The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – A Swashbuckling Dose of Giggle-Provoking Silliness
Could those early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series enduring for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? This longevity is partly attributed to its broad charm, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Zany Groove
Starting with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly finds a recognizably goofy groove. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it at last qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the best modern American animation, the real thrill ride is the twisting narrative.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly animated visuals.
Whether its freewheeling silliness will resonate after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans will probably be snickering anew.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
