SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Helping of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Would the original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such longevity is partly due to its broad appeal, tickling the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything 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 film quickly finds a recognizably silly groove. Its script acts as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best modern American animation, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.
The Adventure for Pirate Credentials
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly animated effects.
Whether its spitballing silliness will resonate after the credits is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the series – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early students will probably be chuckling anew.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
