The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – An Adventurous Dose of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Would the early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, following experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is in part attributed to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the funny bones of adults – possibly even those former students – alongside the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Vibe
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly finds a comfortably goofy groove. Its script serves as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the best contemporary American animation, the true rollercoaster is the corkscrew plotting.
The Quest for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing pleasing, properly animated effects.
If its spitballing silliness will resonate when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the franchise – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans will probably be snickering 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.
