Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Christmas-Reviewer I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES.BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVEA Charlie Brown Christmas is an animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez. In the special, lead character Charlie Brown finds himself depressed despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season. Lucy suggests he direct a school Christmas play, but he is both ignored and mocked by his peers. The story touches on the over-commercialization and secularism of Christmas, and serves to remind viewers of the true meaning of Christmas.This special seems not only get better with age but, it also gets better each time you see it.There is many pop culture references that have sprung from this special. The most popular is "A Charlie Brown Tree".If its been some time since you last saw this then watch it again. Better yet buy the DVD. The Abc Broadcast cuts a few things. A DVD is worth the money!

Eric Stevenson I almost never review stuff that I've already seen before but I will make an exception if it's something that I rewatch because this is the only thing that I consistently rewatch. In fact, given my current state of movies, it might be the only thing period that I watch over and over. I am so glad to have kept this VHS all this year and I'll never let go of it. This is my pick for the all time best Christmas movie ever. Okay, it's not really a Christmas movie as it's only 25 minutes long. It's a Christmas special or whatever. Christmas related media, I think that works too. It's the only thing I consistently watch every year, at Christmas.This actually wasn't quite the first animated appearance of the "Peanuts" characters. They actually first appeared in the late 1950's in Ford commercials. This is obviously the first TV special they ever did. I think this even set a record for most follow ups on this entire website. I counted 51 last time! Well, none are direct sequels, but you get the idea. I've seen this dozens of times and can probably repeat the entire thing word for word. If real life is ever like "Fahrenheit 911" and we burn stuff, this is the work I'm able to recite. It's gotten to the point where I've noticed every single detail about it.I can even point out every animation error! When we see Lucy's psychiatrist stand, the word "Real In" is sitting on the bottom of the screen in a closeup. When the screen changes, we clearly see that the sign is right next to the other words. When Snoopy first appears on his doghouse, he isn't wearing his collar! I know every inch of this cartoon and am proud of it. What makes this so amazing is that there's just no attempt to be elaborate. Looking at most Christmas specials, they're big with Santa Claus imagery and the like. Instead, we get the most sincere Christmas related thing ever created. Charlie Brown even himself complains about the commercialism that we see relatively little of in the whole thing! Having seen nearly all the other "Peanuts" cartoons, this is the best as the first and it will never be surpassed.The best part is obviously when Linus talks about Jesus' birth. That is the true meaning of Christmas. Even if you don't believe it, just remember that it's all done for the sake of love. It's weird looking back at all the "Peanuts" comics and realizing what jokes they took from them. We're so familiar with this version. They did however invert it when it actually had Linus' famous speech being reused in a 1966 comic strip, actually. The weird thing is that if you think about it, we never really do find out what happens to the Christmas play. I guess we've reached the point where we don't care. Everyone has seen this already, but I'll never get over how great it is. It will last forever. ****

Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki I find this to be very calming, relaxing, almost meditative. It is a pure, uncluttered plot, subtle, almost muted, and most importantly, it makes its points without getting preachy. The animation is perfect, it has a child-like innocence about it, not perfect or polished, but only slightly unrefined and rough around the edges. The same can be said about the child actors supplying the voices, the all have a sincerity to them. The lisps, stutters, difficulty in getting some of the words out, all seem genuine, and that probably would not have been, if adult actors had done the voices. Vince Guaraldi's jazzy score is one of the best scores I can think of. I can listen to the score by itself anytime.

AaronCapenBanner First animated special adapted from the popular Charles M. Schulz carton strips is one of the best, a thoughtful tale about how unpopular Charlie Brown is appalled by the increasing commercialism he sees in the holiday, and how even his own dog Snoopy is getting in on the act with his doghouse Christmas lights! Lucy then picks Charlie to direct the school play, but the other kids refuse to listen, though after Charlie's choice of Christmas tree is ridiculed, Linus reminds everyone about the true meaning of the holiday. Prescient(and now innocent) look at the exploitation and ignorance of the holiday may be a bit rambling, but touching final few minutes make up for it, with a worthy message.