The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

I'm a huge fan of 'SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-)'; I absolutely love the first three seasons of the show and the first movie. That's why it's so hard for me to say that 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run (2020)', well, sucks. The movie has maybe one proper laugh in it, with only a few half-chuckles along the way, and its plot feels like a rehash of past narratives that's padded with unnecessary scenes - such as an absolutely pointless, painfully extended stint in live-action land that seems to only have been included so that the director could smoke weed with Snoop Dogg - and often stops dead in its tracks to cram in some continuity-crunching advertisements for the upcoming 'Kamp Koral' spin-off show. It's a huge disappointment, to say the least. Even an extended Keanu Reeves cameo can't elevate the affair - though his appearances are certainly some of the flick's highlights. There are some visually distinct sequences (its 3D animation is generally well-achieved) and, as I mentioned, a few half-chuckles here and there, but the feature just isn't all that enjoyable overall. It also lacks any real messaging or narrative satisfaction. Ultimately, it's a shadow of its former self. The difference in quality between this and the first flick is almost inconceivable. 4/10