A quarter of a century after first bubbling up from Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob SquarePants is back on the big screen, proving the franchise's enduring, delightfully bizarre appeal. 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants', the fourth feature film, arrives just in time for the holidays, packed with the series' signature swashbuckling, snicker-inducing silliness that continues to charm both children and the adults who grew up with him.
A Goofy Quest for Growth
The film swiftly settles into a familiarly absurd groove, serving as a PG-rated treatise on maturity. Our eternally optimistic hero, once again voiced by the inimitable Tom Kenny, is now 36 clams tall. This milestone brings the thrilling prospect of finally riding his dream rollercoaster, leading to one of the movie's early, trippy visual gags. His central quest, however, is to obtain a fabled 'swashbuckler certificate' to prove he's a 'big guy.' This mission inevitably throws him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, who is given voice by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill, adding a layer of geeky prestige to the nautical nonsense.
Visual Gags and Salty Humour
The animation remains a winning bricolage of digital and hand-turned elements, foregrounding properly cartoonish effects. SpongeBob contorts himself into an air conditioning unit and emerges squarer than ever. A pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth makes a memorable cameo. In a punishment sure to resonate with younger viewers, our porous protagonist is subjected to a hellscape of endless washing-up. The script doesn't shy away from the series' trademark salty humour, best exemplified by a new, suggestively cheeky catchphrase for Patrick Star: 'The best guys are big guys.'
Longevity in Laughter
While it may not reach the surreal heights of the 2004 film's legendary David Hasselhoff cameo, this instalment confidently proves that anything can still happen in Bikini Bottom. The film's longevity stems from its unique ability to tickle the funny bones of viewers of all ages. It casually features Clancy Brown talking like a pirate while handing royalty cheques to Barbra Streisand and the band Yello. Ultimately, it stands as a solid SpongeBob adventure and, as the review notes, arguably the funniest 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie ever made, complete with a hearty Davy Jones joke.
Preceded by a festive short featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants' is set for a staggered global release. It debuts in the US on 19 December, followed by Ireland on 20 December, and finally arrives for audiences in Australia and the UK on 26 December. A new generation of snickering students, and their parents, are ready to dive back in.
