Rated TV-G
Now Streaming on Disney+ It’s been five years since the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb aired its final episode. Despite being made for kids, the show was one of the few that knew that, with kid audiences, comes parents watching in the background. So the show appealed to audiences of all ages: fast-paced action and colorful animation for the younger ones and intelligent humor and lovable characters for the older ones. For those of you unaware, Phineas and Ferb was a show about the titular characters and their adventures during summer vacation. They spent each and everyday constructing something whether it’s a fun ride or attraction or some impractical invention. Their teenage sister Candace desperately tried to tattle on the boys’ creations to their parents and get them in trouble. However, their schemes always vanished before their mother could see them. This main story was always intertwined with a B-plot with a spy-oriented premise involving the kids’ pet platypus Perry. Though he may look like a mindless animal, Perry actually lives a secret life as an agent for an animal-operated agency. Every day, he’s assigned to thwart the schemes of local evil scientist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, who dreams of ruling the city with his various inventions (or “-inators”). However, Perry always easily stops him, and their battles are usually the cause of Phineas and Ferb’s inventions disappearing. It’s very rare to get a kids show nowadays that knows how to appeal to viewers of all ages, so in a time when things are very uncertain, here comes Disney with a new feature length addition to the adventures of the two inventive step-brothers and their ragtag group of friends and family members. This time, the focus is on Candace, who is beginning to believe the universe is out to get her after yet another failed attempt to bust her brothers. She doesn’t know how right she is when a mysterious spaceship lands at their suburban home and snatches her up to take her to a distant alien planet. Phineas, Ferb, and their friends make it their mission to journey to this new world and rescue her, along with Doofenshmirtz and his ill-prepared batch of -inators. Right off the bat, it’s amazing how easily the film slips back into the lovable tone that made the series so great. Candace delivers an opening musical number that offers a humorous yet necessary recap on various events in the series. This helps reestablish who she is and the extraordinary things she has witnessed her brothers accomplish. From there, we know what kind of adventure we’re in for. And with these characters, it’s an adventure worth taking. It’s impressive that, after five years away, how the voice cast seamlessly recaptures their individual personalities as if they’ve never stopped. Ashley Tisdale, especially, returns to her role of Candace with all the same manic energy and confident wit that made her character so lovable the first time around. It’s also amazing that, just like the series, the musical numbers are the true highlights of the film. Phineas and Ferb was always known for having fun and energetic songs performed by either the characters or different bands. This new film has loads of infectious melodies that are just as dance inducing as the show’s pieces. But as with any film, its main mission has its characters learning a valuable lesson. In this case it offers a heartwarming message about the power of family, as Candace’s journey through space helps her to see how important she is to her brothers. It’s a message worth learning for all of us while playing to the values of family and friends that made the series so compelling in the first place. If there’s one thing this film has above everything else in the Phineas and Ferb franchise, it’s the much slower pace. Many episodes of the series, and the previous TV film, were incredibly fast with lots of action and few breaks. While this new film still has lots of action, it unfolds at a more leisurely pace. It really takes its time, allowing the story to flow naturally at a speed that holds our attention without leaving us in the dust. Phineas and Ferb: The Movie - Candace Against the Universe is a very welcome return for one of Disney Channel’s most iconic shows. After a five year hiatus, the creators easily reintroduce us to their world with all the same intelligent humor, awesome musical numbers, and fast-paced action that fans know and love. Of all the new offerings that Disney+ has released, this one gets a very hardy recommendation from me.
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Rated PG for mild thematic elements.
Now Streaming on Disney+ A silverback gorilla named Ivan (Sam Rockwell) lives his day as the titular attraction at the Big Top Mall circus headed by friendly ringleader Mack (Bryan Cranston). With the company of various other animals like gentle elephant named Stella (Angelina Jolie) and a stray dog named Bob (Danny DeVito), Ivan lives his life acting as the vicious predator the patrons see him as. But things change when a new animal arrives: a baby elephant named Ruby (Brooklyn Prince). Stella cares for the infant, but wishes she had a better life than the show. She wants Ivan to try and get her to a place where she can be free. So, using his newfound interest in drawing, Ivan sets out to find a way to help Ruby find a better life, which forces him to confront his own place in the world. The One and Only Ivan is yet another movie Disney pulled from a theatrical release and put onto Disney+. And that actually makes sense because it feels lower in budget than their usual theatrical output. Despite some genuinely heartwarming moments, there’s no overlooking how mediocre everything else is. They clearly had a message they wanted to tell, but didn’t spend much time coming up with a way to communicate that in the final film. Much of this happens because the film fails to develop its own identity. Like a number of recent family films about circuses, this movie has a negative view of them. Its main message calls for the release of the animals to a place where they can be free. That wouldn’t be a bad message if this movie did something fresh with it. It really just coasts by on the current popularity of that message rather than actually do anything new with it. But this isn’t the only problem with the film. The first 20 minutes introduce a number of storylines; like Ivan’s jealousy of Ruby being the new headliner at the show or Stella’s belief that not all humans are bad. Then in one rather terribly edited montage, these and the other storylines are swept under the rug and given no further development. Along with the numerous underdeveloped plot lines are a number of underdeveloped characters. There are a wide variety of animals in the circus aside from Ivan, but they don’t add anything to the film. They’re really there to spout off one-liners that consist of puns on what kind of animal they are. Many of these are tired jokes we’ve heard before, and are more groan-worthy than hilarious. The characters aren’t helped by the performances of the actors; many of whom sound miscast in their roles, or sound just plain bored. The only one who seems somewhat invested is Sam Rockwell. He never really sells the character of Ivan, but at least his voice makes the film more watchable. Jolie does a decent job, as well as DeVito; even if his voice doesn’t really fit the breed of dog they chose. There are some really emotional moments that do successfully tug at the heartstrings. However, these are eventually undermined by the film’s conflicting attitude. Circus owner Mack is sympathetic towards the animals. So it is hard to root for Ivan and Ruby’s freedom when (without spoiling anything) their life doesn’t seem that bad. It feels like Mack is treated like a bad person when he really didn’t do anything wrong. A gorilla who draws may be extraordinary, but there’s nothing extraordinary about The One and Only Ivan. In fact, it reminds me very much of Artemis Fowl. The story feels unfocused and rushed. The message has been told many times before and the characters remain underdeveloped. There just is nothing or no one to root for here. It is another mediocre effort from Disney which may be enough for younger viewers but anyone over eight will be bored and wondering what else is on Disney+. Rated TV-Y7-FV (Fantasy Violence)
Season 1 Now Streaming on Netflix Originally produced for Nickelodeon before moving to Netflix, Glitch Techs hails from the creator of the rather infamous Fanboy & Chum Chum. Now there’s a show that’s easy to mock due to its low-grade CG animation, irritating characters, and juvenile humor. It’s easy to give his newest show a pass because of how bad his last creation was. But before you quickly assume, give this show a fair shot. This new series follows teenage gamers Hector, or Hi-5 (Ricardo Hurtado) and Miko, or Me-K.O. (Monica Ray). After getting accepted into a major gaming competition headed by game company Hinobi, they discover that there is more to their games than they thought. As it turns out, the company’s advanced technology hides malicious glitches that cause games to come to life when they malfunction. After proving themselves capable of containing said glitches, Hi-5 and Miko are given jobs as Glitch Techs; the company’s team of skilled teens who keep them from wrecking havoc on the world. Glitch Techs is a major improvement over his last series. Rather than just being a series of one-off plot lines throughout the episodes, this is a show with a running story. It also abandons the cheap looking CGI for much more pleasant traditional animation that puts an American spin on Japanese cartoon styles (more so than Avatar: The Last Airbender). If there’s anything that you can compare this series to, it’s the failed Cartoon Network series Level Up. Both shows involve teenagers battling creatures released from glitches in video games. The major difference is that this show really expands on that concept; featuring different kinds of monsters from a variety of games. Level Up really only focused on one fantasy game, while this series features games from all different genres. But aside from all the comparisons that can be made with other series, Glitch Techs still manages to be a seriously fun show if you’re looking for something colorful and action-packed to stream on Netflix. With only nine episodes currently available, it’s an easy batch of adventures to get through, with enough brightly colored action and gaming references (both relevant and obscure) to keep you entertained. A lot of this is thanks to the animation. The visual style of the world really embraces the concept of fighting video game creatures in the real world. The characters inhabit a colorful and vibrant world that’s very pleasing to the eye. There are moments with lots of flashes, so anyone with photosensitive problems may have trouble watching it. Speaking the characters, our main protagonists are much more entertaining to watch than the ones from Fanboy & Chum Chum. They are more well-rounded teenagers rather than just crazy kids, and problems they face are more universally relatable. This makes the show more open to a wider audience. It’s not just for kids looking for lowbrow jokes. There’s a lot more intelligence here then most shows made for the young ones. That being said, the show still has a hyperactive nature to it. While there are, for the most part, slow moments for the characters, the action scenes and much of the humor move at a very fast and bombastic pace. If you’re tired of kid shows that move at 100 mph, then you might not like that aspect. However, if you’re willing to get through these parts, the moments of character-based drama will really keep you invested. The way the series incorporates video games into the narrative is also very unique. The concept of Hinobi and the Glitch Techs feels like a reference to the idea of playing video games for a living. This opens up the story to an whole new audience; one that never has much representation outside of YouTube. Even though this might make the series dated years down the road, it’s smart that their trying to reach a side of pop culture that’s around right now. Glitch Techs has a lot of potential to it. Despite working off a well-worn premise from other successful kid shows, the first season shows that with enough time to grow and develop, it can become its own adventure. A lot of the appeal comes from the colorful animation and likable characters. It will be interesting to see where the series goes in its upcoming second season, and whether or not it will be able to live up to that potential. Fingers crossed. Season 2 Premieres August 17 |