During the course of the comic strip Peanuts, my least favorite character would have to have been Spike, Snoopy's desert-dwelling brother. He was in many (too many) strips in the 1980s...as if Charles Schulz desperately wanted to make the world love this doggy. And, since "It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown" came out in 1988, it features this bland character...and Charlie Brown only makes a brief cameo. It's a shame, as Charlie and the other characters might have helped make the film work...but instead Spike is paired with Jenny, played by Charles Schulz's very own daughter. Now considering her acting and charisma, I can only assume nepotism was involved.
Spike falls for a girl in an old red truck. Day after day, he waits in the same place in the desert to catch a glimpse of her. This is disturbing, as through much of the show, it seems as if Spike wants to date her, not be her pet! Much of this is evident when a boyfriend shows up...and Spike sure acts like his rival. Then, out of the blue, they go to a roller skating rink and Jill shows off her considerable skating skills (so, she is talented...at least when it comes to skating). What's next? See the film...or don't.
To say the plot is bizarre and unlikable is pretty much the perfect way to describe this show. Add to that poor animation mixed with live action and you've got a real dog here...especially when you realize this came out about the same time as the exquisite "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"...also combining (seemingly effortlessly) live action and animation. Overall, my verdict is that unless you want to see one of the worst Peanuts specials, then you might just want to skip this one...though I did kind of enjoy the 80s vibe as it brought back some memories. For my daughters, if they'd watched, it would have held no such appeal.
