Phineas and Ferb: Candace Against the Universe

The magic of Phineas & Ferb, as a show, is in the way it bucks conventions and expectations, but always stays true to a concept and a template. There’s just enough subversive humor in it to feel fresh and interesting, and the inventions of the boys and their adventures are always fun, but in the end, it’s all about the magic of summer vacation and the endless possibilities. The problem with the movie is that, with the grandest canvas ever on which to paint, it weirdly constrains the show’s originality and forced it to become what it never was: cliched. It’s still fun, and there’s still some chuckles to be had. Dr. Doofenshmirtz’ song “Adulting” is hilarious, and the way they blatantly foreshadow his Chicken-Replacenator is a great way to use lamp-shading as a storytelling device. But the plot is cookie-cutter in the worst way. None of the feeling of the show and the show’s central premise is captured here. This could be a Jimmy Neutron movie. Or Fairly Oddparents. Or SpongeBob. Or freaking Garfield. It could be ANY animated show, forcibly extended to a 90 minute runtime it did not need and cannot reasonably carry. It’s not BAD per se. it’s just not Phineas & Ferb as you might remember them. For what was supposed to be this awesome reunion and epic grand adventure to close everything out on, it feels more like an epilogue that that got tacked on because the studio asked for it. It won’t make you angry, but it won’t give you the same feeling the show did.