SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Dose of Giggle-Provoking Silliness
Could those early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Zany Groove
Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly finds a comfortably goofy groove. Its storyline serves 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 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it at last qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest contemporary American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.
The Adventure for Pirate Proof
SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting satisfying, authentically animated effects.
If its freewheeling silliness will resonate after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.
Memorable scenes include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow more rectangular than ever; 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 never-ending dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original students will probably be chuckling all over again.
Release Dates: 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.
