SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Helping of Giggle-Provoking Silliness
Would the early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is partly attributed to its broad appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Groove
Starting with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon settles into a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American animation, the true rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.
The Adventure for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing satisfying, properly cartoonish visuals.
If its freewheeling silliness will linger when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging 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 crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans will likely be chuckling all over again.
Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on December 19th in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
