The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Helping of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This longevity is in part due to its broad appeal, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Goofy Groove
Kicking off with a festive short featuring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it at last allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.
The Quest for Pirate Credentials
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned components, forever highlighting pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.
If its spitballing humor will resonate after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the younger crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones joke and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans will likely be snickering all over again.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
