The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – An Adventurous Helping of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Would the early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise enduring for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is partly attributed to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Groove
Starting with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie quickly finds a recognizably silly rhythm. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages 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 overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest modern American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew plotting.
The Quest for Pirate Credentials
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing satisfying, authentically animated visuals.
Whether its spitballing silliness will resonate when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original students will likely be snickering all over again.
Release Dates: 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.