The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water *** (2015, Antonio Banderas, voices of Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Mr Lawrence, Paul Tibbitt, Rodger Bumpass) – Movie Review

There are chuckles galore in this easy-going, generally amusing mix of live action and animation, based on the jolly Nickelodeon kids’ TV cartoon series, in which a diabolical pirate above the sea steals the secret Krabby Patty formula and Bikini Bottom goes into an apocalypse.

Tom Kenny and Mr Lawrence provide the essential voices of SpongeBob and his nemesis Plankton, who must team up to get the formula back. There is not much more to it than that.

It is all very odd, surreal comedy. Well it would be with a sponge as a hero character, wouldn’t it? And the often funny, sometimes groan-worthy quirky gags and crazy puns and daft play-on-words keep coming at ya’. The humour is certainly likeable and friendly enough.

Glenn Berger and Jonathan Aibel’s screenplay is more adroit and appealing than series creator Stephen Hillenburg and the film director Paul Tibbitt’s rather basic story, with not enough flesh on its bones.

The movie is thin for a 90-minute feature, and it feels like it would have made a great 30-minute TV episode. Still, it is entertaining enough though it is not quite as much fun as the original 2004 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. A live-action Antonio Banderas is slumming, but he is a definite asset as the Burger Beard, gaining his silly, slapstick laughs. We hope he got squillions for the work.

How do these movies end up costing $74 million? Still, they’re nearly always a safe investment – this one took back an amazing $158 million in the US.

Paul Tibbitt also voices Kyle, Bill Fagerbakke voices Patrick and Rodger Bumpass provides the vocals for Squidward.

The 3D is not essential in any way.

RIP Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the megahit Nickelodeon cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants, who died of ALS on 26 November 2018, aged 57.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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