PHINEAS AND FERB: Episodes 5.1-5.3

Name: PHINEAS AND FERB: Episodes 5.1-5.3
Item: PHINEAS AND FERB: Episodes 5.1-5.3
Author: Review

"Summer Goes On!"

Family Content: +2 Moderately questionable elements.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

PHINEAS AND FERB is back on Disney+ for another summer of jokes and wacky storylines in Season 5. Ten years after the end of Season 4, the animated series returns viewers to the town of Danville, where Phineas and Ferb make every day of summer vacation count. Their sister, Candace, returns to her mission of revealing her brothers’ crazy antics to their mom. Local evil hobbyist Dr. Doofenshmirtz is up to his old tricks, and secret agent Perry the Platypus is ready to stop him.

The first three episodes of Season 5 of Phineas and Ferb stick to the original formula, with each episode as funny, charming, and quick-witted as ever. The series upholds a moral worldview, with characters like Phineas and Ferb, as well as Candace, committed to finishing what they start and making the most of the time they have. Perry the Platypus foils Doofenshmirtz’s schemes, even if it takes a little cartoon violence to do it. It is worth noting that one of the characters mentions “karma,” and there is some use of the words “suck” and “blows,” so MOVIEGUIDE advises caution for young viewers.

Content:

(B, Pa, V, N, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Moral worldview where supporting one another in the best and worst moments alike, never giving up, problem-solving, working together to accomplish a goal, valuing family and making the most of the time we’re given are all foundational for each characters’ actions, the heroic family pet is dedicated to stopping a villain’s evil plans, but some pagan worldview elements are featured because a near-constant cosmic coincidence where the villain’s invention neatly disposes of the heroes’ inventions is attributed to “karma” or “a mysterious force” as a joke;

Foul Language:

None, but the words “sucks” and “blows” are used as wordplay during a Wind Convention joke in Episode 1, and in Episode 2 one character calls another a “weenie;”

Violence:

Mild cartoon violence that never results in serious injury, but characters are punched, kicked, thrown across a room, hit by freezing rays or vaporizing lasers and turned into clouds, dropped from great heights, and zoom through many perilous chase scenes;

Sex:

No sex;

Nudity:

Partial upper male nudity thanks to a shirtless sand sculpture in Episode 2 and male characters dressed in only swim trunks for a water park;

Alcohol Use:

No alcohol use;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

None, but there is a reference to a previous episode where Candice was under the influence of hallucinogenic tree moss and sees visions of a zebra; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Some examples of immorality with the main culprit being the villain who makes “evil” his hobby and tries to change traffic laws or vaporize everything that annoys him, some cases where teenage daughters are disrespectful or condescending toward their parents, parents do complain about their children’s habits.

More Detail:

PHINEAS AND FERB is back on Disney+ for another summer of jokes, fun, and wacky storylines in Season 5. PHINEAS AND FERB is an animated series following the antics of two child geniuses trying to make every summer count for fun. In the meantime, their teenage sister, Candace, spends her time trying to “bust” them by showing their mom their dangerous inventions. Her plans are usually ruined by the convenient backfiring of wacky inventions created by local evil hobbyist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz as he battles the family pet and secret agent, Perry the Platypus.

Although PHINEAS AND FERB’s adventures seemingly ended in Season 4, ten years later, the popular show is back, this time available to stream all at once on Disney+. Fans of the Flynn/Fletcher family and the crazy adventures of Perry the Platypus will be happy to know that the first three episodes of PHINEAS AND FERB Season 5 are a wildly entertaining return to form. The quality of the new Season is higher than ever before, thanks to beautifully painted backgrounds, more dynamic camera work and animation, and storylines that lend themselves to the binge-worthy streaming service that PHINEAS AND FERB is now available on.

In Episode 1, Phineas and Ferb kick off the first day of their summer vacation with a block party. Candace is determined to bust her brothers once again, but her mom is more focused on making sure the family spends more time together this year. Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus learns that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has returned to his evil scheming. When he sets off to stop the wacky inventor from vaporizing everything that annoys him, Doofenshmirtz’s inator vaporizes Phineas and Ferb’s mom! The gang hijacks the rides for the block party to transform their mother, who’s become a raging storm, back to normal.

In Episode 2, Phineas and Ferb make a submarine out of giant sub sandwich ingredients, only to find that Candace has stowed away, determined to bust them. A giant fish almost eats the submarine, but with some quick thinking and the accidental help of Dr. Doofensmirtz’s latest invention, everyone gets back to the surface safely. Then, Candace takes her driver’s test while Phineas, Ferb, and their friends test the boys’ gecko-gear invention around town. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Perry battle over the fact that Doofenshmirtz has invented a ray that will turn all traffic lights green for his convenience. Though Candace is briefly distracted by trying to bust her brothers, they cheer her on during her driver’s test, and she passes.

In Episode 3, Phineas and Ferb create a giant ice wheel to sled and beat the heat. Candace is after them to make sure her mom finally sees what they’re up to, but the chase is interrupted by Dr. Doofenshmirtz. He is determined to turn the local waterpark into an “oil park” with berries from his childhood, but Perry stops him. Next, Candace and Doofenshmirt turn out to have the same therapist in common. He hosts a conference when he discovers his two clients are part of a wacky cycle of imaginative inventions and secret animal agents, planning to reveal his findings to all of Danville. Fortunately, Perry’s secret agency believes this therapist might be an evil scientist, and he destroys all the evidence. Instead of being upset, Candace feels validated when her therapist suffers a breakdown and wonders what’s real since she goes through that every day trying to bust her brothers.

Season 5 of PHINEAS AND FERB’s is a celebration of everything enjoyable about the series ten years ago. The jokes are always funny and rarely based on any crude humor. Despite its formulaic premise, each Episode manages to remain entertaining, thanks to the catchy songs and inside jokes that the series’ creators are careful to weave into every fun-filled moment. Viewers of the first run of PHINEAS AND FERB might find it dissatisfying to see characters like Candace and Doofenshmirtz inexplicably turn back to their obsessions after the way their stories ended in Season 4. However, the quality of this comeback might just be enough to make up for it.

PHINEAS AND FERB has a primarily moral worldview, with an emphasis placed on keeping your commitments, making the most of the time given, and supporting the people closest to you. For example, Phineas and Ferb always find something fun to do to make their day count and invite everyone around them to join in. At the same time, Candace refuses to give up on bringing them to what she comically believes is justice, even when it’s inconvenient for her.

The series has a moral worldview, as time-wasting and laziness are frowned upon in the world of PHINEAS AND FERB. There’s more of an emphasis placed on Candace’s mom being supportive of her in this new Season, but it is worth noting that some immoral elements are present, like teenagers being disrespectful to their parents. Of course, the villain is always out to make his own life easier, but Perry foils him at every turn, which involves some mild cartoon violence. Discerning viewers should also watch out for one character’s mention of “karma” as an explanation for his friend’s misfortune. With all of these factors considered, MOVIEGUIDE advises discernment for young viewers.