You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown (1979 TV Short) User Reviews (5)

Rooting for Charlie Brown!

[OllieSuave-007 · 8/10 · 1 July 2015]

We had a little brown-bag luncheon at work and an employee decided to play this cartoon short for some fun and laughs. Even though there were just six to seven of us adults in the room, it appeared that we all enjoyed the cartoon (I could hear a lot of chuckles) for its innocence, family-friendly theme and message.

Here, Charlie Brown signs up for the decathlon at the School Olympics. After much challenges in his training, Charlie faces arrogant Fred the Fabulous, Snoopy as the "Masked Marvel" and friend Marcie in the competition.

It's not an entirely riveting story with unending adventures and suspense, but it is an innocent and charming cartoon that includes some sports scenes that will have you cheering for Charlie Brown and for some laughable moments from the entire Peanuts gang. The voice acting was good and the animation, while may not be as hi-tech or advanced by today's standards, was simple but refreshing.

It is a nice little movie for everyone to enjoy and reminds us that winning is not much as being first place as working hard and having good sportsmanship.

Grade B

A typically funny and enjoyable Peanuts TV special

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 19 August 2009]

Peppermint Patty persuades Charlie Brown to participate in the school decathlon. Charlie undergoes a grueling exercise regimen in order get into shape for the big event. He competes against Snoopy as the Masked Marvel and mean, cocky and fearsome jerk Fred Fabulous from a rival school. Meanwhile, Marcie cheers Charlie on and serves as his back up. Once again beloved Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz delivers a bright and witty story with a pleasing blend of true warmth and good humor complete with a right-on central message about how it's more important to do your best and be a good sport than it is to win. The decathlon itself is a delightful set piece: Fred Fabulous makes for a deliciously hateful foil, Snoopy shows off some fancy moves, and Charlie Brown has you completely rooting for him as he pours his heart and soul into each demanding round of the game. Among the nifty highlights are Snoopy wiping out on the pole vault and Marcie giving Charlie Brown a sweet wink at the end of the show. The bouncy score by Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen neatly alternates between the folksy and the funky. The animation might be pretty rough around the edges by today's more sophisticated standards, but it does the trick just the same. Charlie Brown's undying optimistic spirit and fierce determination are an absolute joy to behold. A solid and satisfying little hoot.

The Peanuts Gang

[Terryfan · 8/10 · 22 May 2015]

When it comes to Charlie Brown and the Peanuts shorts it's hard not to enjoy them.

There is always something special when it comes to these short films of the Peanuts gang.

This one is quite different as it centers around Charlie Brown accepting the challenge to compete in the Junior Olympus when the decathlon was the only thing left Charlie Brown agree to train for it.

The characters that were feature in this one were Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty and Marcie with new comer Freddy is a bully from the start of the games.

Being that this is a short film it is still clever how they manage to do a whole story in under 30 minutes for a cartoon like Charlie Brown.

The animation is pretty good and you shouldn't expect nothing less from these shorts as they normally had good smooth animation and simple but good back ground.

The voice acting does take some time to get use depending on what voices you grew up with in terms of Charlie Brown and Peanut characters you grew up

Specials always have their share of humor and sharing a message and these one does it well and I recently watch it again for the fan that I grew up with Charlie Brown Snoopy and the Peanut gang.

To better enjoy this you have to be a fan and it's a good film for the family

I give You're The Greatest Charlie Brown an 8 out of 10

Just Like the Competitors, This Will Exceed Expectations!

[KinoBuff2021 · 8/10 · 6 February 2023]

'You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown' is a pretty good Peanuts special. I Just learned of this special even existing and I'm pretty surprised a special this good has stayed relatively less popular than other specials. Although I can see why due to this not being a holiday special and released during the "quieter" years of the Peanuts specials.

Now this is a pretty good special even though it still pretty plain. Everything just works out great together. The classic Peanuts humor, Charlie Brown good-natured but in his own head, and Snoopy once again being a jack of all trades all make this special feel like an amazing piece of animation even when the plot takes places on a track.

Athlete or not, anyone can find some joy in this special. Give it a watch!

Charlie Brown in Another Race

[Better_Sith_Than_Sorry · 6/10 · 5 March 2023]

Plot In a Nutshell: Charlie Brown competes in the decathlon for the Junior Olympics, and being it's CB we're talking about here, you can guess how this ends up.

This 1979 special continued a theme Charles Schulz had already used a few times in the 1970s, that being Charlie Brown and the gang involved in some sort of race. There was "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown" in 1975, which featured dirtbike racing. Then 1977's feature length film "Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown" had the group in a raft/white-water contest. And two years later comes this special, featuring Charlie in yet another competition. It almost feels like Schulz was running out of ideas.

When I heard this one involved the decathlon, and when I realized it was made in the 1970s, I wondered if Bruce Jenner's popularity at the time had any influence on the plot. (For those who don't know, Jenner was the gold medalist in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic Games.) And sure enough, Jenner was mentioned not once but twice during the show. Little could anyone have known how Jenner would achieve popularity again 35 years later.

The setup for the decathlon is a bit odd. Even though this is supposed to be an inter-school competition, there are only four contestants, and three of them (Charlie, Marcie and Snoopy) are Peanuts regulars. There is only one other competitor, a certain "Freddy the Fabulous from Fremont." It's odd that there are so few contestants in the event. It's also a little strange that, even though we are told there are all sorts of events in the Olympics, and many kids are participating in them, we are never shown any. The only competition covered is the decathlon.

Some Peanuts universe notes: Peppermint Patty and Marcie are again shown attending the same school as the rest of the Peanuts gang, which seems to have begun with 1975's "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown." Prior to that it had been stated on multiple occasions that PP, Marcie and Franklin all lived 'across town' and attended a different school. Old favorites Schroeder, Pig Pen and #5 make brief appearances. Linus and Woodstock have minor roles.

6/10. Enjoyable enough with the usual Peanuts humor. But it feels like a bit of a rehash of themes and ideas. The next special after this, "She's a Good Skate," will break some new ground.