The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique โ A Swashbuckling Dose of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Could those original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This longevity is in part attributed to its broad charm, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups โ perhaps even those former students โ as well as the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Vibe
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon settles into a recognizably goofy groove. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that excites him as it at last allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.
The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof
SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a โbig guyโ leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-crafted elements, forever showcasing satisfying, authentically animated visuals.
Whether its freewheeling humor will linger when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise โ and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: โThe best guys are big guys.โ It's certain: those early students will probably be snickering anew.
Coming to Theaters: 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.
