Time for me to once again say I don't like the "Snoopy Presents: name" structure , that's my hang up of any these new specials and I say that with all of these. Getting that out of the way and the titles don't skew my thoughts, it's time.
This is the newest (as of August 2025) Peanuts special and dips into a few things Peanuts has done before. It was a running thing though most summers that the strips did summer camp. There's also the movie "Race for your Life, Charlie Brown", and the specials : "It was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown", and "He's a Bully, Charlie Brown." There's also specials that are musicals in the sense, even funnier that they were animated musicals that were based off musicals.
Charlie Brown and Sally Brown are preparing for camp, the story frames this as Charlie Brown enjoys camp and Sally- in character from other Peanuts media- not liking the idea but here is that she really doesn't want to go because of insecurity , not the just that she hates it. It goes right into a song too, like woah it's instant song. The no parents line is kind of funny. The song leads them into the camp and into the titles so it helps.
but what is behind door 3? / Copyright Peanuts
It's primarily a Sally story as, again, it's framed that she doesn't feel she fits the camp vibe and world and in a more insecure worried way. One thing I've found with these specials has been what they do with the characters. These aren't new characters or thinly spared characters -in most of the cases of these newer specials- they have decades long characterizations and even slight changes. 1963 Sally and 1993 Sally are slightly different but have their core characterizations that are well known . These specials seem to take story and decide on how to plop a Peanuts character into it. I don't think it's bad to have the idea of trying something with Sally different, because sticking to 60's and 70's stuff is also a hard for Peanuts as it did have new stuff in the 80's and 90's that are fun to go back to , but there is something off in how these stories work with characters and plots. I do think this is at least more interesting than like the Marcie special where her characterization was just strange for her known character.
I feel bad.... and Can't make joke/ copyright Peanuts
Charlie Brown is interestingly confident in this special It's notable that he does have some sort of confidence as a character though out the other media so it's fitting. He tries to get Sally to get in the water with him, but she feels a stick thinking it was a snake and ran. (Understandable) His voice actor sounds like a voice change happened at the age, and it's only jarring because it makes CB sound older, but it's not bad voice acting.
The special is also hinting at other plot through out, Charlie Brown notices that there's less busses at the camp, and that less kids are coming -from group shots- to the camp. Odd comment about "Your generation" put in there.
They have a Snoopy plot, and use him pretty restrained and less over the top, for a special with the name "Snoopy Presents" it does feel nice they aren't going overboard with him. He has a goal of looking for treasure to get rich or something. What does a dog need with money? Who knows? (Dog cars?) I do think it's funny that Sally was able to command nature to stop making noise at night, that was funny. Questions I didn't expect to ask, is tie-dying a shirt a prank?
I don't know if I should All or Clorox2
Sally gets a song of the things she doesn't like about camp, incase you didn't get that she didn't like camp. If you thought this special was going to be an arc on Sally's character find out that camp is alright or something ? Then you would be wrong. It seems that she meets a pony with blonde hair and that seems to brighten things up for her. I'm not joking. They invested a lot of time into that idea this is a less than 46 minute special , and they spent a good chunk before 20 minutes on that as a thing then it's kind of done.
They said Girls be liking ponies/ Copyright Peanuts
There's a trail closed which characters are finding strange. Peppermint Patty finds out that the camp is about to get closed because campers aren't coming as much anymore. (Says something about modern times) It causes everyone to get depressed, especially Charlie Brown. Sally finds this out and also feels bad. Depressing song too. I do like they did some animation style of the 1950 comics style. Sally tells Charlie Brown that they have to save the camp.
Lil Folks/ Copyright Peanuts
Snoopy finds the treasure chest. (I'm shocked) There's no money or gold, but a time capsule. Charlie Brown gets an idea to ... put on a show to save the camp. (A Typical plot) Lucy steals Charlie Brown's idea because Lucy. Then the rain comes because of course it does, and that means it hard for a show. Oh it's not issue, the sun fears Charlie Brown and allows the show to go on thanks to a song. Well then ok. Then another song after the song to song the song. This special was about saving nature? That song there sounds like that, am confused.
I hate to sound like a Peanuts curmudgeon. I love Peanuts a lot, and not every piece of Peanuts media is the best or prefect. There is a special where there was pretty much no plot going on for a majority of it and then something happens then it's over. I think that this one was kind of weak. The Sally plot felt like the investment wasn't worth it since it just kind of ends as it focuses on the save the camp plot. The save the camp plot is part of the special as it hinted from the early part, so it's not it's not random. It just feels strange to do a whole plot with Sally and then decide nah she's gotten over it- thanks to a pony. Part of this feels like they made this special too long. This is where going to a standard 25 minute length would be good.
It's kind of interesting how both plots just kind of end or how they get resolved easily. Sally doesn't like camp ---> meets pony---> she likes camp. Kids work to save the camp-----> it rains everything is looking bad---> here's a song----> it's fine it worked! It feels kind of strange and abrupt. It's in character for a Peanuts story to have something go wrong, especially for Charlie Brown, but it feels strange for that problem to not be something Charlie Brown figures out but instead is handwaved by a song.
I do think that these newer specials, again not against them but do find faults, do want to skew younger than what Peanuts does. That's not to say that Peanuts wasn't for a child audience , but it was always general audience. Even here, it seems too simplified to where conflicts were kind of just pushed aside to quickly. I would have liked to see how Charlie Brown thinks up away around the rain or something but nah.
The animation is fine, it's the standard look for these and it's good looking. I think the voice acting was fine, though a little strange to hear a voice of Charlie Brown sound older that happened before, though like in "Someday You'll Find Her, Charlie Brown".
For the good in the special, beyond the animation, I liked Charlie Brown still having a never give up attitude and his confidence in this. I liked him looking out for his younger sister, it feels in character. If you have only seen Peanuts in the strip before the 1990's or the Christmas special, you should know that Charlie Brown does have more than melancholy in him. To correct myself, late 1970's strips and on show some of that too. The message it wants to give is fine, I like the idea of preserving something not for yourself but for those after you. I also think facing change would have been fine too. I don't mind new specials trying something different, though taking some inspiration from later strips would have been a nice choice too. I wish the Sally story was stronger because there was some value in the idea, even if slightly out of character for her.
I don't think the songs were that strong, they were mostly passible. Peanuts has stronger much more memorable music, and none of the songs in this felt that strong.
It was an alright special, but does miss something things and some beats felt missing. I think it's enjoyable because it is Peanuts but it's not as strong as it could have been, and it has ideas but it feels like it's missing some things at times.
That's it for now, tune in next time when we save a camp that teaches kids how to make tires.
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