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The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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147 comments in total

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51 out of 57 people found the following comment useful :-
It's SpongeBob, 'nuff said, 28 February 2005

Author: Matt Hackmann from United States

I didn't quite know what to expect when I walked into the theater to watch the movie of one of my favorite cartoons. Nickelodeon has a really nasty habit of "big-budgtizing" movies of their shows (changing the look, etc.). However this is not the case with SpongeBob. Whew, one less thing to worry about.

Next was the story. Could Steve Hillenburg live up to what had been laid down by the series? Yes. Basically it's like watching a 1 1/2 hour episode of SpongeBob (and who couldn't like that). Lot's of visual gags and typical Sponge brainless-ness. I was quite impressed.

If you're a SpongeBob fan, you'll love this movie. If you're not, eh, watch it anyways, it'll do you good ;-).

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51 out of 62 people found the following comment useful :-
I was curious why my kid likes Spongebob so much..., 27 November 2004
Author: winshams from SF area, California

I went to see Spongebob because my kid has pretty sophisticated taste, and I couldn't imagine how a cartoon sponge could be interesting. But it was interesting. I wasn't bored for a second, and actually laughed out loud numerous times. Parts of it were definitely off color, but that made it more adult....not just a cartoon kid movie. I loved the David Hasselhof bit. I also liked the other real people and locations that weren't cartoon. This movie would be scary for real little kids, which may help explain why middle school kids like it. I'm not going to watch the TV show every week, but I do think a parent could do worse than going to see Spongebob with his kid...a pleasant afternoon, and insight into what they are watching...

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46 out of 53 people found the following comment useful :-
An underwater adventure of goofy proportions ensues., 17 November 2004
Author: (johnny_betts@hotmail.com)

This is a movie about an animated sponge that wears square cardboard pants. So there you go, you can't go to the movie and claim you didn't know what kind of humor to expect. It's goofy, it's silly, and it can be downright strange. But I can't call those negative attributes considering the fact that all of the above can also be used to describe me at times.

I've never seen the SpongeBob TV show, so I went into the movie without much of an idea of what I was in for. I must say that while I won't rush out and buy the DVD, I walked away fairly entertained. Expectedly, a lot of the humor is directed towards children, but there's enough here to keep the adults snickering. I may be nearing 30, but I'm not ashamed to laugh at a sponge wearing square whitey tighties! Oh, and for those of us who never cease to mock David Hasselhoff - he has a cameo. I've gotta give the guy credit - he's very aware that the entire country is laughing *at* him, yet he's completely willing to join in.

The children at the screening loved the movie, singing along to songs and everything. One of the funniest things was when Patrick the starfish first appeared on screen and the kids erupted in applause. It was like watching an episode of Seinfeld when Kramer makes his first appearance of an episode and the studio audience goes crazy. I briefly thought about booing just for the fun of it, but the thought of a bunch of tiny little hands pattering me upon my face didn't sound too fun.

But let's go back to the whole "singing along to songs" bit. I think it's only fair to warn parents that this may start to drive you crazy after the movie. Good luck trying to keep your kid from singing, "I'm ready, promotion! I'm ready, promotion!" or "I'm a goofy goober, you're a goofy goober, we're all goofy goobers" over and over and over again. I had to bribe my 9-year-old brother with cold hard cash to knock it off with the "I'm ready, promotion!" song.

Speaking of my brother, I asked him after the movie which he preferred -SpongeBob or The Polar Express. To my surprise, he said SpongeBob because it was "funnier." I suppose this is a lesson that children aren't quite as impressed with fancy animation as adults are.

But he's right, SpongeBob is a funny movie in it's own quirky, original way. I'm not dying to see it again, and I don't think I'll be glued to the TV set every time it's on, but I enjoyed it, and I'm not gonna waste my time or yours by picking apart what I didn't like. The target audience should be pleased with the end result, so mission accomplished.

THE GIST

If you're a fan of the TV show, then you should definitely get a kick out of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. This movie isn't exactly for everybody though. If you've never heard of SpongeBob, then there's quite a bit here that may humor you. But if you hate all things silly, goofy, and immature, then this isn't for you.

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28 out of 31 people found the following comment useful :-
zany with a great plot, 5 February 2005

Author: buzhwa2001 from A², MI

This movie was totally up to my expectations. I've been a Spongebob fan since its premiere in 1999, so I saw it without paying attention to any of the reviews. I heard a bunch of complaints that the plot didn't have the charisma of the TV episodes and wasn't fast-paced enough. I can't imagine how much more excitement could have been packed into this film, though. If the movie didn't have some absurdity, all the characters would be tied too heavily to the main plot and not able to experience their antics that are the essence of Spongebob Squarepants (such as hilarious obstacles and sporadic musical numbers). The wacky ending captivated kids' attention and made moviegoers over 18 burst into gales of laughter.

You can tell that every show worker had so much fun creating this film. The characters' facial expressions look even more over-the-top than on the show, and the voice acting of Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, and many others is perfect. Plus, David Hasselhoff was a real sport to do that cameo. The backgrounds and scenery are beautifully done (under the art direction of Mr. Nick Jennings, I assume). In April of 2003, TV Guide featured Spongebob on the cover as a show to watch if you're feeling depressed, so you will definitely not feel blue after this movie. =)

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40 out of 55 people found the following comment useful :-
Stupid but funny, 21 November 2004
Author: friedrice6190 from Sailsbury, North Carolina

Very stupid indeed. But funny. If you are a fan of the TV show then you will get a kick out of the movie. Most of the jokes are aimed for an older audience...mostly teenagers but there are jokes for the younger audience as well. The movie is not as funny as the show but I'm pretty sure that if you see it you will get a kick out of it anyway. When I walked into the theater most of the parents walked in there with a look on their face saying "God, this is going to be horrible, but I love my kids." and when they were in the theater while the movie was playing they laughed harder and they thought they would.

I wouldn't recommend taking your 5 year old to see it, cause like I said most of the jokes are pretty crude. And some of the younger kids I saw looked confused when Mr. Krabs was telling Spongebob he was making a jackass out of himself and when Patrick was wearing hooker tights.

Not for everyone but a very funny movie indeed.

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21 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Actually, it's quite good.., 15 February 2005

Author: Kenny Mitchell from Central Scotland

I have to put my hand up right now and say that the whole Spongebob thing had passed me by up until I saw this movie. I have no kids, no Satellite TV and therefore no legitimate reason to have caught any episodes of SBSP. However, I did see some of the trailers, and being a submarine nut I loved them. I also got the low down from a friend with a youngster who watched the DVD constantly, day after day, and he confessed to loving the show too. What the hell, I thought I'd see the movie.

What do you know, it's actually quite good! It looks almost exactly like an episode on TV, there doesn't appear to have been any attempt to update, enhance or otherwise movie-fy the series. Fair enough. As for the story and characters, while it's obviously geared to a younger audience I'd have to say that at least half of it would only be understood by the more adult viewer, and there are more than a few nods to other movies that no toddler will have seen. For instance, the silent, motorcycle-riding, super-tough assassin is a dead ringer for the silent, motorcycle-riding, super-tough assassin in Raising Arizona, and just as funny. There's a certain amount of slapstick and visual gags, but the dialogue and situations are fine too.

Overall I enjoyed the movie, it's funny and engaging and although it does start to lag a bit in the third act it's still rewarding. I'm not sure if the live-action was a good idea, but it's always fun to see The Hasselhoff do his stuff on screen, even if it's poking fun at his persona. There's laugh out loud moments, annoying songs, cameos, Hasselhoff and all the other things that a one-off special episode should have, and that's fine by me.

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18 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Well, I liked it, 26 November 2004

Author: cosmo-18 from Chicago, IL

I've read some of the extremely negative comments on this film, and I'm surprised. I thought it was cute, funny, and imaginative, with some well-timed dramatic effects (when they cross the county line, the final fate of the woman with ice cream, ...). It even had a Ween song.

If you're curious about the film, I urge you to see it for yourself, and don't be dissuaded by the negative reviews.

BTW, to provide some background, I come from the 'sappy Simpsons = cra**y Simpsons' school, and I used to love Ren and Stimpy until Bill Camp took over.

My wife and I both really liked the film.

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18 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Better than I expected!, 3 February 2006

Author: Candy-Holic

Okay, I admit it! I'm a big fan of SpongeBob SquarePants TV-series. And when the movie came out, I was more than suspicious. Most movies that have been made out of TV-series have been big disappointments. But I can assure you, this one is not.

If you have ever seen an episode of SpongeBob and liked it, you'll most probably enjoy this film. Even though the movie is mainly directed to kids, as is the TV-series, it will definitely keep adults interested just as well.

Something I especially love in this movie are the characters. In their own way, they're all fun and original. The voice actors do a brilliant job in bringing the characters of Bikini Bottom to life. All the voices fit perfectly and make the movie even funnier! Watching SpongeBob SquarePants the Movie is like watching a long episode of the TV show. And I believe that's just the way we like it! I was scared they were going to make some kind of weird changes to make it more appealing to a wider audience, but I'm glad they kept the spirit of the show.

If you have doubts about whether to see this movie, take my advice; go see it, now!

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19 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Joey goes to the movies; SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE, 27 November 2004
Author: Joey Nolfi (SimpleAndClean@netzoola.com) from Coraopolis, PA

Spongebob takes hilarity to an all-new level. It's almost an art form. This film proves to me that Spongebob can actually make it as a good movie that keeps the feel of the show. Viewers of the show will appreciate that. This movie completely surprised me with it's dozen-or-more laugh-out-loud moments.

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie has everything a good animated film should have. Heart, funny voice actors, good animation, and (an unwritten rule in the book of creating an animated moie) a great message for the younger viewers. That message is to be true to yourself because you are who you are, and you should be yourself no matter what. Also, this movie is so lol funny. Spongebob and Patrick are so outrageously funny.

BOTTOM LINE: Sea it (haha). I know this may sound silly, but I truly think that Spongebob brings out the best in people. Spongebob has a unique style of comedy, and young-and-old appreciate that. When you see adults taking their children in the theater to see this and they are laughing with their children and enjoying the movie, you'll know what I mean.

Letter Grade: B+ #Score: 8.5/10 Stars: ***/4

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19 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Pure fun!!!, 23 November 2004

Author: Trevour from Minnesota

Take the funniest things about Spongebob Squarepants (wacky-anarchist environment and extremely funny animated drawings) and make it an hour-and-a-half long. It's non-stop laughs and plenty of color and all-out craziness. Spongebob and Patrick go off-model so much that it's an eyegasmic delight for the cartoon maniacs out there.

Sooo many entertaining moments. It's literally a laugh-a-minute film... lots of stuff that flies right over the kiddies' heads.

The one thing I didn't like about the movie - the character Mindy (King Neptunes princess daughter). She didn't fit in well with the rest of the character designs - she looks more like a character you would've seen on the Daria animated series.

Also keep an eye out for the big sea creatures' wrestlin' scene with the evil diver... such smooth and precise animation of so many characters at once that I just sat there in pure awe.

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