‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search For Squarepants’ review: The aquatic hero returns in joyful animation

Dir: Derek Drymon. US. 2025. 96mins

SpongeBob SquarePants has been on tv for over 25 years, however fortunately he hasn’t misplaced an oz. of his boyish silliness. The beloved animated character’s newest big-screen journey is an amusing romp filled with the anticipated horrible puns, dopey slapstick and usually cheerful vibe. Director and franchise stalwart Derek Drymon confidently guides this hit-or-miss animated comedy as SpongeBob receives mild life classes about what being a grownup actually entails — classes that, in fact, are additionally geared towards his younger followers.

The character stays such an necessary function mannequin for younger audiences

After premiering Search For SquarePants at AFI Fest, Paramount releases the movie in US theatres on December 19, with the UK opening scheduled for every week later. That is the fourth SpongeBob image (not together with two spinoff movies that aired lately on Netflix), and essentially the most profitable theatrically was the second instalment, 2014’s The SpongeBob Film: Sponge Out Of Water, which collected $325 million worldwide. Created by the late animator and educator Stephen Hillenburg, the tv sequence stays well-liked — its sixteenth season debuted on Paramount+ this summer season — and Search For SquarePants needs to be a stable vacation choice for household crowds.

As typical, Tom Kenny voices Bikini Backside’s most lovable resident, SpongeBob, who’s uninterested in being handled like a child. He undertakes a mission to satisfy The Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), a mysterious ghost pirate who brings him to The Underworld, the place SpongeBob should full a sequence of exams to show his maturity. However little does SpongeBob realise that The Flying Dutchman has ulterior motives for sending him on this quest.

Drymon, the present’s unique inventive director, co-wrote 2004’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Film, however Search For SquarePants represents his first feature-length SpongeBob directorial effort. (He beforehand co-directed 2022’s Lodge Transylvania 4: Transformania.) Working with a screenplay credited to Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman, Drymon focuses on conserving the jokes flying at a gradual clip, a lot of the humour stemming from SpongeBob’s bond along with his loyal however clueless greatest good friend Patrick (Invoice Fagerbakke). Whereas there are some very mildly chilling moments throughout SpongeBob and Patrick’s voyage to the spooky Underworld, the filmmakers take care to not traumatise youthful viewers, guaranteeing the stakes stay comparatively low till a twist close to the top that’s resolved in pleasing methods.

Search For SquarePants sports activities brilliant animation with a richness that surpasses the look of the TV sequence. That shiny sheen extends to Drymon’s total storytelling method, which adopts SpongeBob’s harmless, joyful spirit. If a number of the jokes can get a bit tedious, the movie’s adolescent tone is rarely merciless or obnoxious. As an alternative it radiates a way of play because it chronicles SpongeBob’s enthusiastic want to be seen as a “huge man” – which on the earth of Bikini Backside means he’s tall sufficient/sufficiently old to trip town’s scary rollercoaster.

Finally, nevertheless, SpongeBob can have misgivings about this new section of life if it means he can’t maintain blowing bubbles with Patrick – a interest they love however is regarded by others as immature. Within the course of, the filmmakers properly look at kids’s common want to be thought of grown-up once they’re truly not fairly prepared to surrender infantile issues.

Veteran voice actor Harmon is pleasant as The Flying Dutchman, who clearly has nefarious intentions. The function requires Harmon to be the straight man to SpongeBob and Patrick’s gleeful waves of hilarity and stupidity, and he performs it excellent, giving us a villain who constantly is stunned by how dumb these two comfortable fools are. Additionally participating is Regina Corridor, who stars as The Flying Dutchman’s long-suffering sidekick Barb, each actors wielding exaggerated accents which can be attuned to the movie’s sunny irreverence.

Longtime SpongeBob followers will probably be cheered to know that the present’s essential supporting characters Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) and Gary (additionally Kenny) are a part of the plot, every of them getting their very own humorous moments. However Search For SquarePants is primarily involved with SpongeBob’s quest to show that he’s as courageous as any grownup — though his journey dangers alienating Patrick, whom he begins taking with no consideration. The character stays such an necessary function mannequin for younger audiences, encouraging them to be type and unashamed of the goofy issues that convey them pleasure.