The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water
2015 review number 45:
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water: (Animated): 69 out of 100: Some might call it crude animation but one thing about it is that it's colourful and sure to appeal to most children and adults. There's just the right mix of humour and silliness to make this an entertaining package for anyone who just wants a fun time. There's nothing special about it...it's just a fair bit of fun that you can experience while seeing it. You're not likely to remember much of it either.
SpongeBob Squarepants (Tom Kenny) and his friends Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) and Sandy (Carolyn Lawrence) are happily serving customers in Bikini Bottom until their world is turned upside-down by the theft of the top-secret recipe for Krabby Patties. SpongeBob must join forces with adversary Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) to discover who has stolen the recipe. All the main cartoon characters find themselves transported to Earth where Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas) has his own plans for the delicious delicacies.
The first hour of the film is set mainly in the cartoon world. It's not until the final third of the film where the action takes place on a beach. It would have been great to have more of these scenes where the cartoon characters mix with the human characters. Fans of the show though will appreciate the characters' humour and interactions which take place in the cartoon world.
Antonio Banderas is the only main human character and he makes a suitable pirate. There's enough cheek and charm in his personality to pull it off. The voices of the main characters don't belong to any famous names and that sometimes is a good thing because a celebrity's voice sometimes gets in the way of a cartoon character.
The 3D effects are more noticeable when the cartoon characters enter the real world. Because the film is set mainly in the cartoon world, it's not really necessary to see this in 3D. Some animated films are brilliant in 3D but this format doesn't really enhance the viewing experience in this movie. There's a fair bit of action in this film especially in our world and the rollicking music by John Debney ably supports the visuals.
If you are after some irreverent humour, this movie will satisfy you. Just don't expect anything too memorable and simply go along for the ride. Kids will probably like this more than adults but there's enough adult humour to keep you amused and entertained.
Starring Antonio Banderas
(93 minutes)
Parental advice: Low level violence
Additional scene during or after credits: Yes, during the credits the main cartoon characters dance and march across the screen and after the credits Plankton is chased by Gary the Snail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zoI4L4x1i0 (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Monday 23rd March, 2015)
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