'Phineas and Ferb the Movie' enters a new dimension

As hilarious as it is, the "Phineas and Ferb" formula likely wouldn't work in a feature-length film.

So the ever-clever creators of the Disney Channel animated series about two inventive stepbrothers did some modifications for "Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension."

The relaxed, comfortable story format that fits so well into Phineas and Ferb's 104 days of summer vacation — the boys get an idea; they build something spectacular; their pet platypus turns into a secret agent and foils Dr. Doofenshmirtz; and older sister Candace tries but fails to "bust" them — is not in play here. And with summer vacation now ending, perhaps it's appropriate that the movie ramps up the intensity.

In "Across the 2nd Dimension," worlds collide as Phineas and Ferb crash-land into Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. (If you're hearing the jingle in your head, then you're definitely a fan.) They face real threats, discover their pet's secret identity and meet an otherwordly version of their sister who is a focused, battle-tested soldier.

"But I guess that's life," says Phineas as the movie opens. "One minute you're having the best day ever. The next you're being fed to a monster the size of a two-car garage."

Ferb, of course, doesn't say much, which is consistent with the formula. And if you're wondering whether Mom finds out what the boys were doing the whole time, you'll just have to watch.

This 77-minute movie premiered earlier this month on the Disney Channel and was released on DVD on Aug. 23. It's not the kick-back-and-laugh format that fans of the show are used to, but — like the boys' inventions — it works.

The strengths of the show — subtle, smart dialogue with catchy tunes and quirky lyrics — are all here in mass amounts.

After the movie begins with a shackled Phineas and Ferb marching to their doom, the scene shifts to earlier in the day with a bright, bouncy opening theme song called "Everything's Better With Perry." It's a celebration of the supposedly brainless pet that Phineas and Ferb think "doesn't do much."

The chaos unfolds after Phineas and Ferb build a giant shuttlecock that crashes into Doofenshmirtz's latest invention, the "other dimensionator." The savvy boys get the machine working and open another dimension. Perry, aka Agent P, arrives, but upon seeing the boys — and not wanting to risk being sent to a new "host family" — reverts to his muttering pet state.