Though the title might indicate otherwise, Phineas & Ferb: A Very Perry Christmas isn't a brand new Christmas special. Rather, it's last year's Christmas special, "Christmas Vacation," along with a collection of not-so-Christmas-themed episodes.
As odd as it is to say, Phineas & Ferb is some of the best 2D animation currently coming from the "House of Mouse" and one of, at least in my opinion, the best cartoons currently in production. It is a little bit Pinky & the Brain and a little bit Hey Arthur all wrapped up in a very Kim Possible package.
Phineas (Vincent Martella) and Ferb (Thomas Sangster) are stepbrothers dead set on making the most of their vacation time. Every day, the duo decides on a project and gets to work. So what happens with Disney's imagination meets Doc Brown's knowhow? Really big projects and a really angry sister -- Candace (Ashley Tisdale) --who is bound and determined to get the guys in trouble.
When not following the adventures of Phineas and Ferb, the show cuts to those of Agent P, (A.K.A. Perry the Platypus), the boys' pet platypus who, unbeknownst to anyone, is secretly a fedora-wearing agent charged with keeping the Tri-State area safe from the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire).
In the DVD's title episode, "Christmas Vacation," the boys decide to set up a one-stop resort for Santa. He's got a long night ahead and the guys decide he might need a bit of a break. Milk and Cookies only go so far, so they erect a rest stop complete with massages and a reindeer-refueling pad.
However, the boys' plans go awry when Santa doesn't show up thanks to Dr. Doofenshmirtz's plan to move the entire Tri-State area to the Naughty List, guaranteeing a no-show by Santa. Luckily, Agent P is on the case.
The following episodes have little to do with the Christmas theme, but loosely follow the "theme" of Perry-centric episodes. In "Interview with a Platypus," Phineas and Ferb invent a machine to translate Perry's growl. Meanwhile, in "Oh, There You Are, Perry," Dr. Doofenshmirtz's threat level is decreased, prompting the agency to relocate Perry to a new family. In "Chez Platypus," the boys open up a platypus-themed restaurant while in "Perry Lays an Egg," Candace takes care of an egg she thinks is Perry's.
Though short (most episodes run about 15 minutes), every episode is packed with quick-witted jokes and constant action. There's rarely a slow-point, and when there is, you can always count on a catchy musical number. As with the aforementioned Pinky & the Brain, Phineas & Ferb isn't just for kids. There's something here for everyone's tastes, from lowbrow gags to a few high-level jokes.
In addition to four episodes and the double-sized Christmas special, A Very Perry Christmas comes loaded with extras. All of the songs from the Christmas special are included in "Dr. D's Xmas Jukebox-Inator." There's also the "Christmas Perry-Oki", which turns the Christmas episode into a karaoke machine (complete with bouncing Perry head).
"Keep on Building" offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the creators come up with songs. It's the DVD's star extra, and incredibly insightful. The creators go through their entire process, starting with the episode's basic plot right through to the final song.
Finally there's a special bonus episode (you'll have to look to find it though), "The Doof Side of the Moon." As Phineas & Ferb set out to construct the tallest skyscraper in the world, Doofenshmirtz decides to knock the Earth off course.
Although a slight bit of misdirection, Phineas & Ferb: A Very Perry Christmas is still a solid offering and a great introduction to the duo.
