It may come as a surprise but SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most successful cartoons of all-time in terms of popularity and longevity. While it doesn’t boast the same quality as cartoons like fellow Nickelodeon juggernaut Avatar: The Last Airbender, its frivolous humour and eccentric-to-a-fault characters are hard not to find some joy in. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants has a somewhat misleading title as the SquarePants in question is more metaphorical than literal. However, it still has just enough colourful wit and enjoyable life lessons to strike accord with its demographic.
Living in a pineapple under the sea, (and thus making the characters various forms of fish or oceanic wildlife) the titular SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) of Bikini Bottom enjoys a simple life of jellyfishing, working at the Krusty Krab restaurant, and annoying his dour neighbour Squidward (Rodger Bumpass). One day, SpongeBob realises he’s now tall enough to ride a scary rollercoaster, thus dubbing himself a “big guy”. But when the time comes, SpongeBob chickens out of riding. His boss Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) tries to assure him that some folk just aren’t meant to be “big guys”, describing them as fearless swashbucklers rather than jellyfishing sponges. Naturally, this has the opposite effect and shakes SpongeBob’s confidence.
SpongeBob is approached by The Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), a past swashbuckler and the scariest spirit in Bikini Bottom. The Dutchman makes him an offer: help him break the curse that has trapped him in his ghostly form and he’ll make SpongeBob into a real swashbuckler. Together with his dim best friend Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), SpongeBob accepts and goes on a quest to prove his toughness. But Mr. Krabs knows the dark intentions that The Flying Dutchman secretly harbours and so, with an ever reluctant Squidward in tow, races to save SpongeBob before the curse is broken.
Anyone familiar with the original run of episodes will first notice not the general simplicity of the plot but the radically different animation style. Where the original seasons had a hand-drawn style (even though only season 1 was truly hand-drawn), this film’s studio – Reel FX animation – uses CGI instead. The visual palette of the film is vivacious and does make an effort to capture the colourful chaos that made the initial seasons of the show as bizarrely endearing as they were. But aside from the cutaway gags and portions of runtime dedicated to live-action – a common joke in both the show and the original 2004 film – the animation, while polished and vibrant in its own way, makes one long for the joys and eccentricities of the original hand-drawn look. It’s quite the awkward shift for those only familiar with the show.
With that being said, the film retains the giddy sense of humour that allowed the show to connect with millions of viewers. Childishness and exaggeration is this film’s bread and butter when it comes to comedy, and it champions those traits to fire jokes our way as often as possible. This results in humorous slapstick, running gags, and juvenile word play that’s too goofy not to at least crack a smile at. One joke involving Davy Jones’ Locker being a literal locker in the most rancid corner of a high school got a particularly big giggle out of this critic. It’s often low-brow, but there’s also such a charm to the delivery that it’s easy to just abandon the cynicism and enjoy the ride. Doing so allows one to appreciate the smaller details that the jokes and animation give rise to, including a touching nod to the late creator of the show Stephen Hillenberg (the locker next to Davy Jones’ Locker is labelled Stephen H).
There’s even a fair bit of consideration given to characterisation. Part of the appeal of the original SpongeBob was watching the characters’ differing personas clash on-screen, be it Mr. Krabs’ greed, SpongeBob’s innocence, Patrick’s stupidity or Squidward just being done with everyone. Those core traits survive, but there’s also a thoughtfulness to the arcs and dynamics explored in this film. As kiddy as SpongeBob is, one can relate to the need to prove your worth to judgemental peers. It makes his storyline easy to invest in, with his dynamics with Patrick and Mr. Krabs coming across with a sweet earnestness, even when Patrick is being at his most irritating.
Opposite the conniving opportunism of The Flying Dutchman, his comical sinisterness captured by a delightfully hammy Mark Hamill, the naivety but sincerity of SpongeBob’s character not only makes for an engaging protagonist, but reminds one of why the character became so beloved in the first place. His hero’s journey is as predictable as they come, but it nonetheless paves the way for fruitful morals on staying true to yourself and how bravery comes in many forms, not just in the traditional sense of toughness. Thus, the film offers valuable morals for its child audience as well as the energetic bursts of entertainment found in its treasure chest. At the bare minimum, it’s obvious that director Derek Drymon – a prolific storyboard artist – and his team have a palpable affection for the antics of this yellow sponge.
Patches of sensory overload in the humour, as well as the sometimes jarring, if spiffy, animation style, keep this from being a great film. But it’s hard to be a cynic with a film as proudly goofy as this one, especially with such heartfelt sentiments at its core. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants isn’t going to change the landscape of animation – especially in a year that gave us KPop Demon Hunters – but with good morals for its demographic and unashamedly silly comedic sensibilities, it’s also a light-hearted, entertaining time at the movies. Children will likely be immersed in its fervent humour and zany style. Even the parents dragged to the cinema may find themselves chuckling along amiably.
3 stars
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is now in theaters.
Learn more about the film at the IMDB site for the title.
You might also like…
