One of the reasons for the surprising longevity of the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise is the very spongy nature of its main character. Like most of the other characters who inhabit Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) is stretched and molded, cut, sliced, diced, and exploded ad infinitum, a sea-dwelling Gumby whose malleability is exploited for Buster Keaton-esque comedic delirium.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is the most ridiculous and funniest SpongeBob movie since the first film adaptation in 2004. SpongeBob and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) are squashed, molded, liquefied, squeezed through tubes, and sucked into the underworld. Written by Matt Lieberman and Pam Brady, whose credits include Hot Rod, South Park, and Team America, the film uses SpongeBob's malleability as a running gag.
Director: Derek Drymon
Writers: Pam Brady, Matt Lieberman, Marc Ceccarelli
Stars: Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass
At the beginning of the film, SpongeBob is overjoyed to discover that he has grown half a clam, reaching the impressive height of thirty-six clams. The revelation is great news for Bikini Bottom's favorite fry cook, as SpongeBob has been desperate to be considered a "big guy" so he can ride the shipwreck roller coaster at Captain Scallywag's Amusement Park. The growth spurt is so remarkable, apparently, that Patrick initially mistakes his best friend for his grandmother, and Sandy (Carolyn Lawrence) assumes he's bought new shoes.
But at the amusement park, SpongeBob immediately chickens out upon seeing the dangerous twists, turns, and drops he would have to endure. Panicked, he invents a lie: he can't ride the ride because he promised Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) he would ride it with him. And so, the two friends head to the Krusty Krab, which somehow leads the staunch capitalist to talk about his supposed days as a pirate captain. That's right: Mr. Krabs is a certified buccaneer. No, seriously, he has a certificate praising his fortified guts, his style, his bravery, and a whole bunch of other requirements for being considered a big shot.
Well, SpongeBob also wants to be seen as a big shot, and after a series of unexpected twists and turns in the restaurant's basement, he and Patrick stumble upon Mr. Krabs' pirate treasure. Suddenly, a flute appears, tempting SpongeBob to play it, which, he's told, will help him become that big shot. But when he does, a neon green and blue vortex appears, from which the Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill of Star Wars) emerges from the slimy depths. His goal? To find a naive, good-hearted fool whose soul he can steal and break his own curse. Mr. SquarePants is the perfect candidate.
SpongeBob naively accepts the offer to join the Flying Dutchman's crew, and he's soon followed by Mr. Krabs, Gary, SpongeBob's pet snail, and Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), who is blackmailed with the threat of being demoted to the acne-inducing job of fry cook if he refuses. Director Derek Drymon (Hotel Transylvania: Transformania) maintains a breakneck pace, with both verbal and visual gags coming at an incredible speed. A particularly good recurring gag is a parody of the expression "scared stiff," where each terrified character clenches so hard that a literal brick falls out of their pants. "You dropped your lucky brick, Patrick." "I don't have a lucky brick."
That SpongeBob's main motivation in this, his sixth cinematic adventure, is to ride a roller coaster, underscores the kind of balance between the transcendental and the trivial that makes the character so much fun. And SpongeBob isn't the only character to receive a similar, claymation-like treatment; in the underworld, the Flying Dutchman and his henchman Barb can't believe the depths of his and Patrick's stupidity, their faces contorted in shock. Although, coincidentally, the murderous army of sword-wielding skeletons chasing them collapses in laughter, so who's laughing now?
The animation is equally a visual cornucopia: particularly in the underworld, there's no shortage of dazzling creatures. Giant squids, sharp-toothed mermaids, and Sauron-esque tentacled monsters are just some of the bizarre creatures SpongeBob and his friends must navigate, especially when climbing the video game-like fortress, the Cove of Challenges.
It's true that the film offers some lessons about accepting oneself with one's strengths and weaknesses (and how those weaknesses can become strengths in the right circumstances), but, really, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is simply a hilarious film packed with offbeat jokes.
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