Customer Reviews

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown, and don't come back! [VHS]

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Followed by Race for your Life, Charlie Brown (1977), this heavily critisized, classic 1980 Peanuts full length adventure is probably the best of the lot. Perhaps some of the critizism is true, but still, the film is tons of fun. The story is endearing, memorable, the music is cool, the characters are classic and adorable and the feel is creepy, yet absolutely wonderful. This is darker than all previous Peanuts films, but not as depressing as A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) or Snoopy Come Home (1972).

The story begins when a little French girl named Violet sends Charlie Brown a letter inviting him to come visit her old chateau in the French countryside. Coincidentally, that's when both Charlie Brown and Linus are invited to be part of a student exchange program that will take them over to Europe, Snoopy and Woodstock come along as well. At another school nearby, Peppermint Patty and Marcie are also taking part in the same student exchange program, so the group of six travels together. Once there, Peppermint Patty and Marcie are welcomed in the home of a little farm boy named Pierre, while Linus and Charlie Brown are surprised to find that when they arrived at the Chateau of the Mal Voisin, there's nobody there to greet them and they soon enroll in a mystery in which some history of the Brown family will be revealed!

What made this film so much fun was the whole atmosphere of it, it wasn't at all like previous Peanuts films, this one was much gloomier and slower, but super fun. A lof of scenes are plain hilarious, such as a scene which has Peppermint Patty attend school at the French schoolhouse and Snoopy's visits to an old tavern. The whole journey to Europe is wonderful, I love every second of it, it brings me a lot of memories of when I first watched the film, the nicest part here being the soft and sweet song "I Want to Remember This." This film was quite creepy and gloomy, I thought, and it did break a lof of classic Peanuts themes such as adults actually speaking and Marcie's calling Charlie Brown "Chuck" instead of "Charles," not to mention Charlie Brown actually receiving a letter.

Both A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) and Snoopy Come Home (1972) have greenlit DVD releases coming up soon, so why aren't Race for your life, Charlie Brown (1977) and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and don't come back!) (1980) seeing a DVD edition soon as well?

Why won't they put this movie on DVD? How many times can they double dip XXX with Vin Diesel, but we can't get Snoopy in France? I don't understand what is going on in the world!! This was a great cartoon and I wish I could watch it on DVD and restore my memories, because once you grow-up, the pain of being an adult and paying high gas prices is way too real!

In all 4 of the full-length Peanuts movies, somebody is going somewhere. In this final full-length feature, Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, and Marcy win a contest at school and are awarded a trip to Europe as exchange students (somehow Snoopy and Woodstock wind up on the adventure). The title comes from a line Lucy jealously utters to Charlie Brown ("Bon voyage and don't come back!"- she stays at home). This is possibly the first time adult voices are used (the flight stewardess has an audible voice instead of the trademarked "whomp whomp waw" voice).

In England, Snoopy plays tennis at Wimbledon. Then the gang winds up in France at a mysterious chateau whose name makes everybody shudder and Charlie finds out mysteries about his ancestors (we see a picture of his grandfather who had more hair than Chuck!). Peppermint Patty and Marcy compete for Pierre's attention but Pierre seems to prefer Marcy. There's a running gag about the windup car which Snoopy drives and Charlie Brown winds up the engine for the crazy beagle, injuring his hand every time! Other funny scenes include Charlie Brown's baguette incidents and Peppermint Patty nagging Chuck to death in the exchange classroom ("Don't lick the pages with your fingers and don't hassle me with your sighs, Chuck!"). Of course, Chuck is pushed too far and distrupts the class- "WILL YOU STOP CRITICIZING ME?!"

The story continues with the half-hour TV special What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?, which came out 3 years later.

When you think of Charlie Brown movies, you think of the Christmas Special or the Pumpkin King short films. There are also those often cheaply produced full-length films that were probably made for television as were the holiday vareity. However, "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown" outclasses any other Chalie Brown movie you will come across. The plot is well scripted, the music is awesome, and the animation precise. Just from viewing this piece you can tell a sizeable amount of time and energy went into this film to make it as good as it is. The jokes are funny (unlike many Peanuts films), and the gang's adventure to France is riveting. Is is truely a shame that Paramount has still not released this classic film out on DVD.

This is perhaps my favorite Peanuts movie...It should be classic and the fact that it is not available on Dvd is perplexing...by far the best peanuts movie ever!!

This movie is definitely worth your time and money. It is hillarious, especially the parts where (1) Peppermint Patty is lugging a suitcase down the steps and trips and falls, (2) Basically everything about Snoopy - particularly on the airplane when he's watching the movie with the bunnies in it. (3) When Charlie Brown is ordering bread at a French bakery, and when he walks out the door, the bread breaks - and then after he buys another loaf and brings it outside, Snoopy doesn't see Charlie and he closes the car hood on the bread and it breaks again - so Charlie doesn't get a piece. (4) When Snoopy is at a French bar, and a lone, soulful song is playing - and Snoopy starts crying. But all of a sudden, out of the blue, a bright, happy song starts playing and Snoopy perks up and starts snapping his fingers and smiling. This movie is great for the kids - and the entire family, young and old! A must buy, and a great addition to your Charlie Brown collection!

This is my second favorite Charlie Brown movie(only Race For Your Life is better). This is memorable because it has a mystery. Listen... charlie Brown gets a letter in the mail from a girl in France. It says he's welcome to come to a chateau, but when he, Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock get there no one's there, so they go find shelter and food is strangely given to them the next morining. Well, Snoopy got a treat because now he's really in France! So, instead of guarding Linus and Charlie Brown he goes with Woodstock to get root beer!(go figure!) What's also memorable here is that in this movie, teachers talk! Not only that but so does the unseen dark figure and an unseen waitress on the airplane. It's got adventure too as they must save the strange girl from the fire. Also, Snoopy's beloved Bunnie Wunnies are in a show"Laughing Bunnies" on the plane. Well, I've said enough. This is a real treat.

When you are a little kid, you are in the movie .This movie was so intriguing because there were no other people but the gang. It was very scary and I think this will capture the imagination of everyone. I love that they are like adults as children. I felt as if I was seeing a naughty pleasure but somehow managed to be ok. It still sticks to me like my first mystery favorite. The Rum and coca cola song playing on the jukebox during snoopy's drunken scene is a great part of movie comedy!! What a great movie! You and your kids are going to France!

This movie is very cute and funny. I loved it and watch it everyday. It includes all the Peanuts characters that you know and love. My favorite scene is when Snoopy is in the bar drinking root beer as the Flying Ace. It also reveals new things about Charlie Brown you never knew. Also one of the characters shows their real side and become a hero or herione. This is a great movie and I think you should buy it.

This was one of my favorite movies when I was a little girl! Immediately after I saw it for the first time, I wanted to learn how to speak French ... which I eventually did. I still have the old tape off the TV that my mom made all those years ago. I really ought to buy a proper copy of it. :-P

What I like best about it is it's something both kids & adults can enjoy. Everything Snoopy does in this movie is an absolute riot! I love the whole spiel at the bakery, too. ("Loaf du bread see voo play! Mare see!") And of course, I love the fact that Pierre liked Marcie better than that snot Peppermint Patty! ;-) muha!