"Now I am a big guy."
It's been twenty-seven years since SpongeBob SquarePants debuted on the small screen. Since its inception, the popular animated kids' show has assembled a library of over 300 episodes and three cinematic adventures. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants marks the franchise's fourth theatrical release. And while the film is goofy, fun, and an all-around mindless watch, it doesn't exactly expand on the show's brand or offering.
The story begins with SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) waking up to discover he's grown an inch, making him now 36 clams, to be exact. This is huge news as it officially puts him tall enough to ride the elusive Shipwreck roller coaster at Captain Booty Beard's Fun Park, a ride he's longed to conquer with Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke). But when the time comes for SpongeBob to hop on board, he chickens out, conjuring up a quick lie about a supposed promise to ride with Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown).
Patrick, in his usual state of naivety, believes his best friend. In a show of solidarity, he escorts SpongeBob to Krusty Krab to arrange for the big event. But Mr. Krabs is too busy to break away from work. But he isn't too busy to lecture the newly minted 36 clams high SpongeBob that growing taller doesn't make him a "big guy." Mr. Krabs then delves into a story about his own big adventures as a swashbuckling sailor who rode with the legendary Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill). He produces a certificate to validate his story. Naturally, SpongeBob quickly loses the certificate and, in the process of trying to retrieve it, summons the Dutchman.
This is where the real story begins as SpongeBob sets sail with the Flying Dutchman, journeying through the deepest parts of the ocean to prove his bravery and obtain a certificate of his own. And boy, do things get ridiculous. And crazy. And otherworldly. All in a way that only SpongeBob Squarepants can pull off.
Director Derek Drymon leans heavily into the franchise's trademark style, giving fans exactly what they've come to expect from the Nickelodeon series as SpongeBob explores the deep, dark, new world, with a run of hysterical gags and over-the-top, absurd visuals. Obviously, things get chaotic. It wouldn't be a SpongeBob adventure if they didn't. But that is part of the joy. SpongeBob's sheer optimism, combined with Patrick's childlike innocence (and, dare I say, stupidity), propels the film forward, though it stays firmly within familiar territory. It undoubtedly works. But we've seen it all before.
That is the only drawback to Search for SquarePants. We've been here. The packaging is a bit altered, and the jokes are more amusing, but there isn't really anything new to feel or see.
And while the younger audience members will bask in the bright colors and silly, preposterous creatures that fill the underworld, older viewers will feel something is missing. It isn't a big something. But there is undeniable familiarity. We cannot skip over that.
But amid the lack of novelty, The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants is still a solid film. Mark Hamill continues to triumph as a voice actor. His delivery as the Flying Dutchman is spot-on, beautifully bridging the line between wacky and eerie, giving the film a fun tone that keeps young minds on their toes. But in this day and age, audiences want something a bit more.
SpongeBob has worked to prove his bravery during numerous episodes. The theme has been presented and dealt with. It's fine that we're revisiting it with a somewhat new coat of paint. And I honestly believe kids will embrace the visual spectacle projected on the big screen. But after so many years, fans deserve something more. Especially those who grew up watching the series, celebrating its occasional move to the big screen, where they can chuckle with others as they witness their careless friend battle the messy world, confident that, at least for him, things will turn out okay. The real world outside that protected room of knowing? No comment.
