Product: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Rating: 5.0
The Most Beloved Holiday Program of All-Time!
Charles Schulz's Peanuts gang deliver the true meaning of Christmas in this 1965 Holiday Classic beloved by millions! Charlie Brown is more depressed than usual now that Christmas is in the air, and he really doesn't know why. It soon becomes clear that his problem is the commercialization of the sacred holiday. A visit to Lucy's psychiatry stand lands him in the director's chair of their school's upcoming Christmas pageant, but the lack of respect he gets from his cast and crew does little to cheer him up. Lucy's next suggestion is that he take a break to purchase a Christmas tree for the show, but Charlie Brown's selection of a scrawny twig of a tree instead of a gaudy aluminum one only makes things worse. Luckily, a recitation by Linus of the Christmas story from the Bible brings the Peanuts gang around to Charlie Brown's way of thinking. The little tree finally gets the love it needs, and Charlie Brown gets renewed faith in the spirit of the season!Of all the holiday movies and specials ever to grace the television screen, this is the one no Christmas lover wants to miss! This is the great one, the masterpiece, the tradition of traditions: "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Amidst all the Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Clauses, the Pac-Man Christmas Specials, the ten-million versions of "A Christmas Carol" (don't get me wrong, I love `em all!), this simple holiday favorite IS the diamond in the rough. It's no wonder why the Peanuts have been so successful on TV since this wonderful program first hit the air waves. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a must have on DVD, and this edition even includes an entire program as a bonus feature! "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown," is one of 3 Peanuts Christmas programs made after the 1965 original. It's a standard 23 minute special, but it is more a collection of comic strip style gags than a solid story. Likely taken directly from one year's holiday run of the actual Peanuts strip, the short jokes are funny and do reflect the holiday season (Charlie Brown is trying to sell Christmas wreaths door-to-door to buy a Christmas gift for his girlfriend, Snoopy is a Salvation Army Santa Claus, Peppermint Patty is upset about her role in a Christmas Pageant, etc...). However, the special doesn't have nearly as much charm or Christmas spirit as the classic special. Fine as a time-killer, but nothing too memorable. Still, a very nice bonus feature on a very nice disc.Those other two Peanuts Christmas specials I mentioned are available on the "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" DVD. The disc includes the doubly-long special the DVD is named for, plus the shorter "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales." Both are similar to "It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown" in structure, but the longer story (Dog For Christmas) does have the running theme of Lucy and Linus's little brother Rerun's quest to get a dog. "I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown" is sweet and charming, and features Snoopy's brother, Spike, in a major role. It's still no "A Charlie Brown Christmas," but I found it enjoyable on television this past Christmas and it's definitely been added to my wish list. "Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales" is pretty much on the same level as "It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown." Oddly enough, this disc also has the bonus feature of "The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas!" Yes, that's the making of the original Christmas classic reviewed here! So, if you enjoy "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and want to see a featurette on how it was made, you'll have to pick up the "I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown" DVD as well. Don't worry, it's well worth the low price and will provide you with great Peanuts holiday entertainment for years to come!