The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

by Mike McGranaghan

I’ve always felt that a little SpongeBob goes a long way. A 90-minute movie is fine; a child-mandated all-day marathon on Nickelodeon, on the other hand, is a recipe for insanity. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants runs 88 minutes, so it falls safely into that zone of being funny without getting too annoying.

In his effort to prove he’s a “big guy,” SpongeBob summons the spirit of the Flying Dutchman (voiced by Mark Hamill) to train him in the art of swashbuckling. They enter the super-scary Underworld, where the evil Dutchman plans to trick SpongeBob into lifting a curse that’s been placed on him. Best friend Patrick comes along, while Mr. Krabs, Squidward, and Gary launch a rescue mission.

The writing in Search for SquarePants isn’t as sharp as it was in the original SpongeBob Movie or Sponge Out of Water. There’s still plenty to induce giggling fits, though. The utter cluelessness of SpongeBob and Patrick as they traverse the Underworld is humorous, especially in moments where they fail to grasp the serious danger they’re in. There’s a hilarious running gag about a brick falling out of SpongeBob’s butt whenever he’s scared. And how can you not chuckle when the movie goes out of its way to emphasize a forced-in cameo from Sandy Cheeks?

Scenes in the Underworld are the most fun. There’s a lot of visual invention as the filmmakers devise strange sights and bizarre creatures for SpongeBob and Patrick to face. A three-headed seagull is among the most memorable of them, and a comical scene finds Mr. Krabs and Squidward encountering it in an auto parts store. The animation is appealing throughout, with lots of color and some of the patented moments of SpongeBob-ian visual weirdness woven in.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants ends with a clever battle taking place on the world’s most terrifying rollercoaster, then launches into an Ice Spice song over the end credits. It’s all very unpredictable and random, just as fans have come to expect.

Scroll down for a look at the bonus features.

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Bonus Features:

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is available on digital now and will be released on DVD/Blu-ray March 31. There are about twenty minutes of supplementary material included.

“The SpongeBob Ensemble” is a two-part featurette. “The Veteran Voices” has interviews with - and fun recording studio footage of - Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, and Bill Fagerbakke, the actors who have been voicing the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom for a quarter of a century. “The New Crew” does the same with celebrity guest stars Mark Hamill, Regina Hall, and George Lopez.

“The Flying Dutchman: Animated Artistry and Live Acting” focuses on the finale, which mixes live-action and animation. Special attention is paid to the makeup Hamill wore to play the human version of the Flying Dutchman. “From Bikini Bottom to the Underworld” explores the design of Underworld, with comments from the filmmakers and animators. Finally, there’s a music video for Ice Spice’s song “Big Guy.”