SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Film Critique – An Adventurous Dose of Snicker-Inducing Fun
Could those early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have predicted the series enduring for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This longevity is in part attributed to its broad charm, amusing the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. Although it can't claim anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.
An Established Goofy Vibe
Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a comfortably silly groove. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the best modern American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.
The Quest for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's mission to secure the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-crafted components, forever showcasing pleasing, properly cartoonish effects.
If its freewheeling humor will resonate when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Notable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging somehow more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the younger audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
The Verdict
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original students will likely be chuckling all over again.
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.
