review for Charlie Brown's All-Stars on AllMovie

The world's greatest loser, Charlie Brown, is showcased in all of his goodhearted, unlucky glory in Charlie Brown's All Stars. One of the earliest of the specials created for television, All Stars focuses on one of the things that made the comic strip (and the specials derived from it) enduringly popular: Charlie Brown's sweet nature and unconquerable willingness to forge ahead even when the odds are enormously against him. It also is not afraid to delve into one of Charlie Brown's faults, namely that when he does have a little good luck, his ego becomes inflated to the point that he acts in a foolish manner and sabotages himself. All of this could become rather heavy going, but fortunately the creators treat all of this with an appropriate light touch. There are a few flaws. Linus' character is inconsistent, for example, and the climactic moment when Schroeder tells off the girls and Snoopy doesn't ring true; first, it should be Linus giving this speech, and, second, Schroeder is putting blame on a small group for behaving badly toward Charlie Brown when the entire team deserted him. Fortunately, there are plenty of assets to make up for these slips, such as the pleasure in seeing a much larger roster of supporting characters than usual, some fine moments with Snoopy, and a touching finale followed by an amusing coda.