User Reviews

"You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" is an American 25-minute cartoon and the title gives away that here we got another Peanuts episode circled around Charlie and the gang. This one's from 1975, so already over 40 years old and it won an Emmy back then. The fact that Phil Roman directed here made me especially curious as I am really a big Garfield fan, his trademark series, and he didn't let me down with this one either. Script and story are as always by Charles M. Schulz. This one's all about sports, motocross for the most part, but the first five minutes belong to Snoopy playing tennis and due to my personal liking in the sport and in the character, this was the highlight for me without a doubt. Would have made a good 5-minute short too. Anyway, of course Chuck wants to kick the football again, more than ever this time given the film's subject. The rest is typical Peanuts humor. If you like their other stuff, you will enjoy this one too like the scenes with the interrupting reporter or the barber part at the very end or the pumpkin helmet. There is always some kind of sobering, maybe even slightly depressing, comedy to these Peanuts shorts. Grown-ups and their voices don't play a big part in here. It's probably not among the most known from the series, but it is among my top5 favorites perhaps, but then again I am far from a big Peanuts fan. No shot at number 1 though. All in all, I give it a thumbs-up and positive recommendation. See it.

Charlie Brown competes in a grueling motocross bike race against scruffy tomboy Peppermint Patty and his ever-irrepressible pooch Snoopy, who participates in the race under the funky alter ego of the Masked Marvel. Director Phil Roman and writer Charles M. Schulz expertly craft a lively and funny twenty-five minute diversion with a warm, engaging tone, bright, colorful animation, a funky and syncopated get-down groovy 70's workover of Vince Guaraldi's infectiously jaunty'n'jazzy score, and, most of all, a good-natured quality which in turn makes this program quite appealing and enjoyable. Comic highlights include Snoopy excelling at a solo game of tennis and throwing a fit after he loses a game to Woodstock, the always hilarious football gag, Marcia conducting interviews with the race's contestants and hogging the spotlight during said interviews, Charlie Brown being sent to the vet and Snoopy being sent to a fancy hospital after they both wipe out in the big race, Linus making an impromptu helmet out of a pumpkin for Charlie Brown, and Snoopy having a quick picnic during the race. Amazingly, the usually hapless Charlie Brown wins the race, although the prize he receives turns out to be really lame and useless. Still, it's nice to see Charlie emerge victorious for once and the central message about how it's more important to try your best than it is to win is sweet and inspiring. A total treat.