The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – A Swashbuckling Helping of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most surreal of narrative twists? This staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Goofy Groove
Starting with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie soon settles into a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American animation, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.
The Quest for Pirate Credentials
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting satisfying, properly cartoonish effects.
If its spitballing humor will linger when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable scenes include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early fans will probably be chuckling all over again.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
