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THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE
Review by Michael Jacobson
Voices:
Tom Kenny, Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Tambor, Scarlett Johansson
Director: Stephen Hillenburg
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Studio: Paramount
Features: See Review
Length: 87 Minutes
Release Date: March 1, 2005
"I'm
busy planning to RULE THE WORLD!!"
"Well...good
luck with that!"
Like
every television star, our favorite sponge had his eye set on the big screen.
And with The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, he proved he was more
than up to the challenge.
I
don't have kids, but I frequently see Spongebob on TV when I visit my niece and
nephew, and though I never followed it religiously, I have to admit, the zany
cartoon always made me laugh out loud. Something
about it reminded me of the really early days of Looney Toons, when the
toons really were Looney. Plus, you
gotta love the concept of a little square sponge wearing pants and getting into
all kinds of crazy adventures.
As
the movie opens, our resilient (and absorbent) hero is expecting to get the news
he's been waiting for his entire career...a promotion to manager of the new
Krusty Krabs. But the evil nemesis
Plankton, owner of the Chum Bucket, has plans of his own...namely, stealing the
crown of King Neptune (Tambor), blaming Mr. Krabs, stealing his formula for
Krabby Patties, and living happily ever after.
But
Spongebob and his friend Patrick have other ideas...with the encouragement of
the princess Mindy (Johansson), they decide to attempt the impossible:
taking off for Shell City, finding the king's crown, and making
everything right again in Bikini Bottom. The
problem? No one has ever come back from the rough and tough Shell City
alive!
But
the affable duo mean to prove they're more than just the 'kids' everyone makes
them out to be, and soon they're off on an adventure wilder, more unpredictable
and funnier than anything you could imagine.
Wait, for example, until you see what Shell City really is...and even
better, who steps in to help them save the day! I won't spoil the surprise for you, but I will say for his
appearance in this movie, he deserves the Being John Malkovich good sport
of the year award.
I
can't sit here and tell you that The Spongebob Squarepants Movie will
engage your cerebellum or make you a better person than before.
But I can say that it's a colorful, crazy, and frequently hilarious
animated film with almost nonstop energy. I
smiled from beginning to end, and I laughed out loud often.
The
kids will love it; that's no surprise. What
may surprise you is how much you'll get a kick out of it, too.
Spongebob is a wonderful comic creation that definitely holds water.
Video
****
As
mentioned, this is a delightfully colorful film, and like most animated movies,
it looks fantastic on DVD. It's an
undersea banquet for the eyes from start to finish.
Audio
****
The
5.1 soundtrack is almost nonstop with music and zany sound effects that keep
front and rear stages busy, with plenty of action for the subwoofer, too.
You can tell the sound guys had a blast mixing this movie...and you'll
have one listening to it.
Features
***
There's
a treasure chest of extras in the Spongebob sea, starting with a good making-of
featurette. There's also a 20
minute animatic, two extra featurettes "Saving the Surf" and
"Case of the Sponge Bob", a game demo, and the original star studded
teaser trailer, which is a total hoot.
Summary:
