The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Dose of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Would the early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most surreal of narrative twists? This staying power is partly due to its broad appeal, tickling the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of making 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.
A Familiar Goofy Groove
Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly finds a comfortably goofy groove. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a fact that excites him as it at last allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest modern American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.
The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof
SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing satisfying, authentically cartoonish visuals.
Whether its spitballing silliness will resonate when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the series – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original students will probably be snickering anew.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
