Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe Disney Plus Movie Review
Major Spoilers are included in this movie review. Please read with caution.
On September 6, 2020, I watched the latest Disney Plus Original Movie that dropped on August 28, 2020. After five years of no Phineas and Ferb episodes, the movie captured the essence of what the series is about and made it more joyful and bouncier for the movie’s longer runtime.
Candace Against the Universe also dove deeper into Candace’s character and the deeper emotions behind her crazy need to bust her little brothers. The movie’s plot centers around Candace—and Vanessa too—being taken to an alien planet, where she is suddenly the center of attention and being called the Chosen One.
The huge difference between the series and the movie is the stakes. Instead of focusing on “what they’re going to do today”, the boys set out to save their sister with the help of their friends and oddly Doctor Doofenshmirtz. The latter tagged along with the children—again, weird—because Vanessa was also kidnapped by the aliens. Perry the Platypus is also along for the ride, but he has a difficult time helping because he cannot let the kids know he’s a secret agent or Doofenshmirtz know that he’s their pet.
Another difference between series and movie is the focus on Candace and her existential crisis about not feeling special compared to her brothers, who make amazing—out of this world—inventions literally every day. This concept was touched upon in the series from time to time, but the movie integrated it fully into the narrative and Candace’s character development. As a result, Candace and her relationship with Phineas and Ferb end up becoming the focal point that holds the movie together.
The main lesson was also emphasized in this movie: Candace was always so focused on Phineas and Ferb and busting them because she didn’t want to deal with her own problems, which was not feeling special. The movie had a deeper, introspective look on those insecurities that it made me realize how significant her character had been throughout the original series.
Phineas and Ferb were always plot-driven characters—needing something to do today—while Candace was character-driven because she wanted to bust them so bad. Mind has been blown! Phineas and Ferb is a brilliant kids’ show. The movie maintained its usual antics but also found ways to grow and relate to the current times. A big example is Vanessa posting on social media—Instagram—which wasn’t a thing when the show premiered back in 2007.
The humorous moments were cranked 1-80 too, with more fourth wall breaking and wackier jokes to make the movie go smoother. If y’all have Disney Plus, I would highly recommend watching this amazing movie. Thanks for reading this movie review, everyone! Let’s keep having fun every day!