The very first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999. I was twelve years old at the time, and I remember thinking I was too old for a ridiculous-looking cartoon about a juvenile sea sponge. I watched the premiere with a close childhood friend, fully intent on mocking what I was certain would be a cringe-inducing flop of an attempt at a new animated series. Instead, that friend and I found ourselves laughing hysterically at the hijinks of that yellow sponge and his best friend, Patrick Star. I became a dedicated viewer at that point, never missing an episode and traveling to cinemas to see him in his first big-screen adventure just five years later. Now, decades later, the character remains relevant, returning to theaters in 2025 with The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.
The SpongeBob movie is a hilarious adventure under the sea
Director Derek Drymon understands the character of SpongeBob and the ridiculousness of the world he exists in. As an animator who began his career working on Nicktoons in the early 90s, Drymon served as the creative director and writer for SpongeBob SquarePants‘ first three seasons. Those early seasons are considered by most (myself included) to be the best of the series, and Drymon brings that classic SpongeBob energy to the new film.
The story, which involves the return of fan-favorite villain The Flying Dutchman, sees the duo of SpongeBob and Patrick on an unlikely adventure with the goal of proving SpongeBob is brave enough to ride a rollercoaster. It’s exactly the type of simple and silly objective you want from a SpongeBob story.
The dynamic between SpongeBob and Patrick, built on innocence and childlike stupidity, remains the backbone of the story, just as it did in the original film from 2004. That immaturity and stupidity is the make-or-break aspect of the character that viewers either love, or find repulsively obnoxious; however, anybody who grew up on the series is likely to find the new movie comforting in its familiarity, hilarious in its joke deliveries, and surprisingly entertaining.
It’s a hilarious nostalgic blast that took me back to those years in my youth. The animation is different, having adapted to modern stylization of 3D computer-generated imagery, but the core of what made the character a cultural phenomenon remains intact. The choice to make The Flying Dutchman the main antagonist of the movie rather than introducing a new villain is another smart choice that keeps this adventure feeling tethered to its roots. First introduced in episode 11 of season 1, “Squidward and the Unfriendly Ghost,” The Flying Dutchman has been a staple of Bikini Bottom.
Every character shines
Bikini Bottom is a town filled with eccentric characters, and over the years many of those characters have become equally as beloved as SpongeBob himself. Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown, The Shawshank Redemption), Squidward (Rodger Bumpass, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie), and Gary the Snail (also voiced by Tom Kenny) are given pivotal roles on an adventure of their own. Noticeably missing are Plankton and Sandy Cheeks, but their absence mostly goes unnoticed. Each of them received their own, far less impressive, movies on Netflix in recent years.
Mr. Krabs has always been my favorite character. In Search For SquarePants, SpongeBob’s money-loving employer is given the opportunity to shine as more than a greedy business owner. Here, Krabs leads the charge to rescue SpongeBob and showcase that their relationship extends beyond that of an employer and employee.
Final thoughts on The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants
This is the best SpongeBob has been in a very long time. The fact that the character has endured for two decades and there are still worthwhile stories to tell is a testament to his timelessness. For the most part, I haven’t kept up with SpongeBob in my adult life.
I can’t remember the last time I watched the series, and I’ve struggled to watch the straight-to-streaming features, but Search For SquarePants serves as a reminder of what makes the character so endearing. He’s a character whose appeal surpasses age, resonating with forty- and four-year-olds alike. That’s a rare achievement that few animated franchises have managed to achieve and serves as a reminder of why audiences have never stopped connecting with everybody’s favorite yellow sponge.
Also check out: Game Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide