By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Everyone’s favorite animated yellow sponge returns to the big screen with all his friends for another adventure under the sea. “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” is the fourth theatrically released film of this animated franchise that began in 1999 with the hit Nickelodeon TV series. It is a step down from prior films but still contains the same type of humor that kids and adults alike have come to enjoy over the years.
It’s a big day for SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny), because he just became tall enough to ride Bikini Bottoms’ death-defying rollercoaster. Unfortunately, being a big guy is not enough for him to overcome his fears, so he sets out with his best friend Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) to become a real swashbuckler. Preying on his ambitions and naivete is Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), a ghost who seeks to use SpongeBob to break his curse and return to the living. When Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) learns of the dastardly plot, he gathers up Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) and tries to save their dear friend before it’s too late.
The story, which is more suited for episodic TV rather than a major motion picture, is directed by Derek Drymon, who has written 279 episodes of the show from 1999-current. His vast experience with this franchise certainly helps to maintain that same vibe and tone in this film. The story, while basic and underwhelming when compared to previous feature films, is decent enough to hold viewer’s attention. It is additionally buoyed by the charm of the characters and of course the slapstick comedy and clever wordplay that appeals to all ages. It’s a formula that has served the franchise well over the years, from SpongeBob’s naivete to Patrick’s ignorance to Squidward’s sarcasm, there’s plenty of chuckles to be shared.
Drymon uses high quality animation that accentuates the vibrant colors of the undersea realm, transitioning to darker tones when exploring the underworld. He incorporates a mostly 3D CGI style of animation with a surprising amount of detail while still holding true to the beloved 2D appearance of SpongeBob. This allows the scenery and new characters to really pop visually and provide more expressive movement.
Unfortunately, Drymon falters with the pacing of the film right around the one-hour mark. This where a bit of tedium sets in, especially as SpongeBob is about to go through the 20+ challenges of the underworld. After the first couple, the pacing stagnates and viewers start to drift. Even children begin to lose interest here and leave their seats. Granted, Drymon has enough sense to summarize the many other challenges into a quick collage, but this also simplifies the process so much that begs the question why couldn’t this be done by any sea creature and done years earlier? He does recover enough to present a satisfactory climax and conclusion with cute and solid messaging.
As to be expected, all the original voices that began this journey back in 1999 return, giving fans that sense of comfort hearing those familiar voices to their favorite characters. The addition of Mark Hamill as the antagonistic pirate ghost is a stroke of genius, because voiceover work is Hamill’s undeniable acting strength. His over-the-top voices are well suited to animation, and it lends credibility and memorability to this villainous character. Another clutch addition is the musical artist Ice Spice, who adds a very simple, very catchy song called “Big Guy” that will stick with audiences.
This is an animated film that will not contend for any end of the year awards but there’s enough silly entertainment to appease families, especially longtime fans of the franchise. However, “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” is not the better animated option to release in theaters this weekend. That recognition belongs to “David,” so it’s recommended to take your kids to that movie first for a better, more meaningful overall experience.
This movie earns:
