When 'Phineas and Ferb' first started to air, Disney Channel was nowhere near as good as it used to be and still isn't. Instead of the likes of the animated Disney shows of the 80s and 90s, most of it was and still is animated shows with childish humour and Disney Channel sitcoms and unfortunately it tended to not be the good ones. This continued throughout the whole of 'Phineas and Ferb's' run to the extent that this became one of the few shows airing on the Channel worth watching.
Both "For Your Ice Only" and "Happy New Year" are fantastic and equally so, making this pairing one of the better ones of Season 4. If having to choose which is slightly better between the two, it would be "Happy New Year" for how well and imaginatively it uses the New Year setting. Which was different for 'Phineas and Ferb' and felt different in fact to this viewer. Also preferred Doofenschmirtz's subplot in that too if to be perfectly honest, personal opinion of course.
Almost everything works in "For Your Ice Only" and everything does in "Happy New Year". The animation is still wonderfully vibrant with very rich attention to detail. The music is dynamic with the action and the theme song is insanely catchy with very clever and quotable lyrics that anybody still in school fishing for how to spend their vacation will relate to. The voice acting is great, Dan Povenmire always sounds like he's having so much fun.
The writing is very funny and intelligent. Once again, the right balance of being easy to understand for children while not being too juvenile for adults is successful. Both stories are entertaining and energy filled without being too manic, particularly "Happy New Year" which had a lovely holiday feel. Which also had heart, because of Candace's new year's resolution subplot, which is a relatable one. Doofenschmirtz is wonderfully wacky in both.
Phineas and Ferb are both likeable as is Candace in "Happy New Year". Perry is as funny, amusing and resourceful as ever and has great chemistry with Doofenschmirtz.
If there was anything that wasn't as strong as the rest, for my tastes Doofenschmirtz's subplot in "For Your Ice Only" was a little too strange and out there even by his standards, as well as not one of his most imaginative.
Summing up, fantastic. 9/10.
Both "For Your Ice Only" and "Happy New Year" are fantastic and equally so, making this pairing one of the better ones of Season 4. If having to choose which is slightly better between the two, it would be "Happy New Year" for how well and imaginatively it uses the New Year setting. Which was different for 'Phineas and Ferb' and felt different in fact to this viewer. Also preferred Doofenschmirtz's subplot in that too if to be perfectly honest, personal opinion of course.
Almost everything works in "For Your Ice Only" and everything does in "Happy New Year". The animation is still wonderfully vibrant with very rich attention to detail. The music is dynamic with the action and the theme song is insanely catchy with very clever and quotable lyrics that anybody still in school fishing for how to spend their vacation will relate to. The voice acting is great, Dan Povenmire always sounds like he's having so much fun.
The writing is very funny and intelligent. Once again, the right balance of being easy to understand for children while not being too juvenile for adults is successful. Both stories are entertaining and energy filled without being too manic, particularly "Happy New Year" which had a lovely holiday feel. Which also had heart, because of Candace's new year's resolution subplot, which is a relatable one. Doofenschmirtz is wonderfully wacky in both.
Phineas and Ferb are both likeable as is Candace in "Happy New Year". Perry is as funny, amusing and resourceful as ever and has great chemistry with Doofenschmirtz.
If there was anything that wasn't as strong as the rest, for my tastes Doofenschmirtz's subplot in "For Your Ice Only" was a little too strange and out there even by his standards, as well as not one of his most imaginative.
Summing up, fantastic. 9/10.
