SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Helping of Giggle-Provoking Fun
Would the early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series enduring for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such longevity is partly due to its broad appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Goofy Vibe
Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie quickly settles into a comfortably silly rhythm. Its script serves as a family-friendly treatise on the advantages and disadvantages 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 at last qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.
The Adventure for Swashbuckling Proof
SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned components, forever highlighting pleasing, properly animated effects.
Whether its freewheeling silliness will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out somehow more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably 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.” It's clear: those early fans will probably be snickering all over again.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.
