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The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)
A Gorgeous Celebration of Positivity and Friendship.
If you asked me to name the show that I watched the most and talk about constantly when I was a kid, I would easily without hesitation, say it was Spongebob Squarepants.
Created by Stephen Hillenberg, the Nickelodeon show, which hit the airwaves more than two decades ago at the turn of the century, chronicled the day to day undersea life of the titular sea sponge who worked at a fast-food joint and the antics he and his zany friends would get up to while being an unbelievable beacon of cheerfulness and optimism, much to the annoyance of some.
It quickly caught on, easily becoming the network's most popular show, a cultural phenomenon that is recognizable everywhere, and with the show still airing new episodes, it continues to strike a chord with audiences of all ages, myself included, being countlessly referenced, marketed, and in particular, memed online. I dare you to go on a social media thread without seeing one Spongebob reference or image. My belief is that all these characters encompass what many of its core following, particularly the Millenials & Gen Z, went or are going through now, and encountering the struggles, wants, and desires that both a child and adult has and paints a reflection on the lifestyle this audience is experiencing first hand in today's modern society.
Or I could just be crazy and it was just a colourful, silly distraction. Here's a link that explains my notion in greater detail.
He also starred in a couple of movies, each spanning a different decade apart (2004's The Spongebob Squarepants Movie and 2015's Sponge Out of Water), that are both worth rewatching, which I did in preparation to revisit the world of Bikini Bottom, and I can definitely say stand up much better than the other adaptions of popular Nickelodeon mainstays like Rugrats or Avatar (spoiler and apologies to Last Airbender fans, but Spongebob is three for three right now), especially considering how they are some of the last mainstream traditionally-animated films to grace the big screen. But now with this third film, even he has transitioned over to the third-dimensioned common to the current landscape. Does this serve the story better and make it stand out more, or does it distract by cramming in too much of today's trends like the recent Scoob! or Trolls.
Thankfully, it doesn't. This is Spongebob (Tom Kenny) as pure as he is and this time, his beloved pet snail Gary is Snailnapped! Taken by the evil Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), and given to the vain and self-absorbed King Posidon (Matt Berry), in an effort to get that Krabby Patty secret formula once and for all, the cheerful sponge and his dim-witted, but loyal best friend Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), go on a quest to the Lost City of Atlantic City in an effort to get Gary back. Along the way, they come across a talking tumble-weed sage that looks a lot like a benevolent Keanu Reeves, an El Diablo figure with a Danny Trejo face, a Tiffany Haddish-personality fish, a robot with the voice of Awkwafina (this film stacks on the celebrity cameos), and a gorgeously lit Las-Vegas inspired city that puts Canto Bight to shame in looks alone, all while Spongebob's other friends, grouchy Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), frugal Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), and scientific Sandy (Carolyn Lawrence), go out in search of him in order to rescue him from the dangers that lay ahead.
From this premise, writer-director Tim Hill, who worked on the show in its early days, goes back to the buddy formula of the first movie, even having Patrick reference this early on and forgoing the weirdness/superhero/whatever sticks exploits of the last film, opting more for "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" escapades and structure, where each situation of the adventure is different and more random from the last. That doesn't mean he disregards that film, as the teamwork aspect is brought back in the final act and having all the characters play a part and contributing to the plot, something the first film heavily lacked. Honestly, it's the best of both worlds, combining what worked in the previous two while not treading over the same old ground while taking influence from one of the show's more popular episodes "Have You Seen This Snail?", potentially making it my favourite of the three films so far.
I think what also helps make me feel this way is because of the style of animation used. Those worried that the character's simple design would get lost in translation needn't worry, as this is a stunningly animated movie. It's saddening that Paramount decided to forgo a release in theatres in the U.S and opted for streaming, as it really deserves to be shown on a larger scale. The Rankin-Bass/Aardman like CGI are all finely detailed to make it resemble clay figures, right down to how the colours are placed and the speed the characters and background are going at, of course taking inspiration from the Phil Lord and Chris Miller school of design and placement, while still being in the realms of Spongebob. This will help Paramount Animation find it's footing should it continue to make itself like this, and hopefully find success. Not to bash how the other two looked (Sponge Out of Water did a great job rendering these characters in CGI for a live-action setting compared to the likes of those terrible Chipmunk and Smurfs movies), but that'll help it stand out more.
This helps brings Sponge on the Run humour to life, as the film is chock full of blink and you'll miss it easter eggs, sight gags and wording older fans can appreciate and laugh at (also adding some risque jokes the series was known for), while having goofy expressions and voices the kids can enjoy and not be bored by, especially helped by the energy brought by the special guest stars. It also, believe it or not, tugs at the heartstrings a few times, in a couple well earned moments that feel believable, courtesy of the great voice talent who've played these roles since the beginning and have built great relationships and chemistry off and for each other, not like Scoob! which needed to replace the character's voices for the sake of celebrities and marketability (it also helps that they got Hans Zimmer to score this movie, making it more epic and impactful for). Even the sound effects, from Mr. Krabs' walk to the bubble transition to the next scene, sound just as they did twenty plus years ago and give the authentic experience older Spongebob fans who may no longer watch it can see again, this time with their own kids.
By the time the credits roll and the last message pops up, you realize that Sponge on the Run was a celebration of who the character is and what Hillenberg, who unfortunately passed away in 2018, intended him to be from the beginning; an optimistic, positive, and considerate sponge who cares about his friends and the fish around him and will do whatever it takes to make them happy. Regardless of what you consider the quality of the show now and it's future to be (three spinoffs are planned, one of which was teased throughout this movie, though not as bad as you might think), or even your perspective on the character in the first place (it's understandable if you don't like him), it's nice to know that little Spongebob has given its creator a legacy with potentially the same staying power of Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse to keep more generations captivated with his nautical nonsense, and keep the kid inside me onboard still watching to this very day.
To sum it up: Third time is definitely the charm for Spongebob, as Sponge on the Run is a silly, fun, and gorgeously animated celebration of the character who values friendships and positivity for anyone who was ever a fan
The Simpsons: On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister (2005)
A terrible episode that showcases the worse of Lisa Simpson
The episode is mean-spirited for no real reason, has terrible continuity (Bart's been nice to Lisa plenty of time), and further exemplifies why Lisa Simpson is honestly the worst character on the show during Al Jean's run on the show. Skip it and don't bother with it.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Not just a spectacular comic, but also a amazing crime drama.
(see my other reviews, find me on gmail). For the next few days, I'll be talking about the "Batman" series, and now we come to our conclusion known as, "The Dark Knight".
Now this, to me, will always be the definitive Batman film, as it's one if the greatest, superhero film of all time, because it's more than that.
Here's the plot: When a new threat known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) has come to spread chaos all over Gotham, Batman (Christane Bale), LT/ Commissioner Gordan (Gary Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), must form an alliance to battle The Joker for the control of Gotham. Whats then come after is loss, death, people driven insane, and the motto "You either live a hero, or live long enough to become the villain.That's the basic plot of the film, but theirs so much more that, it's hard for me to explain. But I'll try to do my best.
First the characters: Christane Bale is still good as Bruce Wayne, always the torture soul in between him and his alter-ego, but as Batman, he meh, mostly do to the fact that his voice sounds like crap. Micheal Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman, all returning from "Begins" are great, maybe even better than before. Maggie Gyllenhaal replaces Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawns, to me, not much of a change, but the character is really just a damsel in distress, who eventually meets her demise. Aaron Eckhart is much better than Tommy Lee Jones, who was just a goof ball, and brings life into his character and alter ego Two-Face. But the performance that truly stands out for me, and the person who I truly think deserved an Oscar, is Heath Ledger, who plays an incredible performance as The Joker, whose just crazy, insane, and also scary, whose goal is to create chaos and make Gotham chose their fate. I have never seen Heath Ledger act creepy before, and his death marked a huge loss in the film industry and Batman shows (hey, Mark Hamill can't do it forever). The Jokers plan is to show Gotham fear and change them to the dark side and to me, this shows that he's kinda a hero, making it seem he's only testing Gotham to escalation.
Now for the action scenes: let me just say, the cinematography is incredible, much better than "Begins" which had too many close-ups to see what is going on. The action is all great, but it's the drama that make the movie work, as my favourite scene in the movie where Batman interrogates The Joker, where he goes on to say he's just like him, someone whose just as insane as The Joker Then Batman locks the door with a chair, and proceeds to beat him and answer where Rachael and Harvey are, but the Joker keeps laughing, and only taunting Batman for being just as insane as him. This scene is not funny, not sad, and not action packed,as it's just creepy and scary, as it shows that Batman won't kill The Joker, and that The Joker is just insane, becoming the very thing he's setting out to do.
Overall, "The Dark Knight" is an amazing film, with great acting, great cinematography, and an amazing story, however, it is a little long, and some people might get bored with it, but I wasn't bored. Overall, if your a huge Batman, or someone just looking for a good movie, then You won't be bored, Mr. Nolan, you have made a terrific film, I not only clap, but bow before you.