Phil of the Future (Disney Channel, Disney XD)

common sense media says

Harmless, cliché-ridden young teen misadventures.


parents & educators say

What 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.

Positive messages: 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.
Violence & scariness: Not applicable.
Sexy stuff: There is talk of dating and relationships from both teens and adults, but nothing beyond the crush stage.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Phil of the Future

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
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?

What's the story?

What's the story?
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?

Is it any good?
 
Though the series attempts to impart a few life lessons, the situations are so clichhd 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.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-Y7
Network: Disney Channel
Cast: Alyson Michalka, Amy Bruckner, Ricky Ullman
Genre: Comedy
Where to watch: Disney Channel

This review was written by Sarah Wenk
 
 

Review It

 

Review Phil of the Future





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

What parents & educators say

7

Most useful reviews by all members

 
Pretty good show
Phil of the Future is a show that is apropriate for kids of any age, although some younger kids might not understand the conflicts. A funny Disney Channel show about the problems that a family coming from the future would have in our day.

CSM Screen ...
teen, 14 years old
 
Best show ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Mom lets my 5-year-old brother see this, she thinks this is like the best "good" show for kids. Only Pim is a bratty,spoiled, I-want-to take over-the-world-kid, you should talk to your kid about Pim after the episode.

zaneybraney12
teen, 18 years old
 
The Best
I Think this show is one of the best. My whole family loves even my mom!

crisy12
kid, 13 years old
 
best show ever!!!!!!!!
i use to watch this show when i was younger and loved it and i still do. i wish disney would put this back on TV that way i do not have to watch it on youtube. overall best show ever!!!!

veils
teen, 16 years old
 
Why Parents?
What is up with the stats? 95% say violence is an issue 95% say sexual content is an issue 95% say language is an issue 95% say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking 95% say they noticed product placement First of all there was never any drinking, drugs, or smoking, never. Yeah there's a little kissing and flirting but it's a family show, what do you expect? Where's the language and the violence? The gadgets are cool but the episodes are sometimes boring but season 2 is much better

BlueSunday
teen, 15 years old
 
Comical
It was one of my favorite shows growing up, not the best, but not horrible. The acting is pretty off, the siblings fight a lot, Pim is 'evil', and the parents can be pretty clueless. But overall its a pretty fun show, I miss it, and it was really creative. The gadgets they have a pretty cool, and the stories told are neat. Not the best, but it was always a favorite.

Limeslime1
kid, 11 years old
 
Why????????????????????
This show gives me a weird feeling. Some episodes can be fantastic, some episodes can be horrible. I was half happy it canceled, half upset it cancled.

SupaDupaMan
teen, 14 years old
 
I hate it.
This show was a bunch of Disney Channel crap. Disney hasn't had a good thing since Good Morning, Miss Bliss!

DPNorman
kid, 13 years old
 
Wait a minute...WHAT???!!!
2 STARS????!!!!! REALLY???? THIS WAS MY FAVORITE SHOW! Now it is gone and is almost never rerun. What makes it deserve a 2 stars? Just because every major character is white does not mean anything. What about Wizards of Waverly Place? Not one character is African American and no messages problems were there. The show is great. Phil Diffy is a great role model, and Keely and Phil show how a great friendship can happen, even between people from two very different places/times.

shrek31003
kid, 8 years old
 
cool
cool

Sanjay407
kid, 13 years old
 
I like it
I like this show!!!!!

 
Another corny disney show. Just what the world needed...
This show is EXTREMELY corny. But how does that make it any different from the rest of Disney channels shows? it doesnt. every single show ive seen on that channel has horrible, unrealistic plots. They have horrible writers. And like Common Sense said, there always need to be cartoon sound effects in the background. I would never think about wasting my time on this channel. I think i would rather break out the popcorn turn to channel 989 on my CABLE tv and watch the gray fuzz go across the screen.

 
yet another great show that had to be taken off the air no fair!!!
I very much loved this cute show i now have the dvd Phil of The Future Gidgets and Gazmos which gives u 4 cool eposodes its so not fair that this show had to be taken off the air i say no fair! just like other great shows like Drake And Josh Lizzie Mcguire All That why take such cool shows off the air ? i mean Phil Of The Future was such a cool show and i think it helped us all knowing anout the future yet another great show that had to be taken off the air i say no fair!

 
It was so cool! Bring it back! I double dare you to bring it back!
This was one of my favorite shows of all time! I liked the new gagets and plots, they always have a new twist. And I like hearing about those 'future' stories the parents tell. I cant hate any of the characters, they all have something to love. They usually learn a lesson at the end of the show, and it was not a sitcom! (Hallaluya music plays) sometimes their acting is a little off, but not nearly as bad as the suite life on deck acting. I'm getting it on DVD because knowing the 'new Disney' they wont bring it back. If they did, I wouldn't mind watching replays! And they actually go outside in this show, they don't use a green screen! Its all real neat, and Phil and Keely really dedicate themselves to their friendship even though they have a crush on eachother, they dont act sappy all the time, they act like great friends.

froggerjr
kid, 13 years old
 
Great show
4 star show ****/*****

Coaster Freak
teen, 14 years old
 
Pretty lame
Well, this is a show about a family from the future. Their time machine gets stuck in the 21st century and they must live there. The main character is Phil. This show is pretty dumb and the Dad acts so stupid. Pim, the sister, is so annoying and loves getting revenge. She reminds me of a bully. But, there's really nothing wrong with the show, so your kids may like it.

MagicGal
teen, 16 years old
 
Pretty good
The set-up is overused and boring, but overall the show is very good. For the most part, communication between the charcters is deeper than in most of Disney's shows, in which the characters usually insult, offend, or make fun of each other regularly. Another noticable differene is that there is no "invisible audience" laughing at corny jokes, or groaning at mistakes. No character is sickeningly sweet, or sickeningly annoying. Everyone in this show is likable, and the messages sink deeper than in some of Disney's other shows. It's a shame that the series was discontinued. It was one of my favorites.

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you see Phil of the Future?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age