With Hamster and Gretel released, I figured this was a good article to bring out of the archives in preparation for that review. If you haven’t watched any Phineas and Ferb, you’re frankly missing out on a classic.
Originally Published: January 6th, 2021
Candace Against The Universe Is Just Wonderful
It is well-established that Phineas and Ferb is amazing and worthy of a lot of praise. And, with great enthusiasm, I say Candace Against the Universe is more of the same.
This is one of the funniest animated kids’ movies I have seen in a long time. The jokes are amazing. It’s one of the rare movies that can have the fourth wall break routinely and not lose a sense of stakes.
But what of the actual story? Well, it’s a space adventure musical that, while not doing anything that different in its overall structure, still has a lot of small details of uniqueness. Like, yes, the alien’s ultimate intentions are easily guessed in the abstract, but the worldbuilding on display here is well-thought-out and coherent. Everything, mostly, makes sense in how it is structured—even if it is primarily in service of the jokes.
This Movie Always Chooses Funny Over The Plot
But how is the music? Well, Phineas and Ferb is well known for its constant catchy songs, and the movie is the same. And I do mean “constant.” This movie can and will jump from one song into another with almost no time between. Most serve a function in the story or are simply delightful though, so it’s hard to be annoyed about it.
And it’s here in my usual reviews where I would talk about the characters. I could gush about how amazing they are. But, if you watch the show, you already understand that. Phineas and Ferb has an amazing core cast, and there are almost no new characters in the movie. And the few we get are very stock and not notable.
Candace Against The Universe Keeps To Its Core
So, the only question left to answer is if this would be a good place for a total newcomer to start the franchise? Well, sorry, no: I don’t think so. You do have to know the characters to get their dynamics. There’s a lot of absurdity taken for granted as being familiar before aliens enter the plot. But the main series is worth watching for context, and this movie is then amazing with that context.
Take this review as an excuse to binge the first season. Anything related to Phineas and Ferb is genius and created with a mastery of fun. And, with 2020 behind us, I think everyone could use a dose of pure, wholesome, and very high-quality entertainment.
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