The SpongeBob Movie is next on my agenda here at IndieGala. And I for one cannot be happier about that. Not only SpongeBob is the last in the long and proud series of fantastic animated characters I get to write about. Scrat from Ice Age was a fantastic inspiration. Check out his post here (again). And so was Vegeta from Dragonball Z. Furthermore I got to write not once, but twice about Leisure Suit Larry. And of course about Captain Tsubasa. But it’s time for a very different character. And one from a very different project.
SpongeBob Movie is up next. Well, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is the exact title and we at IndieGala have a perfect pairing for it.
SpongeBob Movie And Battle for Bikini Bottom
Indeed. The inspiration for this particular post is one particular game. Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is responsible for this post. Moreover, it’s SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated. And yes. We not only have the game available for purchase but the soundtrack as well. And in it, you’ll get to play as SpongeBob, Patrick and as Sandy. And show the evil Plankton that crime pays even less than Mr. Krabs. Want to save Bikini Bottom from lots of rampant robots with your mighty bubbles? The battle is on! Now you have the perfect opportunity for that.
I mean, just take a look at some of the Steam user comments:
– SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated adds lovely visuals to a classic 3D platformer that has aged better than I thought it would. Excellent controls, imaginative and compelling level design, and plenty of belly laughs make this game worth going back to nearly 20 years later. – said Iron|Cu!.
– While Baka adds: An immense flash from the past, perfectly remastered for those old and new. There is no other way I could have imagined this being done, it’s perfect in every way and I look forward to playing it time after time.
But What’s The SpongeBob Movie All About?
Well a lot of things, but mainly it’s a buddy movie, and the first that’s fully animated in the entire series. However, for the most part, the SpongeBob Movie is an adventure. SpongeBob and Patrick (along with some new friends) will head out to Atlantic City. Why? Because SpongeBob’s dear friend Garry is being held hostage there. And by none other than the ruthless and selfish ruler King Poseidon, and they need to go after him. Saving Garry is the only option, but the gang will get a couple of side-quests as well. They’ll meet new friends and enemies, but will they accomplish their mission?
A Mix Bag Of Voice Actors (And Regular Actors)
While I’ll be the first to admit that The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is not a particularly good movie… I’m also inclined to find some good in it. And I’ll get to the bad in a second.
First and foremost, the original voice actors are on point again. Tom Kenny is fantastic yet again as SpongeBob and Garry. So is Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick. And of course, the one and only Clancy Brown is great as Mr. Krabs. But that mixed bag of voice actors applies for the cast outside of the regular voice actors. I wasn’t too thrilled with Awkwafina, Snoop Dog, Tiffany Haddish and Danny Trejo’s performances. However, there’s one example in this bag that stands out. And by quality, I might add. And of course, that’s the presence of Matt Berry. If you’ve seen him in Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, The Mighty Bush, The IT Crowd and of course in What We Do In the Shadows… Then you know what this man is capable of. He’s simply stunning, and yes he brings his best in an otherwise cliché role.
Poor Pacing And Stale Jokes?
I think so yeah. There are a bunch of unnecessary side quests that far too long in the SpongeBob Movie. Not to mention the overall pacing is a bit off. How should I explain it better? Well, it feels like a very (and I do mean very) stretched episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. At times the movie’s losing steam, and at times it doesn’t make sense. Because of that. Add the very annoying and poorly developed new characters and the movie feels a bit boring.
It’s overstaying his welcome, and that’s never good. But if you’re in for a trippy experience (besides watching SpongeBob that is)… You get to witness Keanu Reeves’s head plastered on a tumbleweed. He’s Sage in this movie. A tumbleweed spirit who will guide the gang and give them a “Challenge Coin”. Snoop Dog is there, Danny Trejo as well… But the jokes from almost everyone fall flat this time. They’re stale and generally not even remotely funny.
Look, SpongeBob is known for having a fine line between sweet juvenile innocence in humor. And of course very adult humor at times. But that delicate balance is off in this particular movie, and the jokes feel stale and boring in most of the scenes.
Good Animation Though
On the brighter side, the animation is good in SpongeBob Movie. It’s a mix of stylized CGI and live-action sure, but for the most part, is good. Not great, but good. But this is also the first movie in the series that stays clear from the usual 2D animation, and I must applaud the effort. But despite the progress in the technical areas, I must admit the SpongeBob Movie left me a bit disappointing. It may be an improvement in terms of animation. And the crew really spend a big chunk of the money on bringing out these unnecessary celebrities. But the sad truth is that they’re nothing more than a gloss on a very empty vessel. The SpongeBob Movie is not as good as its predecessors and I can only hope that things will get better with the next one.
Are You A Fan Of The SpongeBob Movie?
Or perhaps of the SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated? Let us know in the comment section what you love the most about them. We’d love to know everything.
