The O.W.C.A. Files

TV review by Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media
The O.W.C.A. Files Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Phineas and Ferb special is fun and fast-paced.

Disney XD Kids' Animation 2015
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age 3+

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this Phineas and Ferb special, The O.W.C.A. Files, offers some fun entertainment for viewers of all ages thanks to its combination of crazy, fast-paced cartoon schemes and smart (and often subtle) humor. There's lots of fantasy violence (crashes, explosions, and so on) and some references that will fly over younger kids' heads, but overall it's a fun choice for family viewing, especially for longtime fans of the franchise.

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What's the Story?

THE O.W.C.A. FILES, a special "stand alone" installment of the Phineas and Ferb series, features members of the Organization Without a Cool Acronym, or O.W.C.A., as they investigate and fight crime. Perry the Platypus, aka Agent P (Dee Bradley Baker), is having a tough time getting his animal agent trainees -- Agent Henry the Hyena, Agent Karen the Cat, Agent Maggie Macaw (Jane Kaczmarek), and former villain Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire) -- to work together and earn their official black agent hat bands. But when a sinister villain named Professor Parenthesis (Jeff Reubens) manages to get O.W.C.A's animal agents to turn against Major Monogram (Jeff Marsh) and Carl (Tyler Mann), they must rely on Agent P and his team to help them. Throughout it all, the bug trio, Napoleon (JK Simmons), Floyd (Stephen Reuben), and Wendell (Josh Gad) try desperately to get someone's attention at the O.W.C.A. facility in hopes of becoming their first insect agents.

Is It Any Good?

The Phineas and Ferb special offers lots of fast-paced, appealing misadventures with the smart humor the franchise is known for. From fighting robotic fleas to breaking out of a villain's lair, each disaster creates a new opportunity for eliciting laughs from viewers of all ages. The musical numbers throughout the show only add to the fray.

Fans of the series will enjoy the familiar running gags as well as the cameo appearances made by Phineas (Vincent Martella) and Ferb (Thomas Sangster). But you don't have to be a fan of the original show to understand and appreciate the references to popular films such as Titanic and Frozen that are packed into it. Bottom line? It's a fun watch for kids of all ages.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about animated shows. What kinds of things can an animated series accomplish that a live-action TV show can't? Would this show work in live-action form? Why, or why not?

  • What makes humor "smart"? What are your favorite types of jokes?

TV Details

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