RJ Writing Ink

Phineas and Ferb Are Back, and It’s Like they Never Left.

It feels surreal knowing that it’s been five years since Phineas and Ferb took a bow, and now here we are. The show’s back, and with a new movie on Disney+, no less! Now, I literally just got done watching Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, and it’s everything that Dan and Swampy promised. In all honesty, it feels like the show never left. More like it went on vacation for a while.

Candace Against The Universe- The Title’s Not Exaggerating

In the universe of animation, there are laws that get upheld with almost no exception. Wil E. Coyote never catches the Road Runner (except for one time). Plankton can’t get the Krabby Patty Secret Formula. And Candace can’t bust her brothers. And if they do succeed, it never lasts. It’s fun to watch, but you have to admit, you can’t help but feel sorry the Plankton’s and Candace’s after a while.

In the opening moments of Candace Against the Universe, we see how much stress this has caused Candace when she fails to bust her brothers for the umpteenth time. All her Mom had to do was literally turn around, for goodness’ sake. As a result, Candace breaks down and lets a Summer’s worth of frustration at the unfairness of the universe out before running off crying. Honestly, it’s sad. Then this leads her (and Vanessa) to get abducted by aliens and going on a journey of self-discovery as she comes to terms with a big question: why does she want to bust her brother’s so much?

The show never directly addressed it, but I had my theories as to why she wanted to bust her brothers. Part of it’s out of concern that they’ll get hurt one day. Then there’s the jealousy at the fact that they can get away with this stuff when she can’t. But over the course of the film, Candace has an epiphany about her need to bust. It’s because deep down, she feels inadequate compared to her extraordinary brothers. Most people would: Phineas and Ferb are basically child prodigies who will grow up to become rich and successful. Compared to that, Candace would feel insecure about herself. So when the aliens that abduct her say that she’s their “chosen one”, she feels special for the first time ever, and doesn’t want to leave.

It ends up leading to a full-blown alien invasion.

So Many Songs, So Many Laughs

Existential crisis’ aside, Candace Against the Universe contains everything that made the show such a huge hit. All the jokes and comedic timing remain intact, while also updating for the changes in the thirteen years since it came on. For example, when Doofenshmirtz joins the kids to find Vanessa, he tracks him down on the alien planet using social media posts.

Speaking of Doofenshmirtz, he was my favorite part of the film. He spends a lot of time around the kids. Unlike last time, though, they don’t focus on him being a semi-evil scientist. Instead, we see him bounce off his interactions with the kids. Isabella, in particular, gets annoyed by him and his insistence on being in charge, when she’s the smarter one. I never thought I’d need the two singing about “Adulting”. But I did, and it’s hilarious!

Oh, Perry also has his comedic moments, too, but he’s not the focus of the film. Mostly because he can’t let anyone see him without blowing his cover.

The Verdict: Still Fun After All These Years

So, what’s the verdict to this? Well, I don’t think that it’s as awesome as Across the Second Dimension. To be fair though, that movie was basically a blockbuster on TV with millions of viewers. Fortunately, Phineas and Ferb is already such an awesome show that anything it does is going to be awesome by default. Also, in the climax of the film, we see Candace fight an army of alien soldiers with a t-shirt cannon.

So, it may not reach the epic heights of Across the Second Dimension, but Candace Against the Universe makes up for it with its blend of emotion, music, and comedy. A perfect return for Phineas and Ferb and definitely worth the hype built around it.

I give Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe a 4.5/5

Click here to see my reviews for various films.

RJ Writing’s Musical Cliptastic Countdown of Favorite Phineas and Ferb Songs, Pt. 4

Here we are, folks. It’s taken us all week, but I’m ready to reveal my all time favorite songs from Phineas and Ferb. Though, to be honest, they’re the same picks from the Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown all those years ago. I’m not sorry, they’re good songs.

#2-Backyard Beach

#1- Gitchee Gitchee Goo

Really, was there any other choice? The lyrics are meant to be meaningless, but the song’s got such a catchy beat to it that you can’t help but enjoy it. And it shows. Fans voted it number one, MsMojo voted it number one. Heck, Disney loved it so much that they let Dan and Swampy write a song for every episode. Running on that logic, this song is what set Phineas and Ferb on the road to musical stardom and gave us eight years of fun.

Hope you enjoyed yourselves. Click here for my picks for favorite episodes.

And check back in a day or so for my review of Candace Against the Universe!

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

A Week of Phineas and Ferb Musical Countdowns.

“Ferb, I know what we’re gonna do today!” If you were a kid or teen who grew up in the late 2000s, then you’ll hopefully remember that catchphrase from Phineas and Ferb. Officially premiering on Disney Channel in 2008, Phineas and Ferb struck a chord in the people who watched it. The show’s premise was simple: two brothers trying to make the best of their summer vacation. They go about this, though, through projects and adventures that most kids would dream of doing. Oh, and their pet platypus is also a secret agent who regularly fights this mad scientist.

I fell in love with Phineas and Ferb almost right away, and would watch the show like crazy for several years. While my interest would wane with time, I returned to see the series finale in 2015. To this day, I consider it to be one of the best endings to a cartoon that I have ever seen. In just a few days, though, Phineas and Ferb will be making a triumphant return with the premiere of their new film on Disney+, Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe. As a result, I’ve got Phineas and Ferb fever, and I want to spread the love as much as possible.

My Own Musical Countdown

Originally, I was going to do this thing where I post something about the show every day until the film came out. However, I looked at how busy I am and realized that’s not possible. Then it hit me: Phineas and Ferb is famous for its music. So let’s do that!

Starting Monday, I’ll be releasing a short post featuring two of my favorite songs from the show and why I like it so much. It will culminate in my all-time favorite song from the show on Friday. In addition, I’ll be posting my picks for my ten favorite episodes. My own cliptastic countdown and favorite episodes in one week! I hope you like it!

Clear your schedules, people, because it’s time to enjoy some nostalgia! Until then, enjoy this new music video from the show for the movie.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.