The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – An Adventurous Helping of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Would the original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is in part attributed to its broad charm, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. Although it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about 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.
A Familiar Goofy Groove
Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon settles into a comfortably silly groove. Its script serves as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that excites him as it at last qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.
The Adventure for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing pleasing, properly cartoonish effects.
If its spitballing silliness will resonate after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the series – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original students will probably be snickering all over again.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on December 19th in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
