by Shane Conto
Who is everyone’s favorite creature under the sea? SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS! Oh boy… that theme song. How many of you have had that song scorched into the fibers of your brain? I grew up in a time where SpongeBob Squarepants was everywhere. The show was a phenomenon and the first film struck a chord in our pop culture. David Hasselhoff became popular again because of it… how crazy is that? The surreal and absurdist humor of these crazy critters of Bikini Bottom still make an impact today. Just look at how it is positioned with the launch of Paramount +. What are the figure pieces at launch? We have Kamp Koral… and we finally have The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.
How does Sponge on the Run keep the theatrical and cinematic tradition of SpongeBob going?
With plenty of nostalgia and weird twists and turns on a seemingly simple story. Tim Hill takes the reins on this new SpongeBob film and things look… a little different. We have this free 3D animated look to the film that is made to look like stop-motion, but it is not. Hill’s take on the characters from a visual perspective feels fresh and interesting. There is plenty of visual life to this film but unfortunately there are some tonal and pacing issues. As our heroes take it on the run, they find themselves in a live action world out in the middle of the desert. How did they get here? Are they dreaming it? Who the heck knows! The film veers off to unexpected places that feel so out of place. This sequence may be fun but it really just serves as a distraction to the film. Then there are some serious pacing issues as our heroes collect in the Lost City of Atlantic City. There are 30 minutes left in the film but little story to tell. How does the film fill that up? Throw in as many flashbacks as possible. Do they work for the characters? Yes. Do they work for the flow of the film? No.
We already know that the story might be a bumpy ride but what about the actual story?
Hill takes on this screenplay with a simple central idea. What if Gary, SpongeBob’s best snail friend, disappears? How does Gary disappear? That is where things get complicated. You have a plot filled with the vain attempts of King Poseidon trying to use snails to keep his looks, Plankton trying again to get the secret Krabby Patty formula, and an important hero’s journey sparked by the presence of a rolling ball of sage. Yes… certainly complicated. For many of the original cast, they shine at the beginning and the end of the film. But in the middle they feel like they are distracting from SpongeBob and Patrick’s grand adventure. Who needs Sandy, Squidward, or Plankton to help when you have Keanu Reeves? Trust me, this is not a throwaway cameo either. One weak aspect of the film is that it leans too heavily on promoting SpongeBob’s time at Camp Coral… which is now a show in Paramount +. Synergy? I think so. The third act may be prolonged but a mixture of a fun musical number and plenty of earnest friendship messaging does a fine job to career us to the end.
But what is the most important thing for a SpongeBob film?
Did the film make me laugh? Easy answer… YES. The fun and classic character dynamics of the original cast is great as always. There are a few great jokes that got me so well, including the ironing joke from the trailer (why do I laugh every time I watched that trailer?). There is one great Atlantic City joke that hits so close to home for a Jersey boy like me… it is hilarious. SpongeBob and Patrick go on the road with a crazed robot working for Plankton named Otto making for a beautiful odd couple. Once we hit Atlantic City, we get plenty of great gags from then on. This is a funny film.
But can the cast really tie the film together?
Without a doubt, this whole cast came to play, from Tom Kenny to all the rest of the original cast. This film features such a wonderful batch of characters. Keanu Reeves is a wonderful presence with his timing. There is a surprise performance during our second act aside that would be terrible to ruin… so I won’t. Matt Berry… what a gem! He brings his perfect voice and humor to this antagonistic role. Why does this film work so well? The performances really deliver.
Does the third feature length SpongeBob Squarepants continue the fun and hilarious legacy of this series?
It is definitely a fun time. Sponge on the Run is solidly the weakest of the three films, but is a great addition to the franchise. With the launch of Paramount +, this is all that they could ask for. Get the service (or hit up VOD) to check out this wonderfully silly romp.
Grade B-