Who doesn’t like a Peanuts special? While some aren’t as good as others, almost all of them are universally enjoyable. When they are good, the Peanuts specials not only showcase a fun story but an examination of the human condition. “Charlie Brown’s All-Stars” is one of those which looks at the human condition, particularly with regards to conviction, friendship, loyalty, and sportsmanship.
If this special seems familiar to new viewers it is because it has been available on DVD before. “Charlie Brown’s All-Stars” was the bonus special on a previously released DVD, I don’t remember which one but I think it was another baseball related storyline. It was also available in the Peanut’s 1960’s Collection set. The bonus episode on the current disc is newer, “A Charlie Brown Celebration” which is from the early 80s and has not been available on disc before that I can find.
For this story we have Charlie Brown’s baseball team being offered to get new equipment and uniforms. This seems like a great proposition, but then the caveat kicks in – girls and dogs are not allowed per the league rules. What will Charlie Brown do? Well, we sort of know what he will decide, but it’s nice to see him struggle a little bit with the decision and why. The real heart of “Charlie Brown’s All-Stars” is the baseball action.
The second special on the disc “A Charlie Brown Celebration” is much newer, from some point in the 80’s and I don’t remember watching it when it was first broadcast. Actually, I don’t remember having seen it ever. This seems to be the first time it is available on DVD. “A Charlie Brown Celebration” is different from the other Peanuts specials in that it isn’t a single half-hour (minus time for commercials) story but a series of vignettes.
Each short story is just a few minutes total length and have different characters they focus on. A couple of them showcase the trials and tribulations of school (particularly Peppermint Patty), and one even features the character of Eudora who is rarely seen. Actually, the fact that more of these vignette specials have not been produced is sort of surprising. Peanuts lends itself to both long and short form storytelling, so it was nice to see this.
If you already have “Charlie Brown’s All-Stars” on another DVD release then you most likely will not want to pick this up – unless you are a big enough fan to want all of the Peanuts specials, in which case you absolutely should pick this up.
And because they wanted me to I am enclosing this disclaimer: “Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”