SPOILER WARNING! If you do not want to hear details about this movie, DO NOT READ!
So I indulged, and I admit: watching the Phineas and Ferb series with my little brother and sister actually got me into it in a way. It has a lot of the quality and charm that shows from my childhood - such a Animaniacs or Tiny Toon Adventures - had to spare. The series required a suspension of disbelief, and also had plenty of satire and humor that both kids and adults could enjoy. Like Animaniacs: Wakko's Wish, I was skeptical about Phineas and Ferb being made into a feature length movie - and make no mistake, it is full-length and packed full of what makes the show so successful. The movie spanned approx. 80 minutes (not counting credits), and it kept my attention the whole time. But was it a good movie?
So let's talk about the aspects that made Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the Second Dimension work. As I mentioned previously, there is satire and humor abound. For laughs, I think the best character is Dr. Doofenschmirtz (a.k.a. Dr. D), but that goes without saying as he's a parody of the mad scientist archetype (or stereotype, depending on your view). It takes Phineas and Ferb's creativity and ingenuity to actually get his Other Dimensionator working (a nod to Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, perhaps?), and when it does work is actually the cause of another Dr. D taking over a Tri-State area, but we'll get to that in a bit. Dr. D is bumbling, absent-minded, and plays on many different running gags that are both exclusive to this film and present in the original series.
I think the majority of the humor, however, comes from the ways the characters play off one another, usually in relation to Dr. D. Not to give away too much, but they always had me smiling or chuckling whenever it was shown that both Phineas and Ferb were infinitely more intelligent than Dr. D. What instilled even greater humor was the way that Dr. Doofenschmirtz and his alternate dimension counterpart (a.k.a. Dr. D-2) played off one another. They were so alike and so different, and it was fun to see how they worked off each other and played on these character traits.
I've mentioned several times now the presence of a second dimension (hmm...2 dimensions...Across the Second Dimension...nope; don't see the connection). This is a major plot point in the story, and is more important than just simple transfers between dimensions. Though it wasn't explained in detail, there was a very interesting theory proposed as to how inter-dimensional tunnels could work, which actually prevented the main cast from returning to their world for a long time. This also is the catalyst for a number of other plot points which re-surface from the series itself, the most compelling of which is the revelation to Phineas and Ferb (and eventually everybody) that Perry is in fact Agent P, a member of a secret agent society comprised of highly trained animals. It sounds crazy, and it is, but there's just something utterly Badass Adorable about a duck-like mammal that can kick butt like Jackie Chan. Definitely not an understatement.
This was, however, a point on which I was extremely skeptical. Phineas felt betrayed by the fact that Perry was a secret agent, and that he'd never told them. Considering Phineas' otherwise very optimistic outlook in the television series, this seemed disturbingly out-of-character. Not horrendously so, but it wasn't subtle enough to really get past me either. Even in the 101st episode of the series, "Summer Belongs to You", Phineas' pessimistic breakdown was understandable after his world effectively comes crashing down. The betrayal that Phineas felt didn't seem to match him appropriately, though it definitely made the ending that much more satisfying.
Another major aspect of this movie is the dichotomy shown between the characters and their other dimension counterparts. Phineas2 and Ferb2, as an example, are conforming pre-teens who are meek and scared until Phineas and Ferb arrive and tell them of the joys of summer (yes people, cringe; a world without a summer to enjoy). Candace, the single-minded self-titled Brother Buster, has a counterpart that is focused only on busting Dr. D-2. The bumbling Dr. D is opposed by a frighteningly successful Dr. D-2, who has taken over the Tri-State area, resulting in a great deal of Fridge Horror for me. There are other examples; the characters themselves are not necessarily divergent in personalities, just strongly affected by the success of Dr. D-2. So Baljeet is still a wickedly smart kid, Buford is a rough-and-tumble bully with a belly, and Jeremy is still (for Candace, eventually) a hot boy who also knows how to kick butt.
The setting is very refreshing to see in a children's cartoon, as well. It also opposes the television series' setting as a bright and happy world, bringing us a dark, grey, depressing post-apocalypse where Dr. D-2 rules with his army of robots. Most movies avert this, I find, and I'm glad to see that Disney gave it's audience some credit. The movie itself isn't overly dark, but there are some aspects in it that are very rare in Disney films produced in contemporary society with a child target audience, and I really like that about it. It isn't baby-feeding them, plain and simple.
There was a lot about this movie I liked, and some that I didn't like. In some parts the humor was misplaced - one part that comes to mind is when the robots invade Phineas and Ferb's area, there's mass carnage and one woman runs by screaming "Not my watermelon!" or something of the sort; I mean where the hell did that come from? - in some parts there was just pure, raw awesomeness - go ahead and tell me that a platypus decked out in football gear kicking a platypus cyborg's butt isn't just totally badass; I didn't think you could - and in other parts I was just laughing at the running gags. The movie didn't make me grab my sides in laughter or cringe in suspense, but I didn't expect it to and didn't really want it to. I was given exactly what I was expected in family entertainment, and much more.
The film held my attention all the way through, and straight through to the end I was dreading its completion. The climax - a fight between Perry, Phineas, Dr. D-2, Cyborg-Perry, the Tri-State area, and an army of robots - was epic. The only real gripe that I have about this film is that the CGI animation was a bit conspicuous at some points, and could even be a bit distracting, but it is hardly enough to weigh a lot against this movie.
I'd give this movie an A, 9.3/10. Not an A+, but certainly a movie worth seeing. If it ever comes out on DVD, I'll risk looking like a nerd and buy it, if only so that I can show it to my kids with other classic movies and say, "Yeah, this was what my childhood was like. It was pure awesome." Okay, so I'm not a kid any more (almost 22), but at least I can still enjoy the experiences that I had as a kid while I'm an adult. This movie reminded me of that, and when a movie can make an adult nostalgic and respect the current times, then it is definitely doing something right.
Hera Ledro,
2011
So I indulged, and I admit: watching the Phineas and Ferb series with my little brother and sister actually got me into it in a way. It has a lot of the quality and charm that shows from my childhood - such a Animaniacs or Tiny Toon Adventures - had to spare. The series required a suspension of disbelief, and also had plenty of satire and humor that both kids and adults could enjoy. Like Animaniacs: Wakko's Wish, I was skeptical about Phineas and Ferb being made into a feature length movie - and make no mistake, it is full-length and packed full of what makes the show so successful. The movie spanned approx. 80 minutes (not counting credits), and it kept my attention the whole time. But was it a good movie?
So let's talk about the aspects that made Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the Second Dimension work. As I mentioned previously, there is satire and humor abound. For laughs, I think the best character is Dr. Doofenschmirtz (a.k.a. Dr. D), but that goes without saying as he's a parody of the mad scientist archetype (or stereotype, depending on your view). It takes Phineas and Ferb's creativity and ingenuity to actually get his Other Dimensionator working (a nod to Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, perhaps?), and when it does work is actually the cause of another Dr. D taking over a Tri-State area, but we'll get to that in a bit. Dr. D is bumbling, absent-minded, and plays on many different running gags that are both exclusive to this film and present in the original series.
I think the majority of the humor, however, comes from the ways the characters play off one another, usually in relation to Dr. D. Not to give away too much, but they always had me smiling or chuckling whenever it was shown that both Phineas and Ferb were infinitely more intelligent than Dr. D. What instilled even greater humor was the way that Dr. Doofenschmirtz and his alternate dimension counterpart (a.k.a. Dr. D-2) played off one another. They were so alike and so different, and it was fun to see how they worked off each other and played on these character traits.
I've mentioned several times now the presence of a second dimension (hmm...2 dimensions...Across the Second Dimension...nope; don't see the connection). This is a major plot point in the story, and is more important than just simple transfers between dimensions. Though it wasn't explained in detail, there was a very interesting theory proposed as to how inter-dimensional tunnels could work, which actually prevented the main cast from returning to their world for a long time. This also is the catalyst for a number of other plot points which re-surface from the series itself, the most compelling of which is the revelation to Phineas and Ferb (and eventually everybody) that Perry is in fact Agent P, a member of a secret agent society comprised of highly trained animals. It sounds crazy, and it is, but there's just something utterly Badass Adorable about a duck-like mammal that can kick butt like Jackie Chan. Definitely not an understatement.
This was, however, a point on which I was extremely skeptical. Phineas felt betrayed by the fact that Perry was a secret agent, and that he'd never told them. Considering Phineas' otherwise very optimistic outlook in the television series, this seemed disturbingly out-of-character. Not horrendously so, but it wasn't subtle enough to really get past me either. Even in the 101st episode of the series, "Summer Belongs to You", Phineas' pessimistic breakdown was understandable after his world effectively comes crashing down. The betrayal that Phineas felt didn't seem to match him appropriately, though it definitely made the ending that much more satisfying.
Another major aspect of this movie is the dichotomy shown between the characters and their other dimension counterparts. Phineas2 and Ferb2, as an example, are conforming pre-teens who are meek and scared until Phineas and Ferb arrive and tell them of the joys of summer (yes people, cringe; a world without a summer to enjoy). Candace, the single-minded self-titled Brother Buster, has a counterpart that is focused only on busting Dr. D-2. The bumbling Dr. D is opposed by a frighteningly successful Dr. D-2, who has taken over the Tri-State area, resulting in a great deal of Fridge Horror for me. There are other examples; the characters themselves are not necessarily divergent in personalities, just strongly affected by the success of Dr. D-2. So Baljeet is still a wickedly smart kid, Buford is a rough-and-tumble bully with a belly, and Jeremy is still (for Candace, eventually) a hot boy who also knows how to kick butt.
The setting is very refreshing to see in a children's cartoon, as well. It also opposes the television series' setting as a bright and happy world, bringing us a dark, grey, depressing post-apocalypse where Dr. D-2 rules with his army of robots. Most movies avert this, I find, and I'm glad to see that Disney gave it's audience some credit. The movie itself isn't overly dark, but there are some aspects in it that are very rare in Disney films produced in contemporary society with a child target audience, and I really like that about it. It isn't baby-feeding them, plain and simple.
There was a lot about this movie I liked, and some that I didn't like. In some parts the humor was misplaced - one part that comes to mind is when the robots invade Phineas and Ferb's area, there's mass carnage and one woman runs by screaming "Not my watermelon!" or something of the sort; I mean where the hell did that come from? - in some parts there was just pure, raw awesomeness - go ahead and tell me that a platypus decked out in football gear kicking a platypus cyborg's butt isn't just totally badass; I didn't think you could - and in other parts I was just laughing at the running gags. The movie didn't make me grab my sides in laughter or cringe in suspense, but I didn't expect it to and didn't really want it to. I was given exactly what I was expected in family entertainment, and much more.
The film held my attention all the way through, and straight through to the end I was dreading its completion. The climax - a fight between Perry, Phineas, Dr. D-2, Cyborg-Perry, the Tri-State area, and an army of robots - was epic. The only real gripe that I have about this film is that the CGI animation was a bit conspicuous at some points, and could even be a bit distracting, but it is hardly enough to weigh a lot against this movie.
I'd give this movie an A, 9.3/10. Not an A+, but certainly a movie worth seeing. If it ever comes out on DVD, I'll risk looking like a nerd and buy it, if only so that I can show it to my kids with other classic movies and say, "Yeah, this was what my childhood was like. It was pure awesome." Okay, so I'm not a kid any more (almost 22), but at least I can still enjoy the experiences that I had as a kid while I'm an adult. This movie reminded me of that, and when a movie can make an adult nostalgic and respect the current times, then it is definitely doing something right.
Hera Ledro,
2011
I've seen Phineas and Ferb a few times but didn't think much of it. I might actually watch it on occasion. It seems to be one of the few good kids shows on TV right now. Great review 