The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – An Adventurous Dose of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Would the early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such longevity is partly attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Zany Groove
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a recognizably silly rhythm. Its script serves as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a fact that excites him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the best contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, forever highlighting pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.
Whether its freewheeling silliness will linger after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing 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 early students will probably be chuckling all over again.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on December 19th in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
