Review: The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants – Sponge worthy?

Directed by Derek Drymon
Starring Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, Mark Hamill 

6/10

After reaching the prerequisite “clams high” height to be classified as a “big guy” that’s allowed to ride the adult rollercoaster at the Bikini Bottom theme park, Spongebob (Tom Kenny) comes to a very important realisation. He doesn’t want to ride the rollercoaster, as it’s a terrifying deathtrap that he’s rightfully afraid of. Through a convoluted series of events, Spongebob’s quest to find courage sees him signed up to a cursed crew of a ghost ship, under the command of the Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), setting a course to the dreaded abyss. His only chance of salvation rests in the hands of Mr Krabs (Clancy Brown), Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), and… Neptune help us… Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke).

Although a stylistic change from its traditional 2D animation roots, there’s a lot of good things to be said about this execution of 3D style. To borrow a phrase from a more obscure ‘90s cartoon character (Freakazoid), it’s very toyetic. Spongebob looks almost like an action figure brought to life. That established realism helps ground the look, even amongst the incredible surrealism that’s day-to-day life in Bikini Bottom. The result looks spectacular and blends well into the real world of the surface in the later parts of the film.

The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants also manages to set a cracking pace with its narrative, transitioning through the setup and appropriate backstory with aplomb. Unfortunately it’s unable to keep that pace for the entire film, lagging in places before picking it up again for the climax. The result is chaotic fun, but somewhat patchy.

There’s also a decent moral threaded through about the folly of performative masculinity and bravado, and not trusting those that would sell you that philosophy for their own ends. As often with Spongebob, the message is be yourself, no matter what a bubble-blowing goofy goober you really are. It’s not a subtle message, but neither is it hammered home from a pulpit. In truth, that authentic self has been a core aspect of the character since his initial appearance two and a half decades ago.

Spongebob: Search for Squarepants has everything a fan could expect in a big-screen outing, bar a surprise star cameo (although some of the voice cast does provide pleasing live-action appearances). It may not have the verve of its first theatrical outing, but it’s pleasing enough for fans of the yellow invertebrate, no matter how many clams tall they are.

DAVID O’CONNELL