I know what you’re thinking. “Anna, isn’t it a little late to be writing a review for this?
Yes, yes it is.
Anyway, I finally got around to watching Phineas and Ferb: Candace Against the Universe on September 14th, and as an avid fan of the series (I even dressed up as Perry the Platypus last year!), I can safely say that it did not disappoint. The film follows the adventures of the titular brothers’ older sister Candace, known mostly for trying to bust her brothers in every episode of the television show, and the hijinks that ensue from her getting abducted by aliens. Yeah. It’s just as wild as it sounds, and it’s one of the best times I’ve had watching a movie in a while--and the first new release I’ve watched since Onward, I think.
Though you may think that five years after the release of the final episode of Phineas and Ferb, the show may have lost a bit of its magic, I can happily say you’d be wrong. Candace Against the Universe doesn’t disappoint, picking up as if the show never ended and like there hadn’t been any media produced in its universe in half a decade. None of the characters seem like they were forgotten about, which is a great credit to Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, the creators and directors of the film, as there is a humongous cast of characters they have to work with. The new characters fit into the story seamlessly, and new jokes such as the Chicken-Replace-inator fit right in with the old ones. The movie never tries to pander to an adult audience, despite the audience of the original show being significantly older now. It accepts that it’s for children, and it runs with that, resulting in a movie that’s enjoyable for people of all ages.
I absolutely adored how the film chose to focus on Candace. She’s never been my favorite character (I was always more of a Baljeet fan), but now that I’m closer to her age, I understand what all she’s going through. Seeing her (and to a lesser extent, Vanessa, who I’ve always thought was fantastic) get the spotlight brought a smile to my face. Obviously, her little brothers were still important, but this was a perfect vehicle to get Candace the appreciation she’s always deserved.
However, I think some of the fun of the movie is lost on people who aren’t familiar with the series. Some of the best moments were little jokes that tied back to running jokes from the show, such as the Easter egg billboards in the climactic fight against the aliens and the dragon falling from the sky onto the man and his doubting wife. The fun discussions of Doofenshmirtz’s inators may, once again, not make sense to people who haven’t watched the original show, and I think it would really subtract from the overall movie watching experience if I hadn't been a fan since I was a little girl.
All in all, however, Candace Against the Universe was a solid film, and I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a fun movie to kill time or searching for something to make them laugh.
Phineas and Ferb: Candace Against the Universe is now streaming on Disney+.
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