Movie Review: Camp Snoopy is emotional, fun, entertaining and very spectacular
The Apple TV+ platform continues to be at the forefront and surprising us with very high-quality productions, its extensive catalog increasingly offers interesting and new things to see that are for all audiences with very varied themes in which we can choose what we want to see.
There has been talk here in Aztechin about the great work that this platform has done with the work that Charles M. Schulz did with the Peanuts characters, taking them to another level but without losing that essence that characterizes them and that has kept them in the taste of the public for several decades.
This summer they released a new series produced by Apple TV+ by Peanuts and WildBrain, Camp Snoopy is based on and follows the line that classic comic strips have had, and other television series such as The Snoopy Show, Snoopy in Space are just an example that classics do not go out of style, on the contrary, they still have a lot to offer.
What is the series about?
After Charlie Brown receives a call, he informs his peculiar pet that his troop is in danger of disappearing, so that this does not happen, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts embark on a journey through nature to earn their badges with the Beagle Scout Manual as a guide. Meanwhile, the Peanuts gang enjoys a summer at Camp Spring Lake, crossing paths with Snoopy while practicing activities such as hiking, swimming, rowing, and finally sitting by a campfire and enjoying everything that summer camp and the outdoors have to offer. can offer, on this journey everyone will discover that they can overcome fears and insecurities beyond what they have imagined.
It is not surprising that the quality of the stories as well as their animation are surprising, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts will have to get their badges if they want to continue being part of that guild even if they have to test beyond their abilities and that of their clueless leader who will do everything possible to keep them together.
It is always particularly appreciated that it is Apple that is in charge of these projects and not Disney, since both handle material for a more children’s and adolescent audience, how themes are approached and developed are very different and we can see the quality in the results, let’s not talk about audience ratings or the famous box office collection but about the validity that their projects have had over the years.
The main story revolves around the Beagle Scouts and Snoopy who are in danger of having to disband their troop in the absence of more training and the badges they receive for completing their activities, they very humbly and reluctantly accept that they do not know how to do anything about the tests in nature that the manual indicates, this is how they undertake a trip to the forest determined to learn and remain current but that is not all, it is in itself learning to live in a new environment and strengthen their friendship.
From this come more stories that directly involve the Peanuts gang, each one will have to face what they fear and learn to live with others in an environment different from the one they have in the comfort of their home and school, Each plot and subplot is designed to leave us a subtle but direct message about what friendship, coexistence, self-knowledge, acceptance, inclusion, tolerance, and love are, messages that we have seen countless times and that we have already seen. They do not surprise us and only serve as a stumbling block in the development of the rest.
From the first episode, we are told and told that these children will be far from home and that they only depend on themselves to spend an unforgettable summer without the annoying company of adults, once Snoopy has put on his green leader’s hat. Beagle Scout chooses a place in the forest very close to where the other children are, for his part, Charlie Brown encourages his sister Sally so that she can have her first experience at a summer camp.
If Snoopy’s troop does not obtain enough performance badges they will disappear as a group and this has been determined by the count of badges they have carried up to that moment 5 badges earned and 5 lost there is a lot of work to do which will bring pleasant and very fun moments even reaching to move us and make us think that if we put aside our fears and insecurities we can do great things.
The 13 episodes that make up this series are:
1. A BEAGLE SCOUT GET READY.
After discovering that his troop is at risk of being expelled and disbanding, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts go camping to earn their merit badges, while Charlie Brown and his friends enjoy the summer at a remote campground.
2. HOMESICK SALLY.
Sally has a hard time adjusting to camp but she makes a new friend, Charlie Brown, who asks Snoopy for help to deliver a special letter.
3. TO DIVE OR NOT TO DIVE.
Peppermint Patty turns to Snoopy because of her fear of jumping into the water headfirst, the explorers try to build a shelter while Sally and Naomi fight over who can make the best bracelets.
4. BLUEBERRY BIRDS.
Snoopy and the explorers embark on a mission to earn the foraging badge, Charlie Brown is determined to win the Pineapple prize.
5. CAMPFIRE YARNS.
The children tell scary stories, but Charlie Brown doesn’t know what to say, he doesn’t know any, Snoopy’s diary comes out along with his troop on an ill-fated canoe trip to Punta Beagle.
6. BEAGLE VS BUG.
Snoopy encounters a new nemesis, an implacable enemy, a mosquito that won’t leave him alone, Schroeder thinks the official camp song needs to be updated.
7. LEAVE IT LIKE YOU FOUND IT.
The explorers and children enjoy a hidden oasis, but their games annoy Linus. Charlie Brown and Snoopy compete to be the camp mascot.
8. FAREWELL MY BLANCHE.
Linus’s blanket gets snagged and frayed during a field trip and he ends up exhausted and without his most precious treasure, Snoopy and his troop try to sneak into the kids’ homemade pizza dinner.
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9. BED HEADS & BEAGLE CARE.
Snoopy wants the explorers to get the dog care badge by pampering him and doing everything for him in one day, the search for an imaginary treasure leads the children on a futile mission.
10. RING TOSS.
Sally feels left out when Naomi and Snoopy play hoops, the children send letters home telling about their best days at camp.
11. CAMP CRUSH.
Peppermint Patty is convinced that Charlie Brown is in love with her and wants to reject him politely, Marcie is chosen as the camp counselor for a day.
12. SALLY’S TOOTH.
Sally’s tooth falls out and she’s worried that the Tooth Fairy doesn’t know she’s at camp and can’t leave her prize; a chance discovery by Charlie Brown turns into chaos for all of them.
13. SUMMER FRIENDS.
Camp comes to an end and Sally says goodbye to her new friend Naomi, Snoopy and the scouts race to earn one last badge.
Each of the 13 episodes approximately 21 minutes takes us on a journey with this gang to discover that each one continues to have a unique and unrepeatable personality and that they cannot live together as a group for long without disputes and problems starting. , fun is something that cannot be missed and it is not just about easy laughter, it is elaborate and very well-thought-out humor so all of this is complemented by every one of the stories.
Creators Rob Boutilier and Scott Montgomery know very well where they want to take things, screenwriters Scot Montgomery, Jocelyne Geddie, Aaron Eves, Jiro C. Okada, Craig Brown, Stephanie Herrera, M.R. Horhager, Tally Knoll, Casper Lynn, Eric Toth and Montgomery himself make each episode involve us more with each of the characters and their stories, likewise, they show us more about the organization, activities and culture of the troops. scout in American camps, the importance of earning badges of recognition for what has been learned and applied in the activity at hand, identifying, learning, and developing different skills, the importance of individual and teamwork, friendship, and camaraderie.
Here there is nothing in favor of the script, everything is in its place and is narrated as it should be in a mature show for children and adults, the animation is impeccable and is taken care of down to the smallest detail without being exaggeratedly showy, the environments have a color palette with which the animators play to create new environments and atmospheres, making everything have symmetry with what Schultz did for years.
The absence of technology makes the interaction of these characters more authentic and they are represented once again as children who play, learn, and have fun with their friends, this particular point is what makes these works look current without losing their personalities and own style, something that if it had been done by other studios would fall into a technological and useless modernism, there is no need to use or exaggerate this resource to tell stories that range from the simplest to the complex.
The voice cast is made up of Terry McGurrin, Robert Tinker, Étienne Kellci, and Caleb Bellavance. Molly Lewis, Hattie Kragten, Lexi Perri, Wyatt Blanco, Lucien Duncan-Reid, Martín Cash, Malia Cea, Sera Bhaneja, Charlie Boyle, Natasha Nathan, Maya Misaljevic, Sean Cullen, Julie Lemieux, David Berni who once again give life to these characters with their voices in impeccable work from which nothing more could be asked for.
The subtle but spectacular Jazz composed by Jeff Morrow is the perfect complement that characterizes this and other series of these characters, each piece that accompanies the animated sequences gives it that serious and mature tone without boring the little ones, a work that is up to par and meets what is required perfectly well.
In conclusion, Camp Snoopy as a series takes entertainment to a level that very few have achieved in recent years, it is fun and educational, and you can see an evolution in each of its characters, mainly between Charlie Brown and Snoopy without falling completely into emotional depth, it is a charming and touching addition to the Peanuts universe that perfectly balances nostalgia with fresh storytelling while presenting meaningful lessons about friendship, perseverance and of course caring for the environment.
Camp Snoopy is now available on the Apple TV+ platform
