Greetings,
So, it's summer, apparently. And what do people do in the summer? Well, don't the kids go to summer camp or something? At least, that's what I was told. I personally never did anything like that, as my summers were more...indoorsy. But I could live vicariously through the stories I heard from my friends, and also through the stories of a little round-headed boy and his friends. So, let's talk about one of my favorite animated movies, Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown. It's not as serious as it sounds. Or is it?
Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown was released in the summer of 1977. Hey, that makes this year its 40th anniversary. Congratulations. The plot is about our titular character and his group heading off to summer camp. It's entertaining from the start, with a pretty fun theme song, IMO, and an amusing ride on the bus. Or, lack thereof, for some of them. Once they arrive, the kids try to settle in and get used to the way the camp is run, like using what I believe is military time and all that. The boys and girls split up into their respective cabins, and we get some interesting voting strategies from Peppermint Patty, as well as an hilarious scene on a waterbed. Oh, 70's. You had weird things.
One issue that both the boys and girls must deal with, however, is a group of bullies, who have, of course, a cat. And as we all know, cats are evil. Okay, to be fair, we've got Snoopy and Woodstock, so what else would be part of the nemeses. Anyway, these kids are legit awful. I mean, they do some things that would make Eric Raymond and the Misfits say, "Whoa, kids. That's a bit much." Although, the bully group did wear matching outfits, if memory serves, so it's not like the kids had o ammunition to fight back. Oh, well. Maybe they didn't want to risk it, because like I said, those guys were vicious.
And nowhere is this more evident than in the main event of the summer and the film, the big river race. So, ya know how, in the Charlie Brown specials, we often ask the burning question "Where are the parents?" Well, in this movie, we are asking "Where are the camp counselors?" Of course, even if we could find them, I don't think I'd trust them. Who in the heck lets children take part in, what ends up being, a very dangerous river race, and in rafts that they made themselves, no less? I feel as though, come September, there may be some lawsuits.
Anyway, this is where the real adventure begins, because the kids face all kinds of interesting things whilst on this race, including, but not limited to, explosions and blizzards...in the middle of summer. Yeah, I know they're kind of in the mountains, but...no. And while we enjoy these ventures, we are also wondering who, indeed, will win the race. I mean, we do have more than one team that we can be rooting for, so the ending isn't totally easy to predict, certainly not for a child seeing it for the first time. But, even as an adult, I do find the ending rather satisfying. So, it fits the rest of the film quite nicely.
As it is probably evident, I have always been a fan of the Peanuts gang, and like I said, this is one my favorites of their productions. As usual it has some great writing with great comedy, but it also has many elements of an adventure movie. Even some moments that, dare I say it, may be a bit tense. At least for the kids. Either way, I still find this one extremely enjoyable, and not just because of the nostalgia goggles. I'd say that most of the Peanuts stuff holds up, and if you haven't seen it yet, or if you've some kids and want to give them something better than the crap movies they've been releasing lately, I say this one should be very high on your "To Watch" list. It might just be the perfect summer movie. It might be.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
