The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – A Swashbuckling Helping of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Could those original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Goofy Groove
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a comfortably goofy groove. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it at last allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the best contemporary American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.
The Adventure for Pirate Credentials
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, forever highlighting satisfying, properly cartoonish effects.
If its freewheeling silliness will linger when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early students will likely be chuckling anew.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
