Would the early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? This longevity is in part attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Goofy Vibe
Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie soon settles into a comfortably silly rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a fact that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the best modern American animation, the true rollercoaster is the corkscrew plotting.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, forever highlighting satisfying, properly cartoonish visuals.
Whether its freewheeling humor will resonate after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the younger audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the series – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original fans will likely be snickering all over again.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
