SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Helping of Snicker-Inducing Silliness
Would the original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the series persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? Such longevity is in part due to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything quite as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.
A Familiar Goofy Vibe
Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie soon settles into a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it at last allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.
The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof
SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-turned elements, consistently highlighting satisfying, authentically animated visuals.
Whether its spitballing humor will resonate when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.
Notable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early students will likely be chuckling all over again.
Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on December 19th in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and December 26th in Australia and the UK.
