What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? (1983)

After releasing the Peanuts specials of the 60's and 70's in a chronological series of box-sets, one for the former and two for the latter, Warner Bros. abruptly stopped and didn't go any further, into the 80's and 90's, and I figured that was that, as far as my collecting them was concerned. But, unbeknownst to me, not only were the original Peanuts feature films finally released to DVD in 2015, there was also the Peanuts Emmy Honored Collection, a two-disc set containing eleven specials that were either nominated for or won Emmies. While one or two of them had either been in those chronological sets or I had at least heard of them, the majority were news to me and so, when I came upon this set at an FYE in Pensacola in 2017 while staying at Orange Beach, I decided to give it a shot. Because of the vagueness of the titles, I had little idea as to what to expect from any of these specials, and some of them really took me aback when I watched them (Why, Charlie Brown, Why? was especially shocking, given its subject matter), but what initially surprised me about What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? was the realization that it was a direct follow-up to Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!), picking up right where that movie ended and following the gang on part of their journey back from France. Being a fan of that flick, it proved to be a pleasant surprise, but what I was definitely not expecting was for this to turn into a very poignant and somber special that dealt with the Peanuts gang coming upon places famously tied to both World Wars, particularly Omaha Beach, and learning what happened there and the importance of the sacrifices of so many lives. It is quite an affecting cartoon, one where animation is often combined with actual wartime newsreel footage and audio, and has a very serious and touching tone throughout, but, at the same time, it comes off as very respectful, rather than being overly melodramatic and heavy-handed, as it easily could have been, and the characters manage to retain what makes them who they are, regardless off the subject matter.

While putting together a photo album of pictures taken during his time in France with Linus, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie as part of a student exchange program, Charlie Brown is asked by Sally what happened on their way back home. He then tells her a story, which begins after they left the Chatea du Mal Voisin and started back to England. Their troublesome rental car finally broke down completely and they were forced to borrow a replacement from a kindly, elderly French lady, one which had an old-fashioned cranking engine that caused Charlie Brown a lot of pain and misery whenever he had to fool with it. After getting back on the road, they became lost and were forced to spend the night camping near a beach. Linus felt that there was something familiar about the place and, waking up just before dawn and walking towards a hill overlooking the beach and along the beach itself, he realized it was Omaha Beach, the landing spot of the Allied forces on D-Day in 1944. When the others woke up, Linus told them where they were and of the story of D-Day, beginning an emotional journey that taught them the sacrifices of all of the men who died in both World Wars, whose final resting places dot the French landscape.

Sergeant Charles M. Schulz

As much as it was yet another of the many Peanuts specials directed by Bill Melendez, the biggest inspiration for What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? came from Charles Schulz's own military background, which had already partly served as the basis for Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown. The open ending to that movie, with the characters on their way home after their time in France was over, was deliberate in case they came up with ideas for any other adventures they could embark on in the interim. It was Schulz himself who came up with the idea of the characters traveling through places such as Omaha Beach and Ypres, Belgium and remembering that is where many significant and hard-fought battles took place during both World Wars. Though Schulz only saw actual combat at the tail-end of World War II, long after D-Day, he still, as anyone would, recognized the sacrifices of all those who died in action (he himself could have easily been killed, as he'd forgotten to load his machine gun, but fortunately for him, the German soldier he intended to shoot surrendered) and meant for this special to be a tribute to them, hence why the special has the simple subtitle of, A Tribute. It paid off, as this special was very well-received, both by critics and general viewers, and was not only nominated for an Emmy but also won a Peabody Award.

If there's one major downside to this special, it's that none of the voice-actors from Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown returned (likely because they were now too old) and the performances provided by their replacements, for the most part, aren't that good. Granted, the main point of this special isn't about the Peanuts gang getting into the usual mischief, but I still wish they could have gotten better voice actors. Plus, as the character this special focuses on primarily is Linus, most of the others are little more than spectators along for the ride, kind of like his own role in the movie. While Charlie Brown (voiced by Brad Kesten) is somewhat significant in that he's telling the story to Sally while putting together a photo album of their trip to France, having remembered something what happened after they left the chateau when Sally asks him if he learned anything, he, for the most part, does little more than react to what Linus is telling him about the wars. There is, however, a running gag with him where, after they trade in the rented car they started out with for an old one with an engine lever, Snoopy always makes him crank it and he always gets zapped and spun around by it until he's flung off, which does a number on his hand. Peppermint Patty probably comes off the worst here, simply because it often sounds like she's voiced by a boy. While only a girl named Victoria Vargas is listed as her voice actor in the credits and on IMDB, Wikipedia also mentions someone named Brent Hauer as having played her and I'm not inclined to doubt that, given how boyish she tends to sound and also because she's been voiced by a boy in the past. In any case, she does about what you would expect: offer no sympathy for Charlie Brown whenever he nearly kills himself cranking the car up, telling him he's holding them up, coming off as clueless about the World Wars and the significance of the various places, and getting somewhat annoyed when Linus switches from talking about World War II to World War I when they find themselves on the road to Ypres. Marcie (voiced by Michael Dockery) is also quite flat in her vocal performance, and does little more than act as a French translator, as she did in the film. And Sally (voiced by Stacy Heather Tolkin), the only other member of the Peanuts gang to appear, is present in the bookends, asking her brother about his time in France and ending the special by telling him he's putting the pictures in the album upside down.

Linus (voiced by Jeremy Schoenberg) starts out as the mostly passive, along-for-the-ride kind of character he was in the movie, but that changes when they're forced to camp overnight near a beach after they take the wrong road on their journey out of France. When they bed down for the night, it's obvious something is eating at him, but it's not until he wakes up shortly before dawn and walks over to the ridge overlooking the beach that he realizes what it is: they're at Omaha Beach. After reliving archival footage he's seen of the battle of D-Day, he tells the others as they wake up where they are and the story of the battle, before leading them up to the cemetery on a ridge where all of the American soldiers are buried. Once they leave there, and stop at a small cafe while they wait out a rainstorm, Linus reads from a book about the specific horrors the soldiers who stormed Omaha Beach faced, and when the rain lets up, they walk up to a cliff overlooking the harbor, which he tells them is where the British troops came ashore. They then travel on up to Ypres, coming upon a field of red poppies, marking a spot where a battle in World War I took place, and Linus tells them the legend of the poppies turning red as a result of all the lives lost there. He leads them on through some trenches and finds the remains of a British dressing station, telling them it's where Colonel McCrae was inspired to write the poem, In Flanders Fields, which he recites. Once that's done and they start to head out, Linus asks the question, "What have we learned, Charlie Brown?", which Sally caused him to think about again, bringing the story full-circle.

Snoopy and Woodstock (voiced by Bill Melendez), mainly Snoopy, have some memorable moments. As in Bon Voyage, Snoopy is their driver, and the flashback begins with the ending scene of that movie where they get rear-ended for the second time and Snoopy makes various gestures at the drivers while Marcie admonishes them in French. Like before, the rental car gives them trouble, but this time, when Snoopy tries to fix it when it breaks down, he gets zapped by the engine and it falls completely apart when he kicks it in anger. He tries to fix it but is only able to rebuild it into a disgraceful mess which isn't going to get them anywhere, forcing them to rent another car from an elderly French woman. Though she's not so sure about lending it to them, she becomes convinced to do so when she sees Snoopy in his World War I Flying Ace outfit and is told he'll be the driver. As mentioned, throughout the special, Snoopy makes Charlie Brown crank the car's engine lever, causing the kid constant misery, and even when he tries to make Snoopy do it himself in one scene, he's the one who ultimately ends up getting hurt. However, Snoopy doesn't go totally without aggravation himself. A couple of times, a flock of ducks crowd atop the cars and he acts like a general, barking orders at them and forcing them to march off but, while this does work, both times one duck sneaks around behind him and bites his tail. Woodstock has only one memorable moment to speak of: when the rental car falls apart, he looks at himself in its discarded mirror and attempts to karate chop and kick his reflection, hurting both his hand and foot in the process. Aside from that, the two of them do little more than learn about the tragedy of war like Charlie Brown, Marcie, and Peppermint Patty.

Technically and stylistically, What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? is very much on par with Bon Voyage in that it sports some very fluid animation and sophisticated panning shots, more detailed environments and backgrounds than normal, and an instance where an adult character, the elderly French woman (voiced by Monica Parker) who lends them the replacement for their rental car, speaks actual dialogue and her face is seen onscreen. As with that movie, the art direction and designs are very true to life, this time in representing notable landmarks and remnants of the World Wars, like Omaha Beach, Le Pointe du Hoc, the American cemetery up on a ridge near those two locations, a red poppy field in Ypres, enormous blast-points in the ground, wartime trenches, and the remains of a British field dressing station. Also among the most notable pieces of visual work in this special is the integration of actual wartime archival and newsreel footage, either presented by itself or with the characters rotoscoped in the foreground, such as when Linus first realizes they're at Omaha Beach, and with bright, colored filters placed over it to make it line up better with the animation and which give it a strangely surreal and uncanny quality. In addition, there are painted images that appear from time-to-time, either to represent scenes of war or, most poignantly, to represent the lives of those who died in war, the latter of which are tied to Linus' recitation of McCrae's In Flanders Fields.

Technical accomplishments aside, what can really get to you about this special is the tone and how dramatically it shifts. It starts out like it's going to be a fairly typical, silly Peanuts cartoon, possibly with some educational value added in, given the title and Sally's asking Charlie Brown if he learned anything significant while he was in France. The flashback, as I've said, begins with the ending of Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown, where the characters drive off in the rental car driven by Snoopy, get caught up in another pile-up when they get rear-ended three times over, and head off after Marcie and Snoopy admonish the drivers in their own individual ways. When the special proper starts, there's a funny bit of business where, while driving through a small village, their car gets overrun by a bunch of ducks and Snoopy jumps out of the car, holding a switch akin to what a general would have, and literally barks and growls orders at the ducks, getting them to march off (the sounds Bill Melendez makes for this are especially funny), only for one of them to slip up behind him and bite him on the tail. Following that, their rental car breaks down, as it did in the movie, and Snoopy, again, tries to fix it, but this time, he gets shocked by the engine and, getting angry, kicks the front of the car, causing it to completely fall apart and hurt his foot in the process. Following that comes the moment where Woodstock tries to do karate on the mirror, only to hurt his hand and foot in the process, and while the kids head into a cafe to have lunch, Snoopy tries to figure out how to fix the car. In the cafe, there's the gag from the film where the kids have a hard time understanding the menu. (Weirdly, I think a couple of the lines in this scene were said in the wrong order. Peppermint Patty: "What are you going to order, Chuck?" Linus: "Why don't we all order something different, and then, one of us will get the right thing?" Charlie Brown: "I don't know. I don't know. I can't read the menu." See what I mean?) By the time Snoopy is done with the car, it's a total disaster of a mess that barely sputters along, forcing them to trade it in for another car, the old-fashioned with the crank-lever engine that gives Charlie Brown nothing but trouble as the special goes on. While leaving, a girl on a bicycle nearly hits their car, and angrily yells at Snoopy in French, but he merely kisses her and drives off.

But, after this very light-hearted beginning, when they get lost and decide to spend the night camping near a beach, the special starts to become something else as Linus walks to the hill overlooking the beach as dawn is approaching and realizes it's Omaha Beach. As he looks down at it and then slides down the hill, you get artwork depicting D-Day and color-filtered newsreel footage appearing all around him, and it's quite impactful to see a Peanuts character juxtaposed with such imagery. He then tells the others where they are and its significance, taking them to the hill overlooking the beach and telling them, "Thousands of men came ashore right here where you're standing... It was terrible. I read that, by 10:30 in the morning, over 3,000 men had been killed or wounded." He points out the old turrets that dot the hillsides, telling them, "See, from up here, the enemy could fire right down on the invaders," and then points to a structure out in the bay, explaining, "That's where the Allies had built an artificial port. Two weeks after D-Day, a violent storm took the whole thing apart." They next go up to the top of Le Pointe du Hoc, which Linus tells them the United States Army Ranger Assault Group scaled, and Marcie translates a sign up top that reads, "Here remain combatants. The battle, in its chaos, has united them for eternity." But, as impactful as these moments are, they pale in comparison to when Linus leads the group up to the cemetery for the American soldiers and tells them of a speech that General Eisenhower later made about D-Day. Linus starts to recite it, but then, a recording of Eisenhower himself is played: "On this day, many hundreds of men came here, the British, and our other allies, the Americans, to storm these beaches for one purpose only: not to gain anything for ourselves, not to fulfill any ambitions that America had for conquest, but just to preserve freedom, systems of self-government in the world. Many thousands of men have died for ideals such as these, and here again, in the 20th century, for the second time, Americans, along with the rest of the free world, but Americans had to come across the ocean to defend those same values. But these young boys, so many of them, whose graves we have been treading, have been looking at, wondering and contemplating about their sacrifices, they were cut off in their prime. But they never knew the great experiences of going through life, like my son can enjoy. I devoutly hope that we will never again have to see such as scenes as these. I think and hope, pray, that humanity will learn more than we had learned up to that time. We must find some way to work to peace and to regain an eternal peace for this world." Throughout the speech, you see more archival footage, as well as the animated recreation of the cemetery itself, and the powerful shot of the kids standing amidst the graves and looking at them, none of them saying a word. And when they head to leave, it starts raining, adding to the downbeat atmosphere, Linus telling them that such a storm was what destroyed the artificial port.

When they stop at a cafe in a small town, Linus reads to them about what happened on D-Day, this time going into more detail about the specifics of the battle: "When the first units of the 116th Infantry tried to land, they were met by a hail of fire. Within minutes of the ramps being lowered, one company was desolate. The assault on Omaha Beach was a shambles. The engineers assigned to clear the beach of obstacles suffered appalling losses, few of their surviving teams landed in the right places. For their heroic effort the engineers suffered 41 casualties. Meanwhile assault groups were being pinned down on the beach. As the tide crept in, exhausted troops were slow to rally, and even slower to move up the beach. Along the peril bank, the bodies of the living and the dead formed a solid, motionless belt 20 feet wide. By 9:30 A.M. the situation was so bad that the commander considered abandoning Omaha Beach. In all this confusion, isolated groups began to move up the block." You get more archival footage as Linus reads, and while you, obviously, don't see any footage of actual death, you do see soldiers dropping, no doubt from being shot, ships exploding, and when Linus mentions the belt formed by countless bodies, you see something that could be what he's describing, although the colors and filters appear to obscure anything that could have been really disturbing. When the rain stops, Linus leads them up a hilltop, where the British came ashore, and they climb up onto an old tank, where he points out another artificial port which managed to survive the storm that destroyed the one at Omaha Beach.

And finally, there's the last scene of the main story, where the kids head up to Ypres, the site of many battles of World War I. They're driving along, when Linus tells Snoopy to stop, as they have to see what they've come across. When they get out, he shows them a field of red-colored poppy flowers, explaining, "There's a legend that says where battles were fought, these white flowers all turned red, and in the center of each one, there was a cross." He then leads them across the field, through the wartime trenches that remain, and past enormous blast-holes in the ground, before finally stopping at the remains of a British field dressing station, which he tells them is where Lt. Col. J.M. McCrae wrote the poem, In Flanders Fields, which he proceeds to recite: "In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row/That mark our place, and in the sky/The larks still bravely sing and fly/Scarce heard amid the guns below, we are the dead/Short days ago we lived, felt dawn saw sunset glow/Loved and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders Fields/In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow/Between the crosses, row on row." His recitation is punctuated by shots of the crosses with poppies growing between them, the larks flying about in the sky, and, most hard-hitting of all, shots flashing back to the aftermath of the battle, with makeshift grave-markers, and images of happier times, alluding to the life those who died there once had. And when they're leaving the cemetery, that's when Linus asks the question, "What have we learned, Charlie Brown?"

You'd never expect a franchise based on a comic strip that focused on the misadventures of a kid who has to deal with issues such as getting tricked into taking a kick at a football that will be pulled out from under him and a pet dog who endlessly drives him nuts to deal with such heavy subject matter, nor would you expect it to actually work, but, surprisingly, it does. The scenes of the kids visiting locations such as Omaha Beach, the American cemetery on the nearby cliff, and the poppy fields in Ypres are, as I've described, quite affecting, thanks to the visuals, the subject matter, and the music score and dialogue, be they an actual recording of General Eisenhower or Linus' very poignant recitation of In Flanders Fields, and yet, they never feel that heavy-handed or, given the characters involved, misguided. It's odd how the Peanuts characters can be placed in such significant and serious scenarios, be it this, dealing with the issue of childhood cancer (Why, Charlie Brown, Why?), or taking part in various important events in American history (the miniseries, This is America, Charlie Brown), and still retain what makes them who they are, while also not harming the ultimate message. And yes, while this special does get pretty heavy with the somber tone and its teaching the significance of the sacrifices of both World Wars, it never feels like it's try to bash the viewer over the head with it but rather, is simply getting the point across the only way it can. The only con I think of in this regard is that the transition from this being a little epilogue to Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown to the story of the kids learning this sobering lesson does feel a bit sudden. Bon Voyage did have some ties to this subject matter, given the story of Charlie Brown's grandfather meeting Violette Honfleur's grandmother while he was stationed in France as a soldier, but that was just backstory, so it still comes off as abrupt when Linus, realizing where they've decided to camp out, starts telling them everything he knows about D-Day and the like. It's a well-told lesson, mind you, and I guess Charles Schulz felt their being in France in that film made for a nice segue into it, but I feel there could have been more of a lead into it, like maybe have Charlie Brown bring up his grandfather or look over his military satchel, which Violette gave to him as a keepsake (none of that is mentioned here, in fact). The only real sort of lead-in is Snoopy wearing his World War I Flying Ace outfit when they get the replacement rental car and even that's meant as a gag more than anything else.

The music score was composed by Judy Munsen, who worked on the score for Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown with Ed Bogas and often scored the specials in the years following Vince Guaraldi's death. In stark contrast to that movie's music, what she came up with here is one of the most poignant and moving scores you're ever likely to hear in a Peanuts cartoon. Mind you, though, there are some bits of light-hearted, comical music for scenes such as the recap of the ending of Bon Voyage, Snoopy's dealings with the ducks, which are done as a faux marching piece, and Woodstock fooling around with the broken mirror from the car, which has an oriental sound since he strikes a karate pose in front of it. Also, the main title theme is pretty unassuming, with a hint of one of the motifs from Bon Voyage, and the score has moments of classic-sounding French music here and there in keeping with the setting, but once the true subject matter of the special becomes apparent, the score takes on a very somber and reflective sound, sometimes coming off as very soft and poignant, and other times swelling into a moving symphony. A perfect example of both comes during Linus' recitation of In Flanders Fields, which starts off as a soft, sad-sounding oboe theme, then crescendos into a tragic string section, before ending on the oboe again. And there are moments where there is no music, notably when the recording of Eisenhower is played, which is something you don't often get in cartoons at all and helps sell certain moments and scenes better.

What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? is, most certainly, one of the most distinctive, moving, and, honestly, important Peanuts specials that's ever been produced. While the voice-acting could have been better, and the lead-in to the true subject matter could have been less sudden and abrupt, everything else about it shines, from the animation and detail to the backgrounds and environments, to the visuals of the newsreel footage, the painted imagery, and the effectively moving music score. But, what really makes this special is how genuinely effective it is in getting across the significance of the lives lost in both World Wars through a combination of incredible visuals, very poignant music and dialogue, especially the use of real audio from General Eisenhower and Linus reciting In Flanders Fields, and a serious tone that does its job but never feels heavy-handed or preachy and is not undermined by the presence of Peanuts characters. It's truly one of the franchise's greatest accomplishments and one that I would recommend both to fans who've never seen it and parents who want to teach their kids about what happened in World War I and II without overly traumatizing them. It's definitely something to make a tradition of watching whenever Memorial Day comes around.

Stuff I Grew Up With: Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (1980)

Cartoon Network's Cartoon Theater, a weekend programming block that showed various animated movies (films like the Land Before Time series, An American Tail, the Loony Tunes movies, and so on) and was a staple of the network for a long time, often played two of the four original Peanuts feature films: this and Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown. Being eleven going on twelve around that time, these two movies, as well as the reruns of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show on Disney Channel and occasionally seeing one of the annual specials, served as my main childhood experiences with the Peanuts cartoons and I thoroughly enjoyed both of them (in fact, these movies are the Peanuts cartoons I've seen the most in my entire life). I always remembered the two very different TV spots Cartoon Network came up for them: while Race for Your Life had an overly dramatic one, narrated by Don LaFontaine, Bon Voyage just showed a bunch of random clips from the film, with the traditional "wa-wa-wa" adult "voice" acting as the narration. As a result, I didn't know really what to expect from it, save for the idea of Charlie Brown and some of the kids going over to France, but, like I said, when I did watch it, I enjoyed it quite a bit, and always looked forward to both of the movies whenever they were aired. Once Cartoon Network stopped showing Cartoon Theater, I didn't see either of them for many years, as they were only available on VHS until 2015, and I had no idea they'd even been released on DVD until that following spring, when I was on a trip in the Smokey Mountains and found them in a set at a Books-A-Million in Pigeon Forge. Since I hadn't seen them in so long, and was now collecting every Peanuts-related thing I could get my hands on, I scooped that pack up very quickly. I must say, as much as I enjoyed it when I was a kid, as an adult, I now appreciate what a unique departure from the usual Peanuts formula Bon Voyage is. Not only is there a lot more detail to the animation, the environments and backgrounds are very rich and true to life, and adult characters actually appear onscreen and speak real dialogue, there's also some true dramatic weight and significance to the story, which is very unusual. Therefore, I consider this to be one of the best Peanuts animations that's ever been produced.

Much to his surprise, Charlie Brown learns in class one day that he and Linus have been chosen to take part in a student exchange program, where they're to travel to France and spend two weeks there. Upon hearing the news, he heads home and invites Snoopy along as well. He's also shocked when he checks the mailbox and finds he's actually received a letter meant for him, only to look at it and see it's written in a language he can't read. And then, on top of everything else, he gets a call from Peppermint Patty, who tells him her school is taking part in the same student exchange program and she and Marcie are going over to France as well. The next day, the group heads off to the airport and board their plane, with Snoopy, somehow, managing to travel first class, and with Woodstock sneaking aboard as well. En route, Charlie Brown shows Patty and Marcie the letter, which is written in French. Marcie, who's been studying the language, translates it and tells Charlie Brown it was written by a girl named Violette Honfleur, whom he's never heard of but who has known of him all her life and has invited him to stay with her at the Chateau du Mal Voisin in the town of Le Heron. The group lands in England, and after some misadventures, such as Snoopy having a slight difference of opinion with a referee at Wimbledon and the kids being unsure of what it is they're ordering at a London cafe, they head over to France via hovercraft. Renting a car, which Snoopy drives, they travel to Morville, where Patty and Marcie are to stay with a family who live on a farm. But, after Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock head to the chateau, Pierre, the boy who greets the girls at the farm, tells them they can't possibly be going to the Chateau du Mal Voisin, as its owner is a reclusive baron who despises outsiders, especially foreigners. Sure enough, when they arrive at the chateau, and get caught up in a rainstorm, no one appears to be home and they're forced to spend the night in the stables. Though they make it through the night and attend school the next day, Pierre continues to insist they're in danger from the Baron and that Violette invited them without his knowledge. Little does Charlie Brown also know that Violette invited him because of a decades-old connection between their two families.

As with the Peanuts television specials, the four original movies were all directed by Bill Melendez, who co-directed Bon Voyage with frequent collaborator Phil Roman, who'd directed many of the specials made in the 70's and would work on a few more before forming his own production company and focusing on directing the Garfield specials. Though Roman would go on to be involved with some other feature films, most notably when he directed 1992's Tom and Jerry: The Movie, this would prove to be the last feature Melendez would direct or produce, as he would go on to stick primarily with television and direct-to-video projects, mainly more Peanuts cartoons. It's a shame, because I think he managed to mesh the style of the specials really well with feature animation and it would have been interesting to see what other movies he could have done.

It really seems like nobody tells Charlie Brown (voiced by Arrin Skelley) anything, as it's only in class, the day before they're to leave, that he learns he and Linus have been chosen to partake in a student exchange program where they'll spend some time over in France. Seriously, no one, not even a teacher, thought to let him know beforehand? Despite being taken aback by this news, he goes with it, mainly since he has no choice, and invites Snoopy along. He also finds a letter addressed to him in the mailbox, which excites him, but his excitement is squelched when he finds it's written in a language he can't read. On top of that, he learns Peppermint Patty and Marcie are going to France as part of the same program. In addition to dealing with the usual jeers from some of the kids, like Sally asking him not to embarrass them over in France, learning that his baseball team tends to do really well whenever he's away, and Lucy adding the, "And don't come back!", to the kids', "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown!", Charlie Brown also has to put up with Snoopy bringing along a ton of luggage and his somehow managing to make it to first class, as well as Patty's usual putdowns and obnoxious behavior. Sure enough, the minute they arrive in England and are presenting their passports, Charlie Brown makes a fool of himself, nervously exclaiming, "I have nothing to declare, sir! I throw myself on the mercy of the court!", and embarrasses Linus. But, other than not being sure of the menu at a London diner (as well as not even being sure what it was they had for lunch afterward), and, when they reach France, buying some bread, only for his half to get sliced off by the hood of their rental car, Charlie Brown's problems really don't start until they arrive at their destination. He, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock get caught out in the rain, find no one at the Chateau du Mal Voisin to let them in, and have to spend the night in the stables. This is especially insane to him because Marcie translated the letter he got, which was an invitation for him to stay at the chateau.

When he and Linus wake up the next morning, he's further perplexed and spooked when he finds that someone brought them blankets and food to eat. But, he can't worry about that, as he and Linus have to get to school, and when they do, meeting up with Patty, Marcie, and Pierre, he learns from the latter about the Baron who lives at the chateau, how he hates strangers, and that his ward and niece, Violette Honfleur, invited Charlie Brown there without his knowing. After suffering an irritating day at school where Patty, who's made to sit beside him, annoys him to no end with her constant, minute criticisms, leading him to blow his top and get them sent to the principal's office, Charlie Brown and Linus return to the chateau, only to find that, once again, someone brought out food and made their beds. Since Snoopy to be an untrustworthy watchdog the night before, Charlie Brown and Linus decide to take turns standing guard, only for Charlie Brown to fall asleep during his watch, irking Linus. While he sleeps, Linus sneaks into the chateau, meets Violette, and learns why she invited Charlie Brown, only for the chateau to accidentally get set on fire. Charlie Brown hears Linus' yelling for help and, seeing what's happening, rushes to Pierre's farm, where the fire department is contacted, while Snoopy and Woodstock help keep the fire under control until they arrive. Once the fire is out, the Baron has a change of heart and allows the kids to stay there, which is where Charlie Brown learns the truth about Violette's interest in him.

The revelation is that Silas Brown, Charlie Brown's grandfather, who was a soldier in the U.S. Army, was stationed at the chateau during World War II. He and Violette's grandmother became very friendly and kept in contact in letters long after the war ended and he returned to America. Eventually, the letters stopped, but Violette's grandmother always remembered Silas, whom she saw as a charming and handsome man. Having grown up with stories about Silas, Violette had heard about Charlie Brown through a friend who was in America and had his hair cut by a barber who just so happened to be Charlie Brown's father, prompting her to invite him over. This is interesting and unique among Peanuts material, since we never, ever see Charlie Brown's parents, to the point where it's almost like they don't even exist (although, his father being a barber is an established part of the franchise), so it's nice to get some kind of family history on him, and when he leaves at the end of the movie, he receives Silas' satchel, which Violette has kept with her. It's also worth noting that Charles Schulz is said to have based some aspects of this story on his own military experiences of being stationed in France in World War II, specifically in that he was stationed at a castle called Chateau Malvoisin, very much like the chateau featured here.

Because neither Sally nor Lucy are along for the trip, Linus (voiced by Daniel Anderson) doesn't have the usual foils he plays off of and, as a result, there's not much to say about him. Even though he's the one who proudly announces he and Charlie Brown are the ones who have been selected to take part in the student exchange program and go to France, it feels more like he's simply along for the ride, seeing as how Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie get most of the focus. The one significant thing he does is sneak into the chateau during their second night there, after Charlie Brown has fallen asleep on guard duty, and confront Violette Honfleur about what's going on and why she invited them there. That's when he learns about her grandmother's connection to Silas Brown, but before she can explain much further, she accidentally causes a fire that engulfs the chateau's attic. Panicking, Linus yells and wakes Charlie Brown, who promptly runs down the road and gets Pierre to call the fire department. As he and Violette are climbing out of the windows, he tosses his blanket down to the others, who use it as a makeshift net to catch Violette when she jumps, but for some reason, Linus himself opts to jump down into a water basin Snoopy pushes underneath him.

As usual, Peppermint Patty's (voiced by Laura Planting) role in the story is to put down and annoy Charlie Brown to no end and she's especially insulting to him here, right from when she first calls him up to tell him she and Marcie are part of the student exchange program. She figures he wouldn't know anything about it, since it's for "outstanding students," and when he tells her that he and Linus have been accepted into the program themselves, she grumbles, "Huh. I guess it's not such a great honor after all." Once they're on the plane, Patty accuses him of holding out on them when Marcie reads the letter and finds it was written by a Violette Honfleur, and later, she embarrasses him by yelling aloud how she'll take care of him when they touch down. She also makes the mistake of making insulting comments about Snoopy when he's walking around with a bowler hat, dark glasses, and an umbrella, remarking, "Who does he think he is? The prime minister?", receiving a whack on the head for it, and has some trouble in the baggage claim area when they arrive in England. One of the most irksome things she does is, when their rental car, breaks down, she blames Charlie Brown for no reason, and then pushing him into going and getting some bread so they can make sandwiches for lunch, leading to more aggravation for him. But, far and away, her most obnoxious moment comes during their first day at school, where she has to sit beside Charlie Brown and, among other things, gets mad at him when he doesn't put down the answer she thinks he should, accuses him of embarrassing her when he correctly answers a question she got wrong, and nitpicks every single thing he does, like nibbling on his eraser, drumming his fingers on the desk, licking his fingers when he turns a page, and even his sighing and breathing. Eventually, Charlie Brown reaches the end of his patience and yells at her, leading to them getting sent to the principal's office, which she, again, blames him for. And finally, she convinces herself that Pierre, the French boy whose family she and Marcie stay with, and who she tends to refer to as Pete, has a crush on her, even though he obviously has become close with Marcie. She's so delusional about it that she tells Charlie Brown not to sit or walk too close to her, and at the end, when they're preparing to leave, she goes on to Pierre about how he'll have to get over it, as she's not into "summertime romances," much to his aggravation. Really, the only decent thing she does is show concern for Charlie Brown and Linus when Pierre mentions they could be in danger from the Baron.

Marcie (voiced by Casey Carlson), who at this point had usually been portrayed as somewhat naive and, in some cases, downright dim-witted, is much more akin to the bookworm she's commonly depicted as here. As she's been studying French, she proves invaluable to the group, acting as an interpreter, most notably in how she translates Violette Honfleur's letter for Charlie Brown and helps with the directions. She also proves to be able to talk trash in French with the best of them, as they get rear-ended by several cars two times and rants at the drivers, saying something that really enrages them. And, as much as Peppermint Patty doesn't seem to grasp it, she and Pierre become quite close during their time in France and can often be seen holding hands. Pierre is more than willing to accept a loving hug from her when it's time for them to leave, which Patty still doesn't see the significance of, thinking it's Marcie being overwhelmed by having to leave and not understanding that Pierre likes her instead.

You can't have a Peanuts feature film without Snoopy and Woodstock (voiced by Bill Melendez) getting into a lot of mischief and they more than fill their quota here. Charlie Brown soon comes to regret having invited Snoopy, as he brings along an ungodly amount of stuff, somehow manages to get himself booked into a first class seat, and gets into a dispute with a tennis referee at Wimbledon that leads to him getting kicked out... and that's before they even get to France. Once they do, Snoopy acts as the driver for their rental car, loving to grind its gears, provign to have some mild road rage issues when a bunch of cars slam into his backside, and is the one on hand to fix the car whenever it runs into trouble. The latter is an instance where Woodstock, who's a stowaway on the trip to begin with, makes some trouble for his friend, as he turns the windshield wipers off in the middle of a rainstorm, prompting Snoopy, who thinks they're stuck, to get out and try to fix them... only for Woodstock to turn them back on, causing Snoopy's paw to get caught up in it. Once they reach the Chateau du Mal Voisin, only to find themselves unable to get in and are forced to sleep in the stables, Charlie Brown and Linus appoint Snoopy as their watchdog. But, once they're asleep, he and Woodstock sneak off to a nearby cafe and spend the night listening to music and guzzling down mug after mug of root beer. They wander back the next morning, completely ignoring Charlie Brown admonishing Snoopy for being a crappy watchdog, and go straight to bed. The following afternoon, after Charlie Brown and Linus come back from school, they find Snoopy and Woodstock helping themselves to some food that's been set out for them, though they do nothing to try to explain to them where it came from and head on back to the diner for another night of partying. This is where Snoopy proves to be anything but man's best friend, as he later overhears the Baron talking about how he's going to be forced to get rid of Charlie Brown and Linus his way if they're not gone by the next day, insinuating violence, and Snoopy couldn't care less. I know Snoopy has always shown to be pretty disrespectful of Charlie Brown, but that was a new low (and before anyone says he's drunk, remember that he's drinking root beer). But, when Charlie Brown tries to get help when the chateau catches on fire, Snoopy and Woodstock use an old water pump and hose to keep it under control until the fire department arrives, despite some problems here and there.

In England and France, the group meet a number of different characters, including two kids who are quite significant. One of them is Pierre (voiced by Pascale De Barolet), a French farm-boy whose family is the one Peppermint Patty and Marcie stay with. A friendly and welcoming kid, especially towards Marcie, given how she's made an effort to study French, Pierre is the one who warns them of the danger Charlie Brown and Linus could be in while staying at the Chateau du Mal Voisin because of the reclusive and cruel baron who owns the place. He continually frets for their safety during their time there, adding that Violette Honfleur likely invited them there without the Baron's knowledge, and, at one point, remembers Violette speaking about an American friend of her grandmother's. As mentioned before, there's a definite connection between Pierre and Marcie, despite what Peppermint Patty convinces herself of, and when they're saying goodbye at the end of the movie, it's clear Pierre wishes Patty would stop droning on about something she's totally wrong about. Violette Honfleur (voiced by Roseline Rubens) is in the film for very little but is actually an important character, as she writes the letter that invites Charlie Brown to stay at the chateau. Little did she know that the Baron, her uncle and legal guardian, would be very unhappy with this and forbid the kids from entering the chateau. During the time Charlie Brown and Linus stay there, Violette brings them blankets and fresh food while they're sleeping out in the stables, and tries to get her uncle to invite them in, but he refuses and warns her to get rid of them by the next day, or else. That second night, Violette is shocked when Linus sneaks into the chateau and demands she explain everything, leading her to tell the story of how her grandmother met Silas Brown during World War II. But, while she's talking with him, she hears the Baron return and, in a panic, knocks over a candle, setting the chateau's attic on fire. Thanks to everyone else, particularly Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Pierre, who calls the fire department, she and Linus are saved. She later tells the whole story to everyone, noting that she learned about Charlie Brown through a friend who had their hair cut by his father while on a trip to America. Because the chateau is saved, the Baron allows the boys to stay there for the rest of their time in France and they leave on very good terms, Violette giving Charlie Brown his grandfather's army satchel as a keepsake.

The rest of the Peanuts gang make little more than cameos during the film's first seven or so minutes. Sally (voiced by Annalisa Bortolin) has the most dialogue, as she talks with her brother about the letter right after he gets it out of the mailbox, and also advises him not to embarrass them while he's in France. In addition, when Charlie Brown tells Schroeder to take care of the baseball field while he's away, Sally adds, "The last time you went away, big brother, your team won three games in a row." Speaking of which, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, Frieda, Violet, and Patty all show up but have no lines, save for when they all exclaim, "Bon voyage, Charlie Brown!", while seeing them off at the airport. Lucy (voiced by Laura Planting), of course, adds, "And don't come back!"

In a true rarity, a number of adult characters actually appear onscreen, their faces fully revealed (though, only the London taxi driver who picks Snoopy up from Wimbledon gets a close-up), and, what's more, they speak actual dialogue. These changes were made because they realized it would be rather difficult to tell a story about the kids traveling across France and taking part in a student exchange program otherwise, making Bon Voyage a unique part of the franchise. Virtually all of the adult male voices were provided by Scott Beach, who often had to put on a British or French accent, and that includes the unnamed Baron who lives at the Chateau du Mal Voisin. He's very memorable in how all you ever see of him the few times he's onscreen is his shadowy silhouette and you never get a close shot of him, save for one of his fist when he's banging it on a bar. He's also not only is he an actual villain but a potentially dangerous one, too, as he threatens violence against Charlie Brown and Linus if they're not gone from the chateau, telling the bartender at the diner that they'll suffer severe consequences. No reason is given for why he's so antisocial and xenophobic, seeming like he's just a hateful old man who doesn't want anyone around his place, angrily grumbling to Violette, "Why can't we have peace?!", and writing off her desire to be hospitable to the boys, given how fond her family, especially her mother, have felt about Americans in the past, as foolish. But, as stern as he is towards Violette, he's horrified and frantic when the chateau catches fire, running about in a paniac, and when Charlie Brown and the others help save her, the Baron has a total change of heart, allowing the boys to stay in the chateau for the rest of their stay and adding that he'll never be so unwelcoming to strangers again.

From a technical and visual standpoint, Bon Voyage is one of the most sophisticated Peanuts cartoons ever produced. The animation is the most fluid and bouncy it's ever been, showing that the franchise had come a long way since its low-budget beginnings with A Charlie Brown Christmas, and the design of the movie is much more detailed than you normally get. While it starts off in the traditionally simple style before the kids leave for Europe, once they arrive, it becomes much more true to life to what you would see in London and the French countryside. Granted, I've never left the United States at all in my life (I do hope to travel abroad some day, though), but given that the film's design was based on what Charles Schulz saw while he was over in Europe, I would assume it is very accurate, and from everything I've heard, it is. London does come off as very authentic, with the look of the streets, the double-decker buses, the inclusion of Wimbledon, and the train station and airports, but the loveliest visuals are the many panning shots of the various countrysides and small hamlets they come across, such as when the kids take the train to Dover to catch the hovercraft (here, you see a transition from the city to the countryside), and when they're driving through France in the rental car, which has a number of first-person views through the windshield. These shots show that the movie had something of a budget behind it, and likely employed the revolutionary panning techniques Walt Disney developed on his first few animated features back in the late 30's and early 40's. You can tell they were proud with what they had accomplished, as these sequences are very plentiful and are a bit lengthy at one points, which some people may have an issue with but I never do.

Really, the only instance of this movie stylistically feeling more like the cartoons that came before it, aside from the opening, are when Snoopy loses it at Wimbledon and, during his angry rant, the background behind him becomes one of pure, bright color, going from red to yellow, purple, and light blue throughout it. There's even a moment where it tries to feel like a comic strip, as Snoopy jumps, lets an enraged yell, and the sound is actually translated into onomatopoeia in big letters below him, which read out, "AAUUGGHH!" That alone is a big reason why that entire sequence is one of my favorites in all of Peanuts.

More than likely, you wouldn't expect Bon Voyage, or any Peanuts cartoon, to have instances of a spooky atmosphere. Some may feel that It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has such instances but, while that special can be wonderfully atmospheric, I never found it to be particularly creepy at points; the latter parts of this film, however, are a different story. What makes it effective is that it's all light-hearted fun, until Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock drop Peppermint Patty and Marcie off at Pierre's farm and head on to the town of Le Heron. They get caught up in a bad rainstorm and the panning shots of their surroundings become much more ominous as a result, with the pounding rain and thunder, and an occasional lightning bolt far off in the distance. It effectively captures the uncomfortable feeling of being lost in bad weather in a strange place, and it only gets worse when they get off the main road and head down a dirt one that takes them to the Chateau du Mal Voisin. The chateau itself as an unwelcoming a place as you can get, looking very gloomy and creepy, especially since they find that it doesn't look like there's anyone there to greet them. After getting separated for a minute on the grounds, and then futilely attempting to get someone to let them inside the actual building, they're forced to sleep in the stables. Even after the storm quiets down, things are still eerie, and to add to it, when Charlie Brown and Linus wake up the next morning, they find that someone had put blankets on them and brought them food while they were sleeping. On top of that, when they return the next afternoon after their first day at school, they find their beds have been made and there's more food laid out for them, even though there's still no sign of anyone around. Though this is eventually revealed to be the work of Violette, it is surprisingly creepy for a little bit.

The use of lighting and shadows is also quite novel and effective for the Peanuts. The film's opening features a brief first glimpse inside the chateau, with Violette looking at the satchel that is later revealed to have belonged to Silas Brown up in the attic, which is lit only by the light of her candle, giving off a melancholic vibe, and when you later see more of the place's interior when Linus sneaks inside, it's just as dark, spooky, and mysterious, not to mention enormous, as it is on the outside. Speaking of Violette, when you later see her when she's standing on the chateau's doorstep, talking with the Baron, she's enveloped in a halo of light from the candle, making her stand out from the gloominess of the rest of the shot and almost making her come off as angelic when contrasted with her uncle, who's always a dark, shadowy figure. The approach of never seeing the Baron up close and having him always be nothing more than a silhouette not only helps give him a sinister and threatening vibe that goes well with his voice and threats of violence against Charlie Brown and Linus but also nicely ties him in with the place he lives in, which only becomes brighter and more welcoming after he's had a change of heart following the fire. I also like how, after the storm stops when they first arrive at the chateau and Snoopy and Woodstock sneak off to the diner, the film captures the atmosphere of a quiet night, with no music, and just the sounds of croaking frogs and Snoopy casually whistling as he and Woodstock cross over the small bridge and head back down the road. The interior of the diner has a very warm, mellow, and welcoming feeling, coming off as fairly dim, with certain parts of the room highlighted within large halos of light, usually from a candle, and the background when Snoopy and Woodstock first walk in has painted, static images of people, meant to represent a patron and the bartender, making it feel expressionistic. And Snoopy's getup, consisting of an army hat and scarf, combined with his setting at those small tables with burning candles on them, give off a feeling of it taking place in the period during and around World War II.

But what truly makes Bon Voyage such an enjoyable movie, besides the many, many instances of humor and fun, is that it actually has an interesting and well-told story, one that unfolds like a mystery. When the movie begins, the first thing you see is the French diner in the midst of a rainstorm, and you watch the Baron drive off and head back to the chateau. It then cuts to the inside of the attic, where you see Violette looking at the satchel, and you're likely wondering how this connects with the Peanuts gang, as it's far unlike the opening to any of the other cartoons and animated features that have been produced. And when we finally get into the familiar characters, you have the question of who wrote the letter to Charlie Brown, inviting him to stay at the chateau during his time in France, why no one is there to greet them when he and Linus arrive, and who exactly Violette Honfleur is and why she would invite them when the Baron despises strangers. As I've said, it also becomes rather suspenseful when the Baron is threatening to get rid of the boys with potentially deadly force, and it's interesting to hear some information on Charlie Brown's family history.

Following that opening, and after Charlie Brown learns he and Linus are going over to France, he walks home from school and tells Snoopy about it, inviting him along and telling him to get together whatever he wants to bring. He then finds the letter in his mailbox and is excited he finally got one directly addressed to him, only to be taken aback when he sees it's written in a language he can't read. Walking into the house and telling Sally about it, he gets a call from Peppermint Patty, who tells him that she and Marcie have been selected to take part in the same kind of foreign exchange program (in a weird goof, she can actually be seen in the classroom when Linus announces he and Charlie Brown are going over to France). The film cuts to Snoopy's doghouse, in front of which he's gathered a big mass of luggage that includes not only suitcases but also a baseball bat, a tennis racket, and a bowling ball, the latter of which he rolls out of his house. He puts his thumb in the one hole, only to yank it back out when Woodstock, who got in there after following him into the doghouse and was likely then rolled over by it, protests. Snoopy brings out his golf-bag, takes out an iron, and practices his game using Woodstock as a makeshift golf-ball, though Woodstock gives him an unfair advantage by merely walking towards and falling into the hole after Snoopy taps him with the club. The movie then cuts to Patty, who's packing her suitcase and tells Marcie her motto is to pack lightly... and then, when she closes her suitcase, which requires her to sit and bounce on top of it, it's so heavy that she has to drag it across the floor. She manages to get it out the door, but trips on the steps to her house and falls flat on her front, the case landing on top of her. Marcie comments, "Now I know why you travel light, sir: in case your luggage falls on top of you," which Patty merely frowns at.

Woodstock, who's watching this from nearby, runs back to Charlie Brown's house, where he steps out on the front step with his suitcase and is met by Linus. The two of them exchange pleasantries, such as, "Good morning, fellow exchange student," and, "Hello, fellow exchange student," when Sally, who's standing in the doorway, remarks, "If I had my way, I'd exchange both of you." Woodstock then flies over towards Snoopy's doghouse, where he stands with his enormous pile of luggage, wearing a beret and a pair of dark glasses. Seeing this, Charlie Brown tells him he's going to have to leave some of it behind, and Snoopy, after looking the baggage over, removes one golf club from his bag and tosses it aside. Charlie Brown facepalms and grumbles, "Why can't I have a normal dog, like everyone else?" Woodstock is shown standing by the doghouse, a look of some concern on his face. The next scene shows why he looks that way, as the group heads to the airport while he watches from beside a trashcan, sighing and obviously feeling left behind. Inside, the group of travelers say their goodbyes, with Sally telling her brother not to embarrass them over in Europe, as well as letting him know that his baseball team does a lot better whenever he's away.

Woodstock watches from behind the wheel of a luggage cart as the group heads towards the metal detector (when they do, Lucy is among them, instead of Marcie), which Snoopy, who's out in front, sets off. He then sheepishly removes his dog collar and puts it on the conveyor belt, picking it back up after he walks through the metal detector. The kids walk through the detector, not having any problems, and that's when the other kids yell, "Bon voyage, Charlie Brown!", with Lucy adding, "And don't come back!" They ride on a moving walkway, unaware that Woodstock is following them. He becomes skiddish about riding on the walkway himself and, instead, opts to ride on the moving handrail. Snoopy drives up beside them in a cart as they head towards the departing area and they get inside, when he suddenly speeds off towards the escalator that goes up. They get flung onto it, are thrown off when they reach the top, and wobble dizzily over to where they present their tickets, Charlie Brown commenting, "What a trip. We haven't even left the airport, and I'm already sick." Again out in front, Snoopy presents his ticket, which turns out to be first class, much to Charlie Brown's bewilderment, and when he's allowed to head over to the VIP lounge, he wonders how Snoopy manages to get such a ticket. Linus' answer? "He's your dog, Charlie Brown." As with the moving walkway, Woodstock is unwilling to ride on the actual escalator and instead opts to go up on the handrails.

The plane takes off and, inside, Snoopy is looking at the first class menu and chitters excitedly at the delicious meals that are available. He makes his selection, actually smooching his lips at the stewardess when she asks him as much, and blushes as he gives her back the menu. While Patty and Marcie get their own lunches in the back, Snoopy is shown receiving his, and gets an added surprise when he takes the lid off the dish and sees that Woodstock managed to stow away. He's overjoyed to have his friend along, but then the stewardess comes by and he has to quickly hide Woodstock, shoving him into one of the built-in ashtrays in the seat's arms. Once she's gone, he takes him back out and the two of them share the meal: a large roast. They scarf it down in just a few seconds, both of them being stuffed once they're through, and after the stewardess takes the dishes away, Snoopy puts a set of headphones on and starts listening to some music. Woodstock, however, is not happy about this and protests, indicating he wants to listen too. To solve the problem, Snoopy picks him up and lets him share the left earphone. Meanwhile, Patty and Marcie visit Charlie Brown and Linus in their seats, where Charlie Brown shows them the letter he got. Marcie translates it for him, telling him it's from a girl named Violette Honfleur and that it's an invitation to stay with her at the Chateau du Mal Voisin (the Chateau of the Bad Neighbor). Charlie Brown is totally dumbfounded by this, as he doesn't know anyone named Violette Honfleur, and begins to think he should've stayed home. The girls go back to their seats as the in-flight movies starts. The woman over the intercom mentions that a film called Laughing Bunnies will play in the front and rear, while one called Naughty Mariette will be in the center (isn't that latter title kind of eyebrow-raising?). Snoopy and Woodstock are then shown laughing their asses off at Laughing Bunnies (some of which seems suspiciously like reused animation from It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown), when a mean kid sitting in the seat behind Snoopy leans over and whacks him in the head with a rolled up paper, causing his noggin to pulsate wildly.

Later, Charlie Brown looks out the window and excitedly tells Linus that he sees land. Linus looks out the window as well and, pointing out several notable regions, like Inverness and Glasgow, deduces that they're flying over Scotland and should land in London within the hour. At that moment, many rows up ahead of them, Peppermint Patty annoyingly calls to Charlie Brown as if he's five years old, telling him she'll take care of everything for him once they touch down. Another dissolve, and the announcement is made that they'll soon be landing at London's Heathrow Airport. Hearing this, Snoopy, who's been reading the Wall Street Journal, puts it aside, on top of Woodstock, and fastens his seat-belt. He then hits the button that leans the back of his seat onto the girl who whacked him with the paper earlier. He whistles innocently, but she promptly throws it back and it smacks on him. Once he gets over that headache, he removes the paper from atop the protesting Woodstock. The plane then lands and the group disembarks and meets up on their way to customs. While walking together, Patty notes how Snoopy is wearing dark glasses, a bowler hat, and using an umbrella like a cane. Remarking that he must think he's the prime minister, she gets bopped on the head with the umbrella, before they head to Passport Control. Snoopy presents his and Woodstock's passports to the man in charge, who notes they're staying on holiday. After letting them pass, he asks for Charlie Brown's passport, and after he gives it to him, Charlie Brown gets nervous and makes an embarrassing spectacle of himself with his, "I have nothing to declare, sir," speech, getting down on his knees when he says he throws himself to the mercy of the court. Linus totally cringes at this. Next, they go to baggage claim, and Patty has a time getting her bag off the twisting conveyor belt, as she gets caught on and is pulled around by it, all while protesting (much of her protesting is recycled from Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown). Snoopy yanks her off with his umbrella, laughing at her misfortune, and goes to get his baggage, when the same thing happens to him. He goes around a couple of times, caught up in the massive heap of baggage he has with him, until it gets thrown off by the machine itself. Marcie walks over to the heap and, after unzipping a bag, which Snoopy climbs out of, she sees Woodstock wobble out, with one of the golf-club coverings on his head. Snoopy heads back over to the baggage claim, grabbing his hat, umbrella, and glasses, and retrieving his beloved food dish from the conveyor belt.

The group departs the airport in a cab and admire the scenery as they head into London, when they come up on a sign that notes that Wimbledon is up ahead. Snoopy motions for the driver to stop and he and Woodstock disembark, trading in his glasses, bowler hat, and umbrella for a tennis hat and a set of rackets. Charlie Brown asks him where he's going and he hands him a card that states he's apparently a member in good standing of the Wimbledon Tennis Club. With no other recourse, he allows him to go, reminding him to be at Victoria Station at 5:30. The cab drives off and Snoopy and Woodstock walk over to the gates of Wimbledon, which they slip through easily. They enter the tennis field through the South-East Hall and, after passing by and bowing to the royal crest up on the wall, Snoopy selects his racket and heads onto the field, again bowing to the crest. The referee announces, "Play, please," and Snoopy serves the ball, which gets batted back to him and whacks him right in the face: "Love 15." Irked, Snoopy gets over his dizziness and serves the ball again, only to get it smacked right in his mouth when he rushes to catch the return: "Love 30." Pulling the ball out of his mouth, spitting, and grumbling at the taste of it, Snoopy, now really agitated, serves again, and this time, when he rushes to hit the return, the ball hits the boundary line. Snoopy thinks this means good news for him, but is not happy when the referee gives his opponent the point. He argues about it and the referee declares, "The ball was in! Love 40! Play please!" That's when Snoopy emulates John McEnroe's poor sportsmanship, yelling angrily, smacking his racket on the ground, jumping up into the air and letting out an enraged screech, and tossing up his racket and kicking it. He then stomps over to the referee's stand and takes the plug out of one of the wheels, causing it to deflate. The referee yells, "Mr. Snoopy!", in shock at his audacity, while Snoopy just laughs hysterically. His laughing is cut short when the stand starts to shake (I used to think it was threatening to fall over but I now think it's meant to be the referee climbing down, ready to put his foot up Snoopy's back-end) and Snoopy, realizing he's in deep trouble, quickly blows the wheel back up and puts the plug in. He then runs for the gate in a panic, but is literally kicked through it before he reaches it, along with his tennis equipment. He collects his balls and puts them back in their container, only to dump them back out when it turns out Woodstock ended up at the bottom of the container. The bird sticks his head out and rants at Snoopy for putting the balls on him (if you haven't noticed yet, this is something of a running gag with him here).

Elsewhere, the kids are attempting to have lunch at a diner, but have a problem with the menu. The waiter doesn't help, as he tells them, in a very thick, Cockney accent, "For the gentlemen, I recommend the beef & kidney pie. The shepherds pie's rather nice for the ladies. A cheddar & pickle sandwich is rather toppo. What'll be your pleasure, mate?", and Charlie Brown can only ask Marcie what he said, to which she says, "Perhaps I should have studied English, not French." Meanwhile, Snoopy flags down a taxi. Once inside, the driver asks him where he wants to go, and Snoopy grumbles in an incomprehensible manner. The driver intones, "Blimey, it's a bit dicey understanding these Yanks," and asks Snoopy to repeat what he said, only to say it more slowly... but he pretty much makes the same noises as he did before. The driver must decide just to guess and drives off regardless. After the kids finish their lunch (though Charlie Brown admits he doesn't know what they ate), they take a bus to Victoria Station, wherein they meet up with Snoopy and Woodstock before boarding a train. They then embark for Dover and we get a montage of panning shots that transition from the city of London to the English countryside, set to a soft song called I Want To Remember This. A couple of hours later and they reach Dover, where they board a hovercraft to cross the sea and reach France. After they've made the crossing and disembark, Snoopy and Woodstock make the mistake of standing right next to the hovercraft when it takes off again and heads back across, ending up as disoriented fluff-balls.

They next head to a rental car agency, where Snoopy elects to drive the car, signing the contract with his paw-print. Receiving the keys, Snoopy and the kids head over to the car, which is a blue-colored one, and place all their belongings inside. Snoopy, using a suitcase to give him an extra bit of height with which to see over the steering wheel, starts the car, which immediately proves to have a tendency to backfire, and its gears groan and grind loudly. They head onto the main highway and are about to make a turn, per what the map says, when a car suddenly rear-ends them, and another car rear-ends it, followed by another. Marcie sticks her head out of the open sunroof and angrily admonishes the drivers in French: "Qu'est-ce que tu as dans la crâne? Oooh, les cornes! Qu'est-ce que tu veux que je fasse? Que dalle! Le pied de nez! Tu veux nous frotter?" (If anyone knows what she's saying, please let me know. Also, I'm sure it's a different person other than Casey Carlson doing this, as Marcie now sounds like an adult woman.) All the while Snoopy makes various aggravated gestures, like smacking the sides of his head, wagging his fingers at them while keeping his hands on the sides of his head, acting like he's flicking his thumbnail at them, flapping his chin towards them, and making several hand gestures at them, which are all basically different ways of saying, "Up yours." (What you could get away with in children and family movies back in the 80's.) The other motorists become thoroughly enraged at this and start ranting at them, while Snoopy puts the car back into gear and drives away, laughing at how angry they are. Marcie seems pretty satisfied with herself as well.

After a lot of driving, they approach the town of Morville, where Peppermint Patty and Marcie are to get off. Charlie Brown tries to figure out where exactly he and Linus are to go on, when they come to the sign that states that Morville is up ahead. Driving into the middle of the town, and turning right on the first intersection, they head on, searching for a farm that's supposed to come up on the right, when the car suddenly gives out and stops. Patty, for whatever reason, decides to blame this on Charlie Brown, complaining that she was just starting to get hungry as well. As Snoopy gets out of the car and fiddles with the engine, Patty spots a bakery and sends Charlie Brown inside to get them some bread so they can make sandwiches. He walks in, asks for one loaf of bread, and receives it (he doesn't pay for it, oddly), but when he tries to go back out the door, he makes the mistake of carrying the bread horizontally, causing the ends of it to snap off in the doorway. Sheepishly, he picks up both ends and puts them back on, holding the loaf vertically, when he gets a sniffle. This causes him to nearly lose his balance and fall over with it (he lets out the classic, "Augh!", yell), but he manages to right himself. Just as he walks back to the doorway, he sneezes and sends the pieces of bread flying up... and they never come back down. With no other recourse, he asks the man for another loaf and gets it (once again, he doesn't have to pay for it, either). This time, he tries to work out how to get through the door with the bread, and finds it's best to just hold it up vertically as he walks out. But, when he gets outside, he turns the loaf horizontally again, and Snoopy ends up slamming the car's hood down on it, ripping off a big chunk of one end. Charlie Brown lets out a yell of frustration, while Snoopy looks at him like, "What?" Back on the road, everybody's eating sandwiches, save for poor Charlie Brown, and Patty decides to pour salt in his wound by noting, "Boy, Chuck, this is great. That was real generous of you to feed your share to the car. Notice how well the car is running since you gave it some bread?" Everybody then laughs at him.

They come upon the farm on the right, where a young boy is waving for them. Learning that they're at the right place, Patty and Marcie disembark and are introduced to the boy, Pierre, who's especially happy to meet Marcie, since she's made an effort to learn French. Since they need to get going, Charlie Brown and Linus tell them that they'll see them at school the next day and drive off. However, when Pierre hits on the fact that Charlie Brown mentioned a chateau, he's horrified when he learns they're going to the Chateau du Mal Voisin. He tells the girls that the boys could be in serious danger, as the Baron would never allow them to stay there, and has them follow him into the house to see if they can do something. Back with the rental car, night has fallen as they continue down the road, searching for the town of Le Heron. A rainstorm suddenly breaks out and Snoopy flips on the windshield wipers... only for Woodstock to flip the switch back without his knowing. Thinking the wipers are stuck, Snoopy stops, gets out of the car, jumps on the hood, and bangs on the wiper with his fist and tries to shove it. Woodstock, realizing what's going on, flips the switch again, only for Snoopy to get his paw caught in the one wiper and get wiped from side to side. He gets thrown off the hood and climbs back inside the car in a daze and drives on, glaring at Woodstock, who whistles innocently. The town of Le Heron comes into view and they pass by the school they're to attend, while Snoopy becomes excited when he spots a cafe up ahead. Charlie Brown sees that they're getting close to where they're to turn off, passing by a nursery and greenhouse, and then find a dirt road that goes off to the left. They stop, and Linus says he doesn't see any sign of a chateau, as well as notes that it's kind of dark and spooky out, right before there's a loud crash of thunder. With no other choice, they drive on down the road, until they come to a small bridge. Snoopy gets out, looks around, and spots the chateau. Charlie Brown and Linus get out to have a look at it, too, but a sudden flash of lightning and thunder sends them all running back to the car and they drive across the bridge.

At Pierre's farm, he's made some calls but they haven't proven useful, and he tells the girls that all they can do is wait until morning; Marcie tells Patty, "I don't think I like this, sir. Chuck didn't fly all the way over here to get mugged." Back with the boys, they pull up to the chateau's main gate, which is anything but inviting. Charlie Brown knocks on the door, while Snoopy walks along the long, stone wall surrounding the place and finds a spot where he walk onto the grounds. He walks into a small tower and up a flight of stairs, towards a very narrow, vertical window. Trying to get a better look, he sticks his nose through it, and Woodstock flies on and lands on it. Snoopy then finds that his nose is stuck and tries to pull it off, when lightning strikes it, causing him to yank it through and hop up and down, yelling in pain and patting at it; Woodstock is quite shaken by what happened as well. Having heard Snoopy's yell, Charlie Brown and Linus run to the opening in the wall he went through. Out in the yard, Snoopy's umbrella is struck by lightning, sending him and Woodstock running off in a panic, and the boys rush inside, looking for them. They sneak around a corner, and are horrified when a frightening shadow appears on the wall, but it turns out to merely be Snoopy. The gates are then blown shut by the wind, scaring them even further, and they all rush to the chateau's main door. Wet, cold, and thoroughly frightened, Charlie Brown knocks on the door but it seems as though there's nobody home, which dumbfounds him. They spot a dry place, an old stable, and camp there with their things, using their shirts as makeshift blankets. Charlie Brown tells Snoopy, who's now wearing an army cap and red scarf, that they need him to be their watchdog and let them know if anyone comes around. As it's stopped raining by this point, Snoopy walks out into the yard and marches back and forth like a proper guard. But, when Charlie Brown and Linus lie down and fall asleep, Snoopy and Woodstock sneak off.

The two of them walk back across the bridge, down the road, and to the cafe they saw when they came in. When they walk inside, Snoopy puts a coin in the jukebox, sits down at a table, and orders a root beer. Guzzling it down and licking the foam off his lips, he starts busting a move to the upbeat, jaunty tune that starts playing, and when it ends, he goes back to the jukebox, puts in another coin, and pushes a lot of buttons. He sits back down, guzzles another root beer, and starts listening to a mellow tune called Gonna Take a Sentimental Journey, which Woodstock provides a violin backup to. Snoopy's mood seems to sour a little bit, and when the song turns more sentimental, he starts to tear up, and motions for another root beer. After it drinking down, he starts crying and pounding the table, only to change his tune back to happy when the music does the same. He gets yet another root beer while listening to this song, but then it's back to sobbing, much worse than before, and another root beer when a sad song starts playing again. That's when the music that first played starts up again and he drinks his sixth root beer and starts dancing on the table. It's clear he danced and drank the whole night away, as the scene transitions to morning back at the chateau. Charlie Brown wakes up and is shocked when he realizes he has a blanket on him, as does Linus. He wakes Linus up, showing him the blankets, and points out a tray of food nearby. Charlie Brown then wonders what happened to Snoopy, when he and Woodstock wander back to the chateau. He admonishes him for sneaking off, saying, "We could have been mugged, for all you care!", but Snoopy simply yawns and he and Woodstock crawl underneath Linus' blanket. Linus looks at his watch and realizes they're going to be late for school, though Charlie Brown is more worried about what's going on. Linus says they'll have to figure that out later and he and Charlie Brown leave the grounds, the latter saying, "It's sure spooky, Linus. I hope it all works out soon."

At Pierre's farm, he and the girls are pitching hay, wondering if Charlie Brown and Linus are okay, when it's time for breakfast and they head back to the house. While they do, Peppermint Patty tells Marcie she thinks Pierre, whom she's mistakenly referring to as "Pete," has fallen for her, but Marcie just tells her, "Don't worry about it, sir." After breakfast, which Patty is taken aback by, as it consists of cheese, sausages, and soup, the girls get dressed. Patty, who's given a satchel to carry her books in, comments that she's never once carried books to school, to which Marcie says, "That's why you get all those C's and D's, sir." At school, they meet up with Charlie Brown and Linus, the former of whom tells them of the awful night they had. Pierre then tells them about how reclusive and antisocial the Baron is, and when Charlie Brown shows him the letter he got from Violette Honfleur, he says she must have sent it without the Baron's knowledge. Linus wonders why Violette specifically invited Charlie Brown, when the bell rings and they head inside. In the classroom, Pierre introduces the four of them, with Patty, of course, having to make a spectacle of herself, declaring, "As someone once said, 'Lafayette, we are here!'", confusing two French students, as one asks the other who Lafayette is. When she sits back down, she, once again, tells Marcie that she thinks "Pete" has fallen for her, saying that he spoke so nicely of her, and is a bit disappointed when the teacher has her sit with Charlie Brown, while Marcie is to sit with Pierre. Taking her seat beside Charlie Brown, and telling him not to sit too close to her, as Pierre may get jealous, she then tells him they might as well help each other, saying, "If you know an answer, Chuck, and I don't, you tell me what it is. If I know an answer and you don't, I'll tell you what it is." That leads to this exchange: "What happens if neither of us knows the answer?" "We'll punt!" The teacher then asks, "What was the significance of 1066?", and Patty answers, "Well, it all depends. Is it a date or an address?", giving off a dumb smile, while Charlie Brown has a look of, "Oh, God," on his face.

The two of them are next seen doing some work, when Patty looks over at Charlie Brown's paper and annoyingly tells him, "False! Why did you put down false, Chuck? The answer is true, Chuck! What's true is true! Put down true, Chuck, or I'll never speak to you again." The teacher, overhearing this, asks Charlie Brown if Patty is giving him the answers and he answers, "Oh no, ma'am. She's not giving me the answers. Forcing, maybe, but not giving." Patty becomes miffed at this but they go on working, until Patty dozes off. The teacher then asks, "How many times does 25 go into 75?", and when Charlie Brown doesn't respond, he says he didn't hear her because, "I guess there was an airplane flying over or something," i.e., Patty's snoring. The teacher addresses Patty directly, asking her the same question, and she snaps awake and blurts out twelve. When that, of course, is wrong, she then yells out six, when Charlie Brown gives the correct answer of three. Patty is not happy that he contradicted her and "made a fool" out of her, grumbling, "You don't like me, do you, Chuck?" Now comes the moment when she starts criticizing every single thing he does: telling him to move his elbow, telling him to stop wiggling around, and telling him, "Sighs can start arguments, too, Chuck." She shoves him over, telling him he's in her way, and pushes him right out of his seat. The teacher sees this and Patty simply says that Charlie Brown isn't very coordinated. Charlie Brown climbs back into his seat and is hit with a barrage of criticisms: "Don't chew on your eraser, Chuck. It bugs me. Stop drumming your fingers on the desk, Chuck. That grosses me out. And don't hassle me with your sighs, Chuck. Don't breathe through your mouth, Chuck. Don't lick your fingers when you turn the pages, Chuck. And don't scrape your feet on the desk." Finally, Charlie Brown loses his patience and yells at the top of his lungs, "WILL YOU STOP CRITICIZING ME?!", sending Patty falling out of her seat. The next shot shows them sitting outside the principal's, or directeur's, office, with Patty grumbling, "Another fine mess you've got me into, Chuck." (This whole bit was taken straight from the comic strip and was later redone in an episode of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show.)

Once school is out, the kids head off together, with Charlie Brown now dreading going back to the chateau, after hearing what Pierre said about the Baron. Patty tells Charlie Brown that they'd invite him and Linus to stay with them and Pierre, but she's afraid Pierre may get jealous and advises him not to walk so close... even though Pierre is obviously holding hands with Marcie. When Charlie Brown and Linus head back to the chateau come twilight, they cautiously enter the grounds and walk to the stable, where they're surprised to see Snoopy and Woodstock eating food from a recently set table, and that their beds are made. Snoopy makes no attempt to answer Charlie Brown's questions about who did it, as he puts on the same getup he wore the night before and he and Woodstock head straight for the cafe again, not even bothering with the pretense of being on guard duty. Linus figures they may as well keep watch themselves, electing to take the first watch himself, though Charlie Brown tells him, "I'm worried about the Baron. Pierre said that he was a very mean man." Over at Pierre's house, he and the girls are gathered around the fireplace, as Patty continues worrying about Charlie Brown and Linus, while Pierre says he remembers how Violette often talked of her grandmother and an American friend she had during World War II.

Late that night, at the chateau, Linus, who's really tired, wakes up Charlie Brown so he can take over the watch. Though he doesn't wake up fully, he agrees to take over, as Linus lies down to get some sleep. But, as he sits there, with his head resting on his hand, it doesn't take long for him to doze back off, and as his back is facing the chateau, he doesn't see a light travel through the building, past the windows, and down to the door. The dark figure of the Baron walks out the door and off-camera, then pulls up in his car, as Violette stands in the doorway with a candle. He tells he's going to be at the cafe for a couple of hours and that she is not to let Charlie Brown and Linus inside, ranting about her having invited them to begin with. He also refuses to listen to her when she talks about how much her mother liked Americans and that they must be hospitable, telling her that she must get rid of the boys by the next day. After he drives off, Violette brings some fresh food out to the boys, and drapes the blanket around Charlie Brown, who's slept through the whole thing, before heading back inside. Linus then awakens and is absolutely enraged when he sees that Charlie Brown fell asleep while on his watch, grunting angrily when he slumps back over onto his side. The scene transitions to the cafe, where Snoopy and Woodstock are, again, having a fun time drinking down root beer and listening to music. The two of them play a game of foosball and, even though Woodstock is so tiny and unable to turn two levers at once, he manages to give Snoopy some nice competition, especially when he jumps down amidst everything, blocks the ball from going into the goal, and carries it through the fake players and tosses it into the opposite goal. Woodstock laughs happily at his victory, and strolls back and forth on the rim of the table, carrying a sign that reads, WE'RE #1, when he and Snoopy overhear the Baron ranting to Francois, the bartender, about how he wants Charlie Brown and Linus out of the chateau. He goes on about how he will have to take drastic measures if they're not gone by the next day, and even chuckles evilly, but does Snoopy care? Nope. He puts another coin in the jukebox and selects a bunch of different songs.

Back at the chateau, Linus decides to sneak inside and find out what's going on. Walking through the front door, he heads up a long flight of stairs and down a long hallway that leads to another, smaller flight of stairs. Going up, he finds he's in the chateau's attic and sees a door close across the way from him. Tip-toing over to the door, he looks through the keyhole and sees Violette standing by a desk, looking at a satchel, which has the writing, "B-3029, S. BROWN," on it. Linus walks through the door, startling Violette and causing her to scream. She's horrified that he's inside, fearing what her uncle may do should he find him and says that it was a mistake to invite him and Charlie Brown, but Linus demands to know what's going. Violette proceeds to tell him the story of her grandmother and how she became friends with Silas Brown, Charlie Brown's grandfather and owner of the satchel, while he was stationed at the chateau during World War II. She shows Linus a picture of Silas and he remarks on how much he looks like Charlie Brown. Violette then talks about how Silas and her grandmother kept in touch for a while after he returned to America and that she never forgot him, even after she married and had a family of her own. The film then cuts to the cafe, where the Baron is continuing to rant about the boys and says that he will have to get rid of them his way should they still be there the next day, pounding the bar hard enough to shake Snoopy's table nearby. He then leaves to return to the chateau.

When the Baron arrives back at the chateau, Violette panics upon hearing his car pull up and, when she swings around with the satchel, she knocks over the candle, setting the floor aflame, the fire quickly spreading to the whole room. Linus grabs Violette and pulls her to the window. He throws it open and yells frantically for Charlie Brown, who wakes up and quickly realizes what's going on. At this point, the Baron is panicking in the yard down below, while Charlie Brown runs off the grounds and across the dirt road to the main one, repeatedly yelling about the fire. He runs to the cafe, getting the attention of Snoopy and Woodstock, who remove an old-fashioned water-pump from a shed and start rolling it up towards the chateau. Charlie Brown then runs on to Pierre's farm, waking up him and the girls, and Pierre calls the fire department, while the girls join Charlie Brown in rushing back to the chateau. In getting the water pump there, Snoopy and Woodstock run into a bit of a snag when they hit a rock and get flung into the stream, but they manage to get there and use the stream as a water source for the pump. The kids also arrive back at the chateau, where they tell Linus to jump down from the window, but rather than do that, he uses his blanket to snag onto a part of the roof and swing over to another window to escape the fire. A fire engine is shown departing and Pierre arrives to tell everyone that the fire department is on the way. The kids continue yelling for Linus to jump and he tosses down his blanket, having them use it as a makeshift net to catch Violette. When Snoopy finally arrives with the water pump, Charlie Brown and Pierre start working it, while Snoopy pushes a big basin of water underneath Linus for him to jump down into (as I said before, I don't why they didn't use the blanket to catch him as well). With that done, Snoopy grabs the hose and points it up at the fire, becoming aggravated when nothing happens. As expected, when the water does come through, the pressure is more than Snoopy can handle, and it whips around wildly, soaking Charlie Brown and forcing Linus to take over helping Pierre pump. Woodstock randomly pops out of the hose's nozzle (and starts playing a violin to match the actual piece of score during this sequence), followed by a stream of water that Snoopy manages to aim at the fire, keeping it under control until the fire engine arrives and they're able to put it out completely.

After that, the movie starts to wrap up, with the Baron changing his ways out of gratitude for their saving the chateau, Charlie Brown learning all about his grandfather and Violette's grandmother, and everyone saying their goodbyes when their time in France is up. Violette gives Charlie Brown his grandfather's satchel, as well as kisses him on the cheeks, which he chuckles sheepishly about, his cheeks turning bright red. Peppermint Patty expects the same from Pierre, but when she closes her eyes and puckers up, Snoopy kisses her in his stead. She compliments Pierre on his "kissing," though talks about how she's not into summertime romances, and says that Marcie had fun as well but is too bashful to say anything. She's then surprised when Marcie hugs Pierre, thinking it's a shame, given how Pierre has "fallen for her," and tells him he'll have to get over her. She breaks up their hugging fest, making Marcie get into the car, while Linus says goodbye to Pierre, inviting him to America some day, and does the same with Violette. Violette says goodbye to Snoopy, who kisses her hand, and with that, everyone piles into the rental car and Snoopy drives off. He goes through the stream and heads up to the main road, where he, again, gets rear-ended, this time by a big truck and two cars behind it. Marcie admonishes the drivers in the same manner as she did before, right down to the dialogue, and Snoopy makes the same gestures at them as well. Like before, the drivers are very irked at this as they drive away, and Snoopy, again, laughs at what happened, the movie ending with them driving off down the road.

None of the original four Peanuts feature films used any of Vince Guaraldi's classic themes, even the first two, the very first of which he was involved with, meaning that they feel very different in that respect. In the case of Bon Voyage, the music score was composed by Ed Bogas, who would go on to work with Desiree Goyette on the music for the Garfield specials and Garfield and Friends, and Judy Munsen, both of whom took advantage of the film's foreign setting. The title theme is an elegant and classy string piece accompanied by bells that has an old-fashioned and somewhat melancholy feel to it, hinting at the history and memories associated with the chateau and the story that's about to unfold. That theme is heard a number of times throughout the score, but what's interesting is how, when Charlie Brown and the gang first arrive at the chateau, it's played in a creepy, sinister manner, alluding to how the place is so dark and looks as if it could be haunted. The music for the climax where the chateau catches on fire is also done with strings, this time fast-paced and very dramatic, like what you would hear played against a silent movie. In fact, a lot of the music is done on strings, making the score feel very classical and old-fashioned, though there are some more modern-sounding pieces, like Charlie Brown's own leitmotif, which plays when he walks home from school at the beginning and over the ending credits. It has a memorable accompanied by a guitar, which fits somewhat with his down in the mouth attitude but is not as depressing as some of his past motifs. Another example is the scene where Charlie Brown and Linus try to keep watch at the chateau, and when Linus sneaks into the chateau, which has a distinctive "waaah" sound that's accompanied by another beat. But, far and away, my two favorite parts of the score are Snoopy's theme, which is this really laid back, somewhat mischievous piece that's mainly played on the piano but is accompanied by a motif that's played on a horn. It's the part of the score that reminds me the most of Guaraldi's work and I wish it had been used again. And I love the really energetic, jaunty music that plays at the cafe a few times and which Snoopy really likes listening to.

There are some songs in the film, most of which are heard at the cafe, like Gonna Take a Sentimental Journey, If You Ever Gone Down Trinidad, and I'll Be Seeing You, which are really just brief melodies rather than full songs, with the first being a laid back, mellow song, the second very upbeat and chipper, and the third being an overly dramatic tearjerker (at least, Snoopy thinks it is). I don't know who the singers of these songs are but the woman who often does them is the same one who sings I Want To Remember This, which you hear when the gang takes the train to Dover. A very soft, peaceful tune, it's all about keeping the memories and feelings of your travels with you for the rest of your life, something I do try to do whenever I go on long trips. The song is nothing amazing but it works well for what it's put to.

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) is nothing less than one of the best Peanuts animations ever made. Far more than simply being about the Peanuts gang going over to France and getting into misadventures in a strange land (though you get plenty of that), it also benefits from a well-told story that's surprisingly dramatic and suspenseful at points, really good animation, great, true-to-life attention to detail in the environments and backgrounds, well-done instances of mood and atmosphere, a good music score and some nice songs, and, above all else, is very different from many of its peers, right down to featuring onscreen adult characters who actually speak. Other than Peppermint Patty getting a little too obnoxious and Snoopy's apathy towards the notion of Charlie Brown being in danger, I have no issues with the movie at all and would most definitely recommend it to both fans of the Peanuts and lovers of good animation in general.