“Phineas and Ferb: the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension” takes us on an adventure you’ll never forget. PHOTO CREDIT: Contributed by imdb.com
As a child, there were many cartoons that I loved, but none as much as “Phineas and Ferb.” Growing up, seeing these kids on my screen coming up with all of these weird and interesting contraptions with all of these colorful characters, absolutely delighted me and numerous other kids across the world, filling our heads with the ideas of the impossible and improbable.
I even had those DS games they made and I watched every episode when it aired on Disney. I was disappointed when I went to Disney World and did not see a real life version of the rollercoaster they made in the first episode. I also bought the TV movie they made when it became available on DVD. I recently went back to rewatch it and it is still a pretty fun experience.
In “Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension,” Phineas and Ferb go into another dimension run by an actually evil version of Dr. Doofenshmirtz, and work with their alter egos and Perry the Platypus to save the day; a pretty ambitious plot for a show that usually followed the same formula each episode. In the end, our heroes save the day, but there is more to this movie than just the plot.
The thing I like most about it is the relationship between the boys and Perry. While they are referred to as “the host family” by Major Monogram, it is clear from the onset how much love Perry has for his family. When Phineas and Ferb find out about Perry’s “Agent P” persona, they are obviously mad, and the look of disappointment on Perry’s face really brings it home for me. The thought of a pet’s love for its owner being unconditional and that this pet may now have to lose its owners is something that never hit me when I first watched it, but now after losing a pet myself, it hits me hard. It is shown again towards the end when they say their goodbyes, only to have memories wiped in order to maintain Perry as a pet.
I also liked the interpretations of the 2nd dimension characters. Doofenshmirtz being legitimately evil compared to the hilarious, but incompetent, original version was really interesting, especially with the differences between the two characters seen in their oddball humor. The cyborg Perry and the kids leading a resistance, which is fighting against Doofenshmirtz’s tyranny was cool as well, especially Candace, who is calm and collected compared to the more hyper version seen in the episodes.
And another thing, Slash is in it!!! I heard a lot of Guns N’ Roses as a kid, so seeing him in it was a very entertaining cameo.
Overall, this is a fun watch. While it is essentially an extended episode of the show, there is a lot of thought put into it. “Phineas and Ferb” has had a long shelf life, with the characters still showing up on other shows and being put into other stand alone movies. All of the characters, from Baljeet to Major Monogram and Carl, are here and remind us of the eccentric world that was created in Danville and all of its inhabitants. When I was a kid, this is exactly what I wanted from a “Phineas and Ferb” movie, and it still holds up today.