SpongeBob SquarePants was a huge part of my childhood. My obsession with the show began when it premiered in summer 1999. I was known in school as the biggest SpongeBob fanatic anyone knew. I had so much merchandise at one point that I built a SpongeBob shrine on my bed and slept next to it every night. I even went as far as to make my own Krabby Patties. I even saw the first movie on its opening weekend back in 2004. Not only did this show take up a huge part of my childhood, it also had a huge influence on me back then. My sense of humor and my outlook on life was due in part to the show. While I stopped watching the show almost a decade ago (I tend to agree with everyone else the show decreased in quality after the film), it still holds a huge place in my heart and was responsible for some of my happiest childhood memories.
The story begins when a pirate named Burger-Beard (Antonio Banderas) travels to an island and steals a book that tells the story of SpongeBob SquarePants. This book also happens to be magical and can make whatever is written in it come true. With his newfound power, Burger-Beard uses the book to steal the Krabby Patty formula, plunging all of Bikini Bottom into a Mad Max-style apocalypse (I guess Krabby Patties are like crack because nobody in Bikini Bottom is able to function normally without them). It’s then up to the unlikely pairing of SpongeBob and Plankton to uncover the truth behind the secret formula’s disappearance, which will inevitably lead to SpongeBob and his friends to travel to our world in order to save theirs.
I know some will be expecting me to trash this movie because the show has failed to achieve the brilliance of the first three seasons. Not to mention the show has been on the air for almost 16 years. Most shows have already outstayed their welcome when they reach that age. But to my surprise, Sponge Out of Water is not a terrible movie. It’s not even a mediocre one. It’s a film that may not quite reach the highs of the first film or its aforementioned first three seasons, it’s still an enjoyable romp for old and new SpongeBob fans alike. Anything that turned you off about the more recent episodes is nowhere to be found here. There is no Squidward torture porn, Patrick being an intolerable dumbass, Mr. Krabs’ greed being borderline criminal, and no SpongeBob acting like an oblivious tool. I was happy enough with the fact that this movie didn’t make me want to pull my hair out in anger like a lot of the newer episodes did.
A problem I personally had with the first film was how most of the supporting cast was pushed to the side to focus entirely on SpongeBob and Patrick. While there was nothing wrong with focus being on those two characters, it meant that a lot of fan-favorites like Squidward and Sandy were sidelined. This was most likely done because the first film served as an introduction to the world of SpongeBob for the uninitiated. But now that the show has further cemented itself in pop culture than it ever has before, this means supporting cast members get bigger roles here. While I won’t comment on how each of these characters function since everybody has an idea of who each of them are, I will say they are all just as funny, whimsical, and strange as you remember them to be.
The film’s marketing campaign has hyped up the segments of the film that feature our main cast as CG animations on the surface. All of that is here, but not as much as we were led to believe. The dry land section only takes up the the third act of the film while the rest is traditional hand-drawn animation. Some people, especially the younger fans, might be disappointed that we don’t get to see SpongeBob and his friends in CG animation, but I personally happy with this decision. While I will say the CG animation is able to maintain the vibrancy and zaniness of the 2D animation the show has always be known for, it’s so refreshing to see a mainstream American animated film favor traditional hand-drawn animation over CG animation. Hopefully, this film is successful enough to push studios into considering making 2D animated films again.
One of the reasons SpongeBob resonated with a lot of people was because the show was genuinely funny. Not only did it excel at dumb, goofy humor, but the show had brilliantly-written humor that most cartoons try their hardest to achieve. There is plently of comedy here for both adults and kids to enjoy. I was surprised I found myself laughing at a lot of the film’s jokes (And while I won’t spoil it here, there is one famous recurring gag on the show that works its way into the film). The only major downside is there are some poop and fart jokes. While kids will obviously get a kick out of that stuff, adults will be rolling their eyes. I certainly was, especially since SpongeBob was a show that was always trying to be above your typical toilet humor.
The bottom line is The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is a fun, gleeful time at the theater. If you still aren’t a fan of the show by now, this film will do nothing to change your mind. If you’re like me and grew up with the show but fell out of it due to declining quality, there is a good chance you will enjoy the sequel. The show itself may be past its prime, but at least enough effort was put into this film to make returning to Bikini Bottom worthwhile experience. I may have stopped watching the show, but it’s nice to know that SpongeBob still means so much younger generations like it did for me.
Final rating: 7 out of 10
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