The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – An Adventurous Dose of Snicker-Inducing Fun
Could those early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such staying power is partly attributed to its broad charm, tickling the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those former students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything quite 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 handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Zany Groove
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly finds a comfortably goofy groove. Its script 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 excites him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest modern American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.
The Adventure for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-crafted elements, forever highlighting satisfying, authentically cartoonish effects.
Whether its spitballing humor will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – 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 debuts on December 19th in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
