Phil of the Future - TV-Y7
Harmless, cliché-ridden young teen misadventures.
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Seen the show?
details
- TV Rating: TV-Y7
- Network: Disney Channel
- Cast: Alyson Michalka, Ricky Ullman, Amy Bruckner
- Genre: Comedy
- >Available On: DVD,Download
Parents need to know
Parents need to know that although this series aims to teach viewers about good behavior and respecting others, its hackneyed situations and endless cheesy sound effects get in the way of anything meaningful. The futuristic elements are so poorly tacked on to the stories that they seem irrelevant. And Phil's sister is so nasty, rude, and antagonistic that it makes the show nearly unwatchable. All in all, the show is harmless but unpleasant.
Families can talk about whether the lessons the show is trying to teach are derailed by Phil's sister's behavior. Can you look past her nastiness to see what the message is supposed to be? Is what she does funny or just mean? How would you deal with a sibling who acts like she does?
Families can talk about whether the lessons the show is trying to teach are derailed by Phil's sister's behavior. Can you look past her nastiness to see what the message is supposed to be? Is what she does funny or just mean? How would you deal with a sibling who acts like she does?
Message
Social Behavior:
Phil's younger sister is a mean, selfish, manipulative bratty kid, and her behavior is played for laughs, though she generally is "taught a lesson" by the end of each episode. The entire population of the show is white.
Consumerism:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
Violence
Sex
There is talk of dating and relationships from both teens and adults, but nothing beyond the crush stage.
Language
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Sarah Wenk
A family from the future is trapped in the suburban present in this rehash of just about every teen show you've ever seen. Although Phil (Ricky Ullman) and his family have access to various futuristic gadgets (a brain switcher, an age transformer). The teen and his friends experience the ups and downs of their age group. For example, in one episode Phil gets a crush on the popular girl at school and has to learn about being himself, and in another story, Phil’s best friend Keely (Alyson Michalka) uses the aging machine to see what she'll be like at 25 and has to learn about being herself. Predictably, Phil's sister Pim (Amy Bruckner) is a cute kid who is a complete brat and mean to everyone.
Is it any good?
Though the series attempts to impart a few life lessons, the situations are so clichéd and the settings so overly familiar that you can predict everything that's going to happen and everyone's reaction to it long before it occurs, and so the “lesson learned” impact fizzles out. And in case you weren't sure which parts are supposed to be funny, a barrage of sound effects is constantly going off during each episode, adding a cartoonish element that does nothing to enhance the viewing experience. There are far, far better ways to spend half an hour than watching this show.
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Parents and kids say
All Reviews
There are 33 reviews.
Adult Reviews
There are 13 reviews.
Age 11+
Posted on 02/17/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor
Age 8+
Posted on 02/13/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor
Age 5+
Posted on 11/17/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor
What do your kids do online?
Surf
40%
Homework and research
15%
Download music
6%
Chat with friends
40%
53 votes