On DVD, Phineas & Ferb conquer the 2nd dimension

Now out on DVD, Disney’s delightful cartoon series delivers its first feature-length adventure.

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Grocery stores now carry macaroni ‘n’ cheese that looks like Perry the Platypus, the lethargic housepet/dynamic secret agent on “Phineas & Ferb.” If anything signals a niche franchise breakthrough into mainstream pop culture, it’s the transformation of a fictional character into a foodstuff. “Spongebob Squarepants” achieved the same kind of crossover success about a decade ago, and “Phineas & Ferb” makes fans of grown-ups with similarly high spirits and snappy humor.

Despite the seize-the-day credo of Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, their eponymous show has balked at storming the big screen. Phineas & Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, comes out on DVD today following its cable debut on August 5. Given the film’s more complex animation and occasional gags about 3-D effects, one wonders if Disney originally intended Across the 2nd Dimension for theaters but scaled back. It’s nevertheless a thoroughly fun, supersized adventure that lives up to most of the series’ greatest strengths.