The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – An Adventurous Dose of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Would the original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Goofy Vibe
Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly settles into a comfortably goofy groove. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Proof
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.
Whether its spitballing silliness will resonate when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out somehow squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the series – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early students will likely be chuckling anew.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
