The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Dose of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Could those early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a 25 years, following absorbing the most surreal of narrative twists? This staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Goofy Vibe
Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon settles into a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its script 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 stands 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it finally qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest contemporary American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.
The Quest for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-crafted components, consistently highlighting satisfying, properly animated effects.
Whether its spitballing silliness will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the series – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early students will probably be snickering all over again.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
