Television Review: Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this holiday special based on the
popular
Phineas and Ferb cartoon greatly exaggerates the main
characters' abilities to act on their hair-brained ideas
(toboggans made out of their beds, for instance) -- but
that’s the essence of the fun, and kids are sure to enjoy
it. This time, at least, the boys’ intentions are
completely unselfish, as they set out to show Santa their
appreciation. That said, their older sister's obsession with
her boyfriend isn't a theme that's meant for really young kids,
so this one's best for younger grade schoolers and up.
It’s Christmas break, and stepbrothers Phineas (voiced by Vincent Martella) and Ferb (Thomas Sangster) plan to make good use of their free time by creating a massive show of appreciation for Santa’s (Clancy Brown) arrival on Christmas Eve. Soon the cityscape is decked out in tinsel and lights -- but the town’s festive mood is dampened by an ominous fog and the unceremonious return of all the citizens’ letters to Santa. Two elves (Mathew Horne and Bruce MacKinnon) arrive to look into the matter -- which bears the mark of the nefarious Dr. Doofenshmitz (Dan Povenmire) -- but Phineas and Ferb take matters into their own hands and set out to spread Christmas joy to the town.
There's no shortage of laughs in this jolly holiday special based on the popular cartoon. Kids who are familiar with Phineas and Ferb’s hair-brained ideas and outlandish adventures won’t be surprised by what the brothers can accomplish in a day (testing out their beds-turned-toboggans on the slopes, for instance, and building a full-size personal spa for Santa). Happily their antics are all in the name of generosity this time around, as Phineas’ lone Christmas wish is to return to Santa some of the joy he shares with the world.
While there’s nothing blatantly questionable about the special’s content, it's intended more for grade-schoolers than younger kids, and may want to check in with kids on some parts, particularly if their daughters tune in, since teenage Candace’s (Ashley Tisdale) obsession with her boyfriend and nagging fears over their compatibility may send iffy messages to tween girls about self-confidence around boys. But on the upside, while Candace (as per usual) does try to get her brothers in trouble at times, the siblings always pull together when it matters most.
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