Product: Spongebob Squarepants: Movie
Rating: 5.0
My hero!
I can remember as a youngster sitting around the TV with mom and dad and watching "our shows" together, like the Carol Burnett show, in the 1970s. Now that I'm a daddy myself, "SpongeBob SquarePants" provides the same common experience, although sometimes it's hard to swallow your dinner while laughing so hard we all spew food particles around the room.We were thrilled to find out the movie was coming out. That explains why there have been no new episodes on TV for so long; they've been busy elsewhere. And it works! Despite a couple of negative reviews I see here, any sponge fan would have to be in a truly bum mood to not enjoy this flick. The problems in translating a small-screen show to the big screen are usually that the characters are overly stretched, the story doesn't ring true to what we're used to, or the filmmakers don't have a clue how to turn from the short format to a 90-minute story. I'm pleased to say that none of these things are a problem here, and that the whole thing holds up beautifully in the theater.The story, as you've probably heard by now, involves Plankton's latest attempt to take over the world. The big news for fans is that he finally gets Mr. Krabs' recipe for Krabby Patties! Guest star Jeffrey Tambor (King Neptune) unwittingly allows Plankton access to the secret recipe when he believes Mr. Krabs has stolen his crown, freezes him until SpongeBob and Patrick can get the crown back, and while the Krusty Krab is shut down the little megalomaniac sneaks in and steals the recipe, making the Chum Bucket a success at long last. What happens then, and to SpongeBob & Patrick on their journey, is what the story revolves around, and it's every bit as good as any episode of the show I've seen, and I think I've seen them all at least once (many of them two or even three times). Hey, this is the 21st Century version of the Looney Tunes, they're that good and that much worth rewatching.Funny? Check. 45-year-old dad, 41-year-old mom, and 7-year-old daughter laughed almost nonstop from beginning to end. This little guy is my hero: He's irrepressibly cheery, loves to serve his fellow creatures, is remarkably thankful for his thankless job in the fast food industry, and refuses to see the bad side of people. If more of us humans were as naive as this glorious little sponge, the world truly would be a better place. Well, at least a much funnier place. Now it'll be interesting to see if the story turns in the film are made part of the story lines in the TV show when new episodes come along!