SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – An Adventurous Dose of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Could those early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series enduring for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such longevity is partly attributed to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Goofy Groove
Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a recognizably silly groove. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.
The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof
SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing satisfying, authentically animated visuals.
If its freewheeling humor will linger after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out somehow squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original students will likely be snickering anew.
Release Dates: 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.
