The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Dose of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series enduring for a 25 years, following experiencing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Goofy Vibe
Kicking off with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly finds a recognizably goofy groove. Its script acts as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest modern American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever highlighting pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.
Whether its freewheeling silliness will linger when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging somehow squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the series – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original fans will probably be snickering all over again.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
