2/07/2010

TV on DVD: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985)


Now Available to Own



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Not only is Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic-strip alter ego Charlie Brown a Good Man but as Lucy van Pelt explains, our favorite “Blockhead” could very well have been the king if he weren't “so wishy-washy.”



Yet procrastinating about his book report on Peter Rabbit is one thing as witnessed during a hilarious sequence illustrating just why Brown may have really been a struggling writer at heart. However, ruling the land is something different altogether. And while Charlie Brown may be in possession of heart of gold, he's also the first one to admit that he's never even won a game of checkers, which makes us realize he's not exactly the man we'd want in charge.

Based on the award-winning and beloved Broadway live-action musical of the same name made decades earlier, Warner Brothers remastered the 1985 television special You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown to tie-in with ongoing anniversary celebration Peanuts releases the studio kicked off last year.

Now serving up Man as the latest offering in WB's superlative collections including The 60s, which marked the start of the TV specials and this particular play along with The 70s: Volume 1 as the series rose in popularity, Good Man is certain to be of interest to fans.



Yet as far as budgets are considered, it definitely makes more sense to wait for a box set or collection if you covet all things Snoopy related instead of spending your hard earned money on a one-episode title.

For, while the ingenious displays of innocence blended with the guise of precociousness make The Peanuts: 1960s Collection the “must own” set for enthusiasts of our favorite Good Man, this DVD doesn't quite stand out on the same level, perhaps because it was conceived on stage first before transferring the action to television.




Therefore, in bringing the live-action format to animation, the show's clunky lyrics remain right along with its episodic plot that incorporates aspects of many specials or comics. All in all, the elements don't quite gel together correctly on the small screen in a mere 48 minute work when Peanuts devotees are used to a certain style.



Once again packaging the title in its original artwork for ideal retro comic-strip feel, while WB's presentation is terrific and also includes a special on the Broadway musical, I'd recommend fans of Charlie Brown to rent the disc prior to purchasing. And even then, you may be inclined to wait it out until WB inevitably puts together all specials in one mega-set, similar to Pixar's gorgeous release of short films and a similar approach used for Nick Park's Wallace and Gromit Collection that also included Park's newest title, just nominated for an Academy Award.




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FTC Disclosure:
Per standard professional practice, I received a review copy of this title in order to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique.