SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – A Swashbuckling Dose of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Would the original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise enduring for a 25 years, following experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? This longevity is partly due to its broad charm, amusing the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Groove
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a recognizably goofy groove. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it finally qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest modern American animation, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.
The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials
SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly animated effects.
If its spitballing humor will resonate after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging somehow squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the series – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a cheekily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early students will likely be snickering anew.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
