Snoopy Presents, For Auld Lang Syne
|
All of this just works. ― Todd Howard |
This article needs cleanup to meet our rules and guidelines. You can help by editing it. The following reason has been specified: Needs more pointers |
| Snoopy Presents, For Auld Lang Syne | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Better than the previous New Year's special
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Snoopy Presents: For Auld Lang Syne, or simply For Auld Lang Syne, is a 2021 American Peanuts animated special. It is the first Peanuts special produced for Apple TV+, the first Peanuts special since Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown ten years prior, and the first Peanuts holiday special since I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown eighteen years prior. The special was released exclusively on Apple TV+ on December 10, 2021. It was nominated for Best Animated Special Production at the 49th Annie Awards.
Plot
On the first week of December, Lucy begins Christmas preparations for the arrival of her grandmother, whom she loves dearly. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown tries to finish his New Year's resolutions, which in typical fashion, he fails to do any of. Lucy compacts them to two specific ones: build a snowman (which he immediately fails at) and do something "remotely" creative. Elsewhere, Snoopy celebrates the arrival of his siblings. Spike, only having a childhood photo of him and the others, tries to take a new current photo, but is constantly stymied by bad luck.
On Christmas Eve, Lucy is distraught to learn that her grandmother is not coming this year (her reason is unknown) and solemnly worries that she is unloved. In an effort to feel better, she decides to throw a New Year's Eve party at an old abandoned theater, which she manages to rent with the numerous nickels Charlie Brown has paid her over the years. She invites everyone and has Charlie Brown be in charge of decorations with the other kids also helping out. Snoopy's family gets invited to play at the party; however, when Spike's camera is accidentally destroyed, Spike decides to leave, saddening the dogs.
The party does not go the way Lucy wants, as everyone finds her rules boring. Soon everyone becomes miserable as Lucy tries to get Linus to save the party, but he instead snaps back at Lucy for trying to make it about herself instead of her friends. As everyone leaves, Charlie Brown accidentally knocks down the decorations, essentially failing his second resolution. Snoopy and his siblings find Spike at the bus stop afterwards and apologize for what happened before. As Lucy misses the New Year hour, Charlie Brown meets with Linus and learns why Lucy was upset to begin with, empathizing with her.
Linus finds Lucy in her bedroom and reminds her that he loves her no matter what. Charlie Brown arrives to give words of encouragement and reveals that he brought everyone from the party after explaining the situation. Everyone pretends to restart the countdown as Lucy finally has a party that satisfies everyone, Franklin takes a good photo of Snoopy and his siblings together and Lucy helps Charlie Brown with another New Year's resolution by immediately crossing it off: Being a good friend. Sometime later, Lucy talks to her grandmother on the phone about her plans to come and visit them for her birthday, which she is looking forward to.
Why it Had a Happy New Year
- First off, this is a mass improvement over the last new year's special Happy New Year, Charlie Brown
- Excellent new and improved animation from WildBrain Studios with the characters being more expressive and having more fluidity in their movements. There is also a greater attention to more dynamic lighting and scenery colors just like the 2015 movie and you can tell they've put a lot of effort into it.
- Lucy Van Pelt is portrayed well in this special unlike in the other past Peanuts specials. Despite her ruining the New Year's Eve party by being a strict and overbearing host, she was called out for her actions by her brother Linus and has shown remorse for it as she apologized to her friends. She only threw the party just to prove that she is likable after her grandma couldn't come over for Christmas.
- The Sub-Plot of Spike (Snoopy's brother) trying to get a family photo of his siblings as they reunite during Christmas and New Year's was decent.
- The mean-spirited moments were toned down.
- Good Moral: Your friends are there to help you when you are going through tough times.
- Great Ending: Despite her New Year's Eve party being a bust, Lucy learned that she is loved and that her grandmother will most likely be able to visit for her birthday (much to Linus' horror). Meanwhile, thanks to Lucy, Charlie Brown is able to finally fulfill a New Year's resolution.
The Only Bad Quality
- Lucy, despite being likable, she was strict and overbearing at her New Year's Eve party, although it's understandable, see WIHAHNY #3 above. Thankfully Linus called her out for it.
Reception
The special was well received by critics and fans. Joel Keller from Decider.com also rated it highly, saying, "Shifting the perspective to the usually confident Lucy, and showing a moment where she has a lack of confidence, is refreshing and welcome." Chuck Wilson from The Village Voice also praised the special, saying, "Kaytis and co-writers Alex Galatis and Scott Montgomery transform Lucy from a character of nostalgia into a girl as self-reflective and searching as any young person watching the special might be. Her crisis of self is sure to resonate, and that’s a triumph not only for Kaytis and company but for the late Charles Schulz, who gave his characters the gifts of grace and intelligence but also melancholy and doubt."