Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars

Plot

Perry the "Rebelpus", the Rebel Alliance's best platypus agent, breaks into the Imperial Corporate Offices-a Star Destroyer with an office building on top of it-and stealing a disc containing the plans for the Death Star. After escaping, he rendezvous with Princess Leia's ship and is complimented on his success by his superior officer, Major Hologram (Major Monogram of the main series). Meanwhile, on the planet Tatooine, Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher are shown living with their parents as contented moisture farmers-with the same propensity for beyond-belief gadgetry-unlike neighbor Luke Skywalker. Darth Vader's Star Destroyer intercepts Leia's ship, forcing her to load the disc into R2-D2. As she does this, she is observed by a trio of Imperial stormtroopers: Candace Flynn, Baljeet Tjinder and Buford van Stomm. Candace attempts to report the actions of the Rebels-whom she joined the Empire to "bust" due to their evil reputation-but is put down by her commanding officer, as she and her two cohorts are tasked with finding socks for Darth Vader. After seeing R2-D2 and C-3PO entering an escape pod, the trio decide to pursue them and prove their worth by recapturing the lost plans.

Elsewhere, the evil Darthenshmirtz (Heinz Doofenshmirtz in a Darth Vader-esque costume) arrives with his robotic underling Norm-3P0 (Norm from Phineas and Ferb) at the Death Star (which was apparently based on a handheld laser nutcracker that he invented). In conversation with Norm, he reveals that he has a new invention that is even more evil, but that requires the Force to power it. Back on Tattooine, Candace and her companions are on the trail of the droids-as is Perry-until their commander sends them into Mos Eisley to shop for socks for Darth Vader. Perry continues trailing the droids as they are seized by Jawas and then sold to Owen Lars, and eventually absconds with R2-D2. Unfortunately, they accidentally run into Phineas and Ferb on their way to Obi-Wan Kenobi's, whom Phineas and Ferb are acquainted with as he has given them instruction in the Jedi arts. Despite their offer of a ride, R2-D2 continues on his own while Perry remains unseen by the duo, unaware that their collision has resulted in the Death Star disc remaining in the back seat of Phineas and Ferb's speeder.

Upon discovering the disc, Phineas and Ferb set out to return it to R2-D2, which takes them to Mos Eisley where they encounter Watto's son Blatto, whom they are regular customers of. With Blatto's help they discover that the disc contains the Death Star plans, and they are pursued after being spotted by Candace's trio. The brothers just miss Artoo departing with Luke, Obi-Wan, C-3PO, Han Solo, and Chewbacca aboard the Millennium Falcon. Determined to return the disc, the pair travel to the Mos Eisley cantina and are introduced to Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, captain of the Centennial Chihuahua and an old rival of Han Solo's. Isabella agrees to transport them; meanwhile, Candace and her comrades are forced to ride a bus transport back to the Death Star. Meanwhile, in his evil lair aboard the Death Star, Darthenshmirtz continues his scheming, and learns that he can extract Force energy from Darth Vader's trash just before the planet Alderaan is destroyed, destroying his stock investments. The Chihuahua catches up to the Millennium Falcon, but both end up caught in a tractor beam; the Chihuahua is freed after Isabella-displaying a loner personality-is convinced to let Phineas and Ferb modify the ship so that it can take on the appearance of a doughnut-selling spaceship.

Once aboard the Death Star, Phineas and Ferb are surprised and delighted to run into Perry, who was their pet before they discovered him to be a rebel agent, an event that initially upset them but that they have come to terms with. Perry makes his way to Darthenshmirtz's lair, only to end up encased in carbonite and left helpless as Darthenshmirtz unveils his new Sith-inator, a machine that will make him a Sith Lord even more evil than Vader. Ferb, sensing through the Force that Perry is in danger, leaves Phineas and Isabella to go to his aid, unknowingly passing Obi-Wan Kenobi on the way. He then knocks Perry's carbonite slab out of the way of a blast from the Sith-inator only to be hit himself, which begins his transformation into a Sith by giving him yellow irises (identical to Anakin Skywalker's transformation in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith). Elsewhere, Isabella and Phineas run into Candace, who pursues them, only to be saved from a fatal fall by Phineas, which causes her to rethink her stance on the Rebels. Darthenshmirtz is then attacked by a freed Perry, while Phineas gives Isabella the Death Star disc to take to the Rebels while he goes looking for Ferb.

Entering Darthenshmirtz's lair, Phineas discovers an upgraded Sith-inator and Ferb, who has taken on an appearance similar to that of Darth Maul. Upon learning that his brother intends to create an army of Sith and rule the Dark Side, Phineas reluctantly confronts him in a lightsaber duel, in which both of them upgrade their lightsabers to possess multiple blades. Isabella travels to Yavin and delivers the Death Star plans, but despite the appeals of the Firestar Girls (Rebel versions of the Fireside Girls) refuses to join the Rebel Alliance. She changes her mind after a tense conversation with Han and Chewbacca, also convincing him to return to the rebels to help Luke; back on the Death Star, Candace and her two comrades likewise decide to join the rebellion. The battles between Perry and Darthenshmirtz and Phineas and Ferb continue and intersect, until Candace comes to Phineas' aid. Together they manage to destroy the Sith-inator, which restores Ferb to normal, and the trio-along with Baljeet and Buford-depart to get to the bus that brought the stormtroopers to the Death Star. Perry also leaves with a carbonite-encased Darthenshmirtz, while the rebels begin their attack on the Death Star.

Left stranded on the doomed battle station, Candace learns that Phineas is her baby brother and that their mother remarried, making Ferb their stepbrother. Before Phineas can expound on the subject, the Death Star detonates (a nod to the creator's decision not to touch on the history of who Phineas' father is). Fortunately, Isabella returns in the nick of time and saves the group, while the Firestar Girls rescue all of the civilian personnel from the Death Star. Darthenshmirtz escapes Perry's ship, threatening to return for a sequel, while Perry makes his way to Yavin to join the celebration attending the Death Star's destruction. The rebels (Phineas and Ferb's group included) then enjoy a dance party with music provided by Vanessa the Twi'lek (an alien version of Dr. Doofenshmirtz's daughter), during which Isabella kisses Phineas.

Production

After production on "Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel" was complete, the Walt Disney Company purchased Lucasfilm Ltd. for US$4.05 billion. After co-creator Dan Povenmire heard this news, he did a doodle of Doofenshmirtz dressed as Darth Vader, texted it to the head of Disney Television Animation and wrote, "I smell crossover!" Much like Mission Marvel before it, this special was announced at Comic-Con International 2013. Povenmire said, "May The 'Ferb' Be With You and with all of us who for decades have dreamt of a chance to work with the great characters and stories of Star Wars."

None of the original Star Wars actors reprised their roles for this special. Voice actor Christopher Corey Smith voiced Luke Skywalker as well the Toydarian, Blatto, the son of Watto from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace; actor Ross Marquand played Han Solo; voice actress April Winchell played Princess Leia; writer Eddie Pittman provided one line as Darth Vader; regular Perry the Platypus voice actor Dee Bradley Baker also growled for Chewbacca; and comedian Simon Pegg provided the voice of C-3PO as well as the voice of Candace's unnamed commanding officer.

Soundtrack

On July 22, 2014, an extended play soundtrack album containing the songs from the special was released for purchase on Amazon MP3 and iTunes.

Ratings

The special was viewed by 2.5 million viewers. In Israel, the film drew an estimated 497,006 viewers.

Critical reception

Nerdist's Amy Ratcliffe stated "The mix proves to be an amusing one, and you don't have to be familiar with Phineas and Ferb to enjoy the mash-up." Matt Blum from GeekDad called it "one of the best Star Wars cartoons ever, and a terrific episode of Phineas and Ferb as well". Rick Ellis of Allyourscreens.com wrote that the special "retains the best of Phineas and Ferb while including an impressively funny collection of Star Wars references, inside jokes and facts that only a hardcore fan might catch".

Broadcast

Before the premiere, the episode was made available to verified users of the Watch Disney Channel app as well as Disney XD on Demand on July 19, 2014. The special premiered in the United States on Disney Channel on July 26, 2014 and premiered on Disney XD on August 4, 2014 and on Disney Channel Australia and New Zealand and Disney XD Australia. In Canada, the special premiered on August 8, 2014 on Family Channel and will on August 17, 2014 on Disney XD. In Southeast Asia, a release date of August 17, 2014 was announced.