The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – A Swashbuckling Dose of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Would the original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most surreal of narrative twists? This staying power is partly attributed to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Goofy Vibe
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly finds a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages 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 initial, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the best contemporary American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.
The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof
SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digimation and hand-turned components, forever showcasing satisfying, properly animated effects.
If its spitballing silliness will linger after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging somehow squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the franchise – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early students will likely be snickering anew.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on 19 December in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
