Skip to main content

Back to the Theaters! The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

Well, I feel like I should welcome everyone back! It's been a long time since I've reviewed a film, you know, this little thing called COVID closing movie theatres and such. But, with that said, let's get down to the serious business at hand: how was The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run?

OK, so a little history. I like SpongeBob the show. I always have. That show is like many others that were designed for kids but sprinkle enough adult humour to keep me entertained, and this movie did the same thing. For the most part, I really enjoyed the movie. It felt like the SpongeBob TV show. So much that my girl-friend said it had felt like a really long episode to her too. As an extension to the TV show, the movie shines well. The characters are on par with what you would expect, the humour is exactly the same and SpongeBob himself does all kinds of weird things with his body unlike some of his other movies. 

However, when viewed as a movie and not an extension of the TV show, the movie falls a bit flat. Very few of the characters had actual arks in their stories, which year I know, this is for kids, but still. Who doesn't want to see these crazy characters grow in some ways? Actually, I'm mistaken. The characters actually do grow and do have arks, but there's no curve or build-up to their finished products. Most of the characters have knee-jerk changes rather than facing some kind of problem and working through it to eventually overcome it.

The plot moved along but had very little spice to it. As seen in the trailers, Gary, SpongeBob's pet snail, gets snail-napped. This sends SpongeBob and Patrick on their adventure, but unlike the other movies, they don't really face that much trouble. They come across some zombie-pirates for little to no reason and move on from them with about the same amount of care. There were a lot of scenes in the movie that really seemed to be there specifically to make the movie longer, and this wasn't a long movie. It could have easily have been a TV episode, but I digress.

My last point is a stickler point. I don't know if SpongeBob has what is called "Canon" story, but if it does, it didn't hold to any of it. Star Wars, for instance, has a long going narrative that all interconnects being called "Canon". What counts towards the story vs what doesn't. In this movie, SpongeBob and Patrick meet King Triton, who looks completely different than he did in the first movie he appeared in with the gang, and they don't seem to recognize him. Triton also doesn't seem to have a daughter anymore. There was a lot of little things like that where they contradicted either the TV show or the past movies. Maybe it's not supposed to have a through-line narrative though.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie but was still left with some puzzles.

Overall score: 6.5 out of 10 stars

Pros:
- The humour is good and almost spot-on for SpongeBob Squarepants
- All main characters are accounted for
- SpongeBob acts like he does in the TV show, which is awesome

Cons:
- Jerky character arcs
- Characters sometimes act out of character completely IE: Mr Crabs
- The story didn't make sense when put together with other movies before it
- Very weak plot
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Monkey (2025): Don't March to This Drum

I had no idea what I was getting into with The Monkey. I went in more or less blind, but given that it was based on a Stephen King story, I had some hope. With the success of It and even the more mediocre Pet Sematary remake, I figured this could be another solid King adaptation. Man, was I ever misguided. Image by IMDb Aesthetic Confusion: What Year Is It? Right away, something felt off. The film starts in 1999—or at least that’s what it claims—but absolutely nothing in the children’s room or the general set design reflects that era. No Blockbuster VHS tapes, no Nirvana posters, no era-appropriate TV shows, not even the right music. Instead, it all feels straight out of the 80s. Then we meet the boys’ Aunt and Uncle, and we’re suddenly in That 70’s Show . The uncle even has the classic 70’s sideburns. The entire aesthetic is a bizarre mishmash of decades, making it feel like the filmmakers didn’t actually care about immersing the audience in the supposed time period. Image by Th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fantastic Four: First Steps – A Cautious Beginning That Barely Walks

Going into Fantastic Four: First Steps , I’ll be honest—I was hesitantly optimistic. Marvel's recent track record hasn’t exactly been confidence-inspiring, and I didn’t know whether this film would add to the pile of forgettables or manage to pull something worthwhile from the rubble. The short version? It’s better than what came before it... but that’s a low bar to clear. Image by Disney Better... But That’s Not Saying Much Yes, this is the best Fantastic Four film so far—but let’s not throw a parade just yet. That’s like saying a sprained ankle is better than a broken leg. It’s still not a good time. This isn’t Infinity War or No Way Home . It’s more like a cautiously made, safe middle-ground that never dares to do anything bold or game-changing. Image by Consequence.net Retro Aesthetic Done Right On the positive side, I liked the unexpected characters that popped in here and there, and I thought the alternative 60s timeline worked surprisingly well. The aesthetic was actually ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Final Destination: Bloodlines – A Bloody Fun Return to Form

I’m a big fan of the Final Destination series, so I was honestly surprised to hear that another installment was in the works. Part 5 wrapped things up in such a neat little bow that it felt like the story had come full circle. So when Bloodlines was announced, I was hesitantly optimistic. Could they recapture the magic (and mayhem) of the originals without running the whole thing into the ground? I’m glad to report—it was worth the price of admission. Image by Pacific Science Center Not Shakespeare, But It’ll Do Let’s just be clear up front: this is not some masterpiece of screenwriting. The plot is about as flimsy as ever, and no one here is giving an Oscar-caliber performance. But let’s be real—if you’re showing up to a Final Destination movie expecting award-winning drama, you’ve already wandered into the wrong theater. That said, the writing didn’t make me want to claw my ears off either, which is more than I can say for a lot of recent horror flicks. It was… fine. Image by The...
Post a Comment
Read more