The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004)

 

In May of 1999, Nickelodeon premiered a new series on the channel called 'Spongebob Squarepants', and it was an instant hit. Created by the late Stephen Hillenburg, the show proved to an animated must for those in the late 90s and early 2000's. And once the show achieved massive success, chances of a movie were inevitable. And fortunately, that wish would come true. And, in the year 2004, we got “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie”, which was also a big hit. But with a price. After the movie, Hillenburg left the show, and only served as an executive producer, and many fans consider the seasons post movie not that great. Which only begs the question: is the film that divisive? Well, it's not bad, but it's good, but it does contain some flaws, which will be discussed later on. One good thing that easily be said right off the bat, is that this movie can please everyone. With “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie”, we get an entertaining film that certainly pleases everyone under the sea.

The story has our favorite yellow sea sponge Spongebob (Tom Kenny) excited to become a brand new manager. Unfortunately, his boss, Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) does not give Spongebob the position, leaving him in a depressed state. Meanwhile, the malicious Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) decides to go ahead and steal the crown of King Neptune (Jeffery Tambor). With Krabs framed, Spongebob decides to redeem himself and get the crown back so that his boss will live. With the help from his friend Patrick (Bill Fagerbake), the two of them set on a road trip to find the missing crown.

“The Spongebob Squarepants Movie” is a good movie to a lesser extent.

For one thing, the story is pretty straightforward, and easy to follow. This keeps the viewer and audience interested throughout its 87 minute run time. It is pretty easy to follow and understand, but the jokes and comedy are hit on every note. The comedy takes the main stage in this film, and with a wide of styles, you will be bound to let out a large laugh or two along the way.

The characters are rather familiar for those who have seen the TV series. Everyone is recognizable, and all of the voice actors attached to these roles do good jobs with what is given to them. Even guest stars like Tambor, Scarlett Johansson and Alec Baldwin do memorable performances that everyone knows of. The cast does a great job with what they bring to this movie.

However, it's the animation that is the key highlight, here. From the recognizable character designs, to familiar locations, there definitely something which will please the eyes. Even the new designs for the characters like King Neptune are noteworthy, and even some of the backgrounds for the later parts of the film look great, including a dark and dangerous oceanic trench filled with monsters. There is even a grand finale taking place on land with live action involved, which is easily impressive.

The soundtrack has a nice blend of orchestrated moments and musical songs. They are nice in their own right, and can get in your head when you least expect it.

Despite these praises, the movie does suffer from a number of flaws.

For one thing, the story, while straightforward, does feel a little convoluted. What this means is that the story can get off track at times, and some of the jokes can fall flat. Not everything hits their mark, and the story is certainly one of those aspects.

Another flaw is that is that considering that this is an animated movie, there are bound to be some animation errors along the way. And while it might be noticeable for a few key scenes, the mistakes are definitely present and can be irksome to notice.

One last thing to mention is that there is a special guest star being in the film. And that star is none other than David Hasselhoff. Mostly being played for laughs, he is mainly here to provide a comedic climax to the production, as well as pay homage to his stint on the TV series 'Baywatch'. Looking at this now, it does feel somewhat unneeded and mostly done as a parody of said TV series. It's not even that long, but it does drag, and they probably could have gotten someone else to do the job better.

So, in conclusion, “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie” is flawed, but there is a lot of enjoyment to be had for a number of reasons. Even if you want to have a good laugh in the end.

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