Spongebob SquarePants - Tales From the Deep
Tales from the Deepincludes all nine episodes from the VHS  releasesBikini Bottom BashandDeep Sea Sillies. In the double-episode that begins this compilation of the Nickelodeon animated underwater  series, SpongeBob buys a party planning kit. The porous party giver annoys his  guests by scheduling their every second, until he accidentally gets locked out  and the real party begins. Meanwhile, above sea level in an unfunny live-action  segment, Patchy the Pirate hosts a revelry, forcing a marionette band to walk  the plank, among other obnoxious gags. Back under the sea in the second episode,  SpongeBob takes his hall monitor duties too seriously, directing traffic and  disrupting life in Bikini Bottom. Next, following a sand-sledding accident that  requires 20 hours of surgery, the boy sponge is so traumatized that he becomes  housebound until a gorilla goes ape on Patrick and Sandy. Finally, SpongeBob  plans a huge Valentine's Day surprise for Patrick, but a band of  chocolate-eating mollusks delays delivery, inciting the seastar to throw a dangerous  tantrum.In  an undersea version of "Green Eggs and Ham," the persistent boy sponge discovers  Squidward has never tasted a krabby patty and hounds him until an addiction is  born. The patties are featured again in the final episode when restaurant owner  Krabs insists on trying to sell a spoiled sandwich. Since no one will bite,  Krabs does, leading to a near-death experience. In between, the tenacious sponge  and his seastar sidekick Patrick lure aging superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle  Boy (guest-voiced by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway) out of retirement to  vanquish a maniac. In the remaining two stories, the "little square dude" has  fun with a gum wrapper and later nearly suffocates in the air-filled home of  Sandy the squirrel. Best for ages 4-12, but nothing more objectionable than  vomit humor for younger siblings.--Kimberly Heinrichs