Product: Spongebob Squarepants: Movie
Rating: 4.0
An admirable film companion
Ask almost any kid (or more than a few college students) who lives in a pineapple under the sea, and the answer will be the same--SpongeBob Squarepants, the titular hero of this wild adventure through the ocean depths. Facing the dangers of Plankton, King Neptune, bikers, hitmen, cyclops, and Hasselhoff, Spongebob and his BFF Patrick must tread all these dangers to save the future of Bikini Bottom and the Krusty Krab.The film's brightest moments are its most bizarre, like Patrick and Spongebob's bubble dance in a tough guy bar bathroom, the duo's musical montage through a dark ravine filled with all sorts hideous monsters, and their faceoff against a hitman onboard the SS Hasselhoff. At times the gags are fast and furious, but at times one is left feeling that they were stretching a few scenes out to justify the cost of making them.The animation and art throughout the film are greatly improved while still maintaining the style and feel from the television series, a difficult feat to achieve. The new backgrounds and character designs are gorgeous, and if there was 3d done on the project, it didn't show.The new characters are memorable, but their line reads don't have the same magic that the regular cast has. Neptune's daughter, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, feels flat and doesn't seem to really interact with the primary cast until the film nears its end. However, these new characters come at a cost. As is often the case with animated films, the secondary characters are largely MIA throughout the film. Fans of Mr. Krabs, Sandy Cheeks, or even Squidward will largely be disappointed.The ending descends into the depths of the bizarre. What started as a beautiful buddy adventure pic falls into the utterly outlandish, including the obligatory Spongebob rock sequence and more than a few disturbing (but G-rated) up close shots of David Hasselhoff. The theme of the film, that kids are important, is repeated more and more as the film nears its end. While a bit over the top, it's a positive message for kids and helps to move the plot forward.The video on the DVD, presented in the original widescreen format, is clean and the sound is acceptable. There are a few featurettes on the disc, but nothing that spectacular or memorable. While fans might pine for a more full-featured special edition, the disc has comparable special features as though available on the TV series discs.Despite the film's shortcomings, it was still a fast and enjoyable 90 minute ride. Fans of the series will love it, and those with children will find the film surprisingly enjoyable. It stands admirably well as a companion to the original two or three seasons of the series.