The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Helping of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series enduring for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Zany Vibe
Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon settles into a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its script acts as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.
The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-crafted components, consistently highlighting satisfying, properly cartoonish visuals.
Whether its freewheeling silliness will resonate after the credits is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early fans will likely be snickering all over again.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on December 19th in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
