Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series persisting for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This staying power is in part attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon finds a recognizably silly rhythm. Its script serves as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the best modern American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, consistently highlighting satisfying, properly animated visuals.
Whether its freewheeling humor will resonate when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to delight the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early fans will probably be chuckling anew.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on December 19th in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
Elara is a seasoned gaming journalist with a passion for slot mechanics and player strategies.
