Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang are back in a shiny new 3-D adaptation of Charles M. Schulz’s classic Peanuts Characters, just in time for the Holiday season. The Peanuts have been a staple of American culture for children, with cartoons like “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!” and “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown.”

So how does the new Peanuts movie stack up to these classic animations? In one word : exceptionally. This movie is exactly what you expect it to be. It’s a simple, silly plot of Charlie Brown’s escapades of trying to win the heart of the “little red head girl.” At the same time, Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s lovable beagle, writes his own escapades as an airplane pilot taking down the Red Baron. Not only is this a clever reference to a classic peanuts skit, but also directly parallels to the life of Charlie Brown’s as Snoopy tries to capture the heart of Fifi. Mayhem ensues for our lovable underdogs.     

It’s a cute film for the entire family and appeals to every age group. In fact, many in attendance in my theater were older adults who came without children. The 3-D version keeps the same feel of the classic cartoons, something many Peanuts fans were worried about. It felt lifted right off the pages of one of Schulz’s comics.

The beautiful thing about this film is the wonderful moral the audience is left with. Charlie Brown is the definition of an underdog. Everything he does, he fails at. But his resilience makes him never give up and keep trying. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that every underdog has his day. It’s an inspirational message for all ages to keep trying, no matter how many obstacles life throws you.

If you want to let out the inner kid in you, make sure to check out “The Peanuts Movie.” It’s guaranteed to leave a big smile on your face.