The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – A Swashbuckling Helping of Snicker-Inducing Fun
Could those early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This longevity is in part due to its broad charm, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything quite as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Goofy Vibe
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon finds a comfortably silly groove. Its script acts as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons 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 at last qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best modern American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly animated effects.
If its spitballing humor will linger after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans 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 26 December in Australia and the UK.
