SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Helping of Snicker-Inducing Fun
Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This longevity is in part attributed to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Vibe
Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon settles into a comfortably silly groove. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best contemporary American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.
The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-crafted components, consistently highlighting satisfying, authentically animated visuals.
Whether its spitballing silliness will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the younger audience: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the series – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early students will probably be chuckling all over again.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
