The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Dose of Giggle-Provoking Silliness
Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? This staying power is in part due to its broad appeal, tickling the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Vibe
Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its script serves as a family-friendly treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it at last allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest modern American animation, the true thrill ride is the twisting narrative.
The Adventure for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-turned components, forever showcasing pleasing, authentically animated visuals.
If its spitballing silliness will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early students will likely be chuckling all over again.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on December 19th in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
