The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – A Swashbuckling Helping of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Could those early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such longevity is partly due to its broad appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons 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 alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly finds a recognizably goofy groove. Its script acts 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 finally allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American animation, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Proof
SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-turned elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically cartoonish effects.
Whether its freewheeling silliness will resonate after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Notable scenes include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early students will probably be chuckling anew.
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.
