Since 1950, Charles Schulz' Peanuts has remained a popular and enduring franchise celebrating the life and times of Charlie Brown and company. This lovable loser, always clad in his trademark yellow and black shirt, has been the centerpiece of a long-running comic strip and appeared in countless animated full-length films and shorter TV specials. The very first Peanuts animated feature, A Charlie Brown Christmas, aired in 1965 to enormous success---and like nearly all successes, sequels were inevitable. For the most part, these animated specials were based on original Peanuts comic strips, which were fleshed out to create fully-realized 25-minute adventures. Featuring simple yet charming animation, a cast of child voice actors and music by Vince Guaraldi (until his death in 1976, though his music was often used posthumously), Peanuts animated specials have become a staple of American television for decades.

Since July of last year, Warner Bros. has released two sequential collections of vintage Peanuts specials: The 1960s Collection and The 1970s Collection, Volume 1, as well as select standalone titles from various decades. Most of the content has been carefully remastered, meaning that classics like It's the Great Pumpkin and lesser-seen gems like There's No Time for Love are treated with equal respect. In particular, the two-disc collections have proven invaluable for Schulz disciples, allowing for a proper overview of the Peanuts back catalogue at affordable prices. Simply put: they're required purchases for even the most casual fans of Charlie Brown and company, so here's hoping that the rest will be coming in the very near future.

Though The 1980s Collection is presumably several months away, fans can already grab the best Peanuts special from that decade: You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985). This vocally-charged, double-length special enjoys a very unique history, having been based on an off-Broadway musical, a popular album and Schulz' own Peanuts strips from decades past. The musical in question features songs by Clark Gesner (in turn, taken from the previously-mentioned album), as well as a loosely-focused story that follows the Peanuts gang during a few familiar scenarios. This animated adventure simply translates the musical into a more familiar ink-and-paint style, retaining the musical focus and most of the story elements. Charlie Brown and his team try to win a game of baseball. Lucy dreams of love while Schroeder plays Beethoven. Snoopy celebrates mealtime. Sally writes a letter. Charlie Brown attempts to fly a kite. These scenes barely connect with any degree of fluidity, yet their strong melodies tie everything together almost perfectly. It's also more upbeat that most other Peanuts outings, which also helps You're A Good Man to stick out for all the right reasons.

Vince Guaraldi's jazz has always been associated with Peanuts in animated form, but Gesner's songs prove to be capable substitutes. Humorous and upbeat without feeling too silly or overly sentimental, it's the music that propels many of You're A Good Man's most captivating moments. Cleverly placed comments pepper the Linus and company's rehearsal of "Home on the Range". A book report on "Peter Rabbit" quickly develops into a charming, multi-layered production. Lucy's domesticated dreams of marriage drift between bars of "Moonlight Sonata". Snoopy's infectious enthusiasm for processed dog food carries "Suppertime" from start to finish. It goes without saying that "Happiness" ends things on a high note, whether Peanuts fans were ready for it or not.

Speaking of Snoopy, his voice---both in monologue and singing---may be the only minor misstep during You're A Good Man: there's nothing inherently wrong with it (aside from its adult-sounding nature), but it just feels a bit awkward to hear him "talking" at all. Even so, it's hard to complain: You're A Good Man is easily one of the most widely-performed musicals of all time, and for very good reason. This animated special proves that the transition from strip to stage to screen was virtually seamless.

Surprisingly enough, this Deluxe Remastered Edition of You're A Good Man apparently marks the special's Region 1 debut---so for those unwilling to wait for the (presumably) forthcoming 1980s Collection, it'll be hard to resist this charming little release. Though it's not without a hiccup or two in the technical department, Peanuts disciples should certainly enjoy becoming reacquainted with one of Charlie Brown and company's most memorable adventures. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, You're A Good Man looks good with one mild reservation. The color palette and overall image look comparable to Warner Bros. previous Deluxe Editions, boasting crisp, vivid colors and solid image detail. Unfortunately, like two of the specials from the 1970s Collection, this is not a progressive transfer, resulting in modest amounts of digital combing from start to finish. This mars what would otherwise be a near-perfect presentation---and it's certainly disappointing, but not a deal-breaker. Let's hope the studio pays more attention in the future, though.

Though not quite as immediately noticeable, this Deluxe Edition's audio treatment is satisfying in its own right. Presented in its original Dolby Digital Mono (also available in Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese), the dialogue and music cues are generally crisp and clear, especially once the Peanuts gang bursts into song. Optional English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Thai subtitles are included during the main feature only.

The featurette is presented in 1.33:1 format and does not include any optional subtitles or captions.

Undoubtedly one of the strongest Peanuts specials that doesn't fall on a holiday, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown is both comfortably familiar and refreshingly different. Clark Gesnar's outstanding soundtrack ties the adventure together perfectly, while the understated animation is as simple as ever. Though most Peanuts fans should be familiar with You're A Good Man in one form or another by now, those who haven't seen the animated version in years will certainly enjoy it. Warner Bros.' Deluxe Remastered Edition is a decent effort, pairing a good (but not great) technical presentation with the usual behind-the-scenes featurette. Die-hard Peanuts fans should wait for the forthcoming 1980s Collection, but those who only want You're A Good Man should consider this release Recommended.