The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Helping of Snicker-Inducing Fun
Could those early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This staying power is in part attributed to its broad appeal, tickling the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Groove
Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly finds a comfortably silly groove. Its script acts as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it at last allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest modern American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, forever showcasing satisfying, authentically animated effects.
If its freewheeling silliness will resonate when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the younger audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the series – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early fans will probably be chuckling anew.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on December 19th in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
