV. Are these the values that we wish to be teaching our children? That it's okay to steal and then call people names? That, if you don't hate me then you should be buying me something to prove that you don't hate me? I know our values as a society have gone askew, but is THIS the they way we wish to teach our children to behave? Do we not have nearly enough negative images for those who are very impressionable to sink their teeth into? To this I can only say, "OH GOOD GRIEF!!!!!!!!"
- PeskyBear511
- Dec 7, 2008
- Permalink
I have always been a fan of the Peanuts gang, and my favorites are both Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy. With that said, "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales" doesn't have a plot but it only contains each plot of their own in five segments; it seems to me that they took five stories that were from the comic strip, and being thrown into a Christmas special. The animation is always good as some of the other Peanuts special; it is also really nice to see some of your favorite characters to be on this special and I really do enjoy for these segments so no need to go into detail about that. Overall, its not the best Christmas special, but its still fun to watch the Peanuts gang. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is definitely the best Christmas special which I will get to that later after I talked about another good Christmas special by the Peanuts gang, and that is "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown." I give "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales" an 8 out of 10.
- moviemattb
- Dec 17, 2014
- Permalink
This was pretty bad. There was no overall story like in the original special. It was basically animated vignettes from the daily comic strip. It had no structure really, no theme, just little shorts strung together to make a "movie". And I won't even go into how inferior the voicing was compared to the original.
It isn't terrible...it is just a bad one to show after the original. It is cute and would probably entertain the kids, but it really isn't for the whole family like the first one was. (do I seem a little biased toward the original? Yes?) Go ahead and watch this one, but don't expect the charm of the original.
It isn't terrible...it is just a bad one to show after the original. It is cute and would probably entertain the kids, but it really isn't for the whole family like the first one was. (do I seem a little biased toward the original? Yes?) Go ahead and watch this one, but don't expect the charm of the original.
- snapeing_turtle
- Dec 5, 2005
- Permalink
I believe this is the Charlie Brown I'm thinking about.
Last year (2002), There was a new Charlie Brown Christmas movie on. This amazed me because Charles Schultz had retired the characters with him. I guess he had made this before he died because the writing credits are credited to him. I had taped this special but can't find where I taped it, hopefully I'll find it, otherwise I hope they sell t.
It was a very nice special, this must have been it because it's dated 2002. If it's on again this year, everyone should watch it!
Last year (2002), There was a new Charlie Brown Christmas movie on. This amazed me because Charles Schultz had retired the characters with him. I guess he had made this before he died because the writing credits are credited to him. I had taped this special but can't find where I taped it, hopefully I'll find it, otherwise I hope they sell t.
It was a very nice special, this must have been it because it's dated 2002. If it's on again this year, everyone should watch it!
- Woodyanders
- Dec 23, 2010
- Permalink
Sorry but this is the pits. Where is the charm? Where is the humor? I suppose there were attempts at laughs here but it all just fell flat. I didn't laugh or smile once. Don't even get me started on the voicework. Not one character sounded like they had a genuine personality. They all sounded fake. Especially the newer kids. The classic ones felt like pale imitations of the characters I grew up with. I appreciate the effort to bring Peanuts to a new generation. But half-hearted efforts like this do more harm than good. The Peanuts specials from the '60s and '70s hold up pretty darn well, if you ask me. They certainly outclass dreck like this by a mile.
The voices are spot on - so much like the original cast of the 60s and 70s Peanuts shorts. What's not to love?!
This one is a series of short cartoons that feature a particular character per short instead of one long story like other Peanuts films we are all too familiar with.
The film is very much in the spirit of the originals!! This is definitely worth watching - I enjoyed it very much.
9/10.
This one is a series of short cartoons that feature a particular character per short instead of one long story like other Peanuts films we are all too familiar with.
The film is very much in the spirit of the originals!! This is definitely worth watching - I enjoyed it very much.
9/10.
- Rainey-Dawn
- Nov 22, 2016
- Permalink
The voices are so off from the original that it's hard to watch. There is no story line & the color & blurry animation is very distracting.
- jkrempelinsac
- Dec 20, 2018
- Permalink
This was absolutely unwatchable. How does it have over 7 stars? This is NOTHING like the Peanuts characters I grew up watching and is frankly insulting to any true Peanuts fan. And when did Peanuts characters start quoting the Bible? Was I watching the wrong show? Awful.
- marrowmovies
- Dec 23, 2018
- Permalink
- Horst_In_Translation
- Dec 15, 2015
- Permalink