Friday, November 3, 2017

'Toon Reviews 8: Peanuts 1970s Special Part 3


There’s No Time for Love Charlie Brown








When it comes to specials that show off Peanuts’ storytelling craft, this special, as unknown as it is, is one of the specials that does it the best.  Practically every minute of it has something great to it that successfully holds the audience’s interests.  Its theme is of the kids struggling with schoolwork which prevents them from thinking of other things in life such as, as the title says, falling in love.  The first several minutes of the special sell the theme with a series of short scenes of many characters doing tests, projects, and homework assignments, all of which sell the appeal of the characters and give the unique feel of reading Peanuts comic strips about school.  Now, as someone who’s spent several years as a student putting schoolwork above everything else, I, and maybe all students, can really relate to these short scenes and the effect it has on the kids.  Also, even if you’re not a student, the school troubles can be seen as any overbearing factor of life, like a job or something.  Anyway, what we see of the gang at school leads us to the main plot of the special where Charlie Brown has to get an A on a report of an upcoming field trip to an art museum to pass the semester.  However, with his reputation of messing up in mind, the special goes in an amusingly interesting direction when he, along with Sally, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie, enter an adjacent supermarket instead of the museum and only Marcie has suspicions that they’re in the wrong place adding an entertaining charm to this plot point.  Speaking of Marcie, this special marks her animated debut. Immediately, she shows off great appeal.  She’s smart in terms of knowledge and to her surroundings, but is nervous when it comes to new activities like field trips.  Her dynamic with Peppermint Patty, whom she calls “Sir” adds to her charm for having someone to look up to for guidance.  This dynamic also benefits Peppermint Patty by presenting her as a loyal friend who helps Marcie through the field trip no matter how hard it turns out to be making her come off as more than the absent-minded character she usually is.  Speaking of which, Marcie also shows how helpful she can be to Peppermint Patty with being social.  Through observing her interactions with Charlie Brown, Marcie discovers that Peppermint Patty’s in love with him, and when Peppermint Patty objects by unintentionally saying no one could ever love Charlie Brown, Marcie points out that was a bad move through noticing that comment seemed to hurt him.  Marcie also puts things right for Charlie Brown letting him know that Peppermint Patty really does like him while also showing affection to him, though wisely behind her friend’s back.  As you can see, Marcie, as well as Peppermint Patty, prove to be the stand-out characters of this special, but really, all the characters shine in here, particularly Charlie Brown, Sally, Snoopy, Linus, and Lucy.  This is perhaps one of the best displays of personalities from the Peanuts cast.  As for how this special ends, it’s actually pretty satisfying with Charlie Brown ending on good terms with Peppermint Patty and Marcie, and even though he went to the supermarket instead of an art museum, that mess-up gets him the A he needs.  He may be built on bad luck, but it really is great to see Charlie Brown get a happy ending every now and then.  This special packs in so much greatness; the story is interesting, all the characters present are utilized greatly, and the themes are relatable and well presented.  It all results in, what I feel, is one of the strongest Peanuts specials conceived.
Highly Recommended
The Ranking
  1. There’s No Time for Love Charlie Brown
  2. You’re Not Elected Charlie Brown
  3. Play it Again Charlie Brown
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next special, the most recognizable one from this decade, the Emmy Award-wining "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving."
If you would like to check out other Peanuts special reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

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