Snoopy’s antics have been very strong points in the previous
4 Peanuts specials, so it makes perfect sense that it wouldn’t be long before
he ended up getting a special of his own.
This is actually one of the few non-holiday specials I owned back in the
90s when VHS was in its prime and I always really enjoyed it whenever I watched
it, and I still do today. It’s a really
fun story that shows off exactly why Snoopy is regarded as the best character
of the Peanuts gang. He’s very versatile as he lives his life always knowing
how to liven things up for himself and the rest of the gang and never needing
to use any actual dialog, adding to his charm as a character. In the case of this special, most of his
antics revolve around him getting engrossed in his fantasy as a WWI fighter
resulting in a collection of highly amusing scenes where what he pretends
interferes with the lives of the other kids.
This is what starts the conflict of them all wanting Charlie Brown to put
a stop to his dog’s mischief, and apparently the only way to do this that
Charlie Brown can think of is to send Snoopy to obedience school. However, since Snoopy is a beagle who just
wants to have fun, he ditches school and spends time at Peppermint Patty’s
place where he continues to live out his fantasy. The scenes of Snoopy living it up give a
unique look at how he views the world around him, such as how he pictures
himself at a French café on leave as he’s served root beer. Adding to the charm of these scenes is
Peppermint Patty’s absent-minded view of the world which includes her viewing
Snoopy as a “funny-looking kid with [a] big nose.” Now, considering that Snoopy, regardless of
whether or not it’s intentional, is basically mooching off of Peppermint Patty,
there are some consequences to this behavior.
After escaping Charlie Brown when he actually goes as far as to leash
him, Snoopy decides to move in with Peppermint Patty who in turn makes him do
all the chores to get back at him for making her his servant. It’s at this point where the story presents
something not just for Snoopy, but also Charlie Brown and the other kids to
learn. As Snoopy is working for
Peppermint Patty, the kids start to notice how dull their lives are without
Snoopy around and want to have him back, allowing them all to grow to appreciate
what’s good about him. As for Snoopy,
what he goes on to learn is shown in a visually striking manner. After making a mess which leads to him being
forced to spend the night in Peppermint Patty’s garage, Snoopy is shown to
think about Charlie Brown ordering him about, but also begin to feel sad and
miss him. This is a great way to show
Snoopy realize that even though others may discipline him a lot, he truly does
have a good life at his own home, and it’s all conveyed through body language
and no real dialog. That’s always a plus
as well as a great way to utilize the animation medium. Moments like this make the moment at the end
a strong and rewarding way to conclude the special with everyone happy to be
back together. Charlie Brown and the other
kids end up more accepting of Snoopy’s antics since they liven up their lives
once more, and Snoopy learns to better appreciate his life and not take it for
granted… at least by laying off his WWI fantasy and instead resorting to usual
mischief like trying to take Linus’ blanket or getting into kissing fights with
Lucy. I think the reason I enjoy this
special as much as the most popular of Peanuts specials is because it just
packs in so much enjoyment from the characters, Snoopy especially. His lively, off the wall persona bounces off
Charlie Brown and the rest of the cast very well and it’s all part of a fun
story with something for him and the gang back home to learn and is aided
through simple, yet cool visuals and some of Vince Guaraldi’s best music
composed for these specials .
There’s nothing left to say about this except it’s quintessential
Peanuts entertainment.
Highly Recommended
Ranking
1) A Charlie Brown Christmas
2) It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
3) He’s Your Dog Charlie Brown
4) You’re in Love Charlie Brown
5) Charlie Brown’s All-Stars
Be sure to stay tuned for the last Peanuts special of the 1960s, "It Was a Short Summer Charlie Brown.
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