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Theplatypus13
Reviews
Phineas and Ferb: Act Your Age (2014)
Disappointingly Lukewarm
As any Phineas and Ferb fan knows, this episode was hyped for years as the ultimate "Phinabella" episode. I suppose it is a nearly impossible request of the writers to fulfill the precious ideals that every member of any particular fanon possesses, but I feel that this episode simply didn't hit any marks well enough.
For starters, the episode features the cast in their late teens; already we lose a significant amount of the childlike innocence and fun that makes this series so enjoyable. I was very disappointed to find out that the titular duo do not even create one of their famous contraptions in this episode. Instead, we find Phineas trying to select a college. I, for one, don't associate a character like Phineas with performing such a mundane and uncreative task. Obviously, Phineas has to find a college eventually, but that is just not the point of this show! The reason this show is so immensely popular among people of all ages is that Phineas and Ferb exude a certain precociousness that melds with their childlike innocence to create an irresistible pair of personalities. Phineas is always looking to the stars--a hopeless idealist. However, this episode gives us a Phineas who seems to have abandoned hope upon losing Isabella. The rest of the series gives us wacky, ingenious inventions. "Act Your Age" gives us a dreary college search. This episode simply doesn't have the charm that makes me love Phineas and Ferb so dearly.
Secondly, the relationship between Phineas and Isabella is almost painful. Once again, the episode seems to have lost the touch that had made the series so magical. Phineas uses terms such as "friendzone" and "having a thing for someone" in reference to his feelings for Isabella. He seems to be a normal and, frankly, quite boring teenage boy caught in the web of dumb, awkward teenage "love." Gone are the days of Isabella's innocent, charming, and at times hilarious crush on a clueless Phineas. Instead, we have a couple of bumbling, hormone-addled teens who think that they're in love and behave in the most trite, clichéd way possible.
Finally, this episode has virtually no character development. It tries to cram ten years of change into a twenty-two minute episode. The characters have undergone drastic changes that have no explanation. At some point, Buford became a film school cliché, Baljeet became a professor who managed to get a girlfriend, and Ferb has become an anachronistic greaser. Worst of all, every character has become flimsy; we don't get a chance to familiarize ourselves with the new teenage characters, so we don't understand the motives for their actions. "Summer Belongs to You" has more worthwhile development of Phineas and Isabella's relationship, while also maintaining focus on the boys' invention, other characters, and the trip around the world. However, this episode focuses almost entirely on Phineas and Isabella, yet all we get out of it is the fact that Phineas had developed a crush on Isabella at some point after high school. We don't know the circumstances, we don't know the reason, we don't even know if his feelings are genuine or not. Making the characters teenagers has the same effect as introducing entirely new characters, giving them an exposition that crumples under its own weight, and expecting the audience to have an emotional response to their plight. It just doesn't work.
This episode was a disappointment. Although my review might seem harsh for a children's show, keep in mind that this episode was made specifically for the Phinabella fandom, which consists mainly of teens and adults.