The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Dose of Snicker-Inducing Fun
Could those original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? This longevity is in part attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Goofy Vibe
Kicking off with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a recognizably goofy groove. Its script acts as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it at last qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.
The Quest for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever highlighting satisfying, properly cartoonish visuals.
Whether its freewheeling humor will resonate after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition 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 clear: those early fans will likely be snickering anew.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
