Director: Paul Tibbitt
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Tom Kenny, Mr. Lawrence, Carolyn Lawrence, Roger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, Matt Berry
Certificate: U
Running Time: 90 mins
Special Features: Four ‘making-of’ featurettes
If nautical nonsense be something you wish, then drop on the deck and flop like some sort of sea dwelling creature because The SpongeBob Movie: A Sponge Out Of Water is extremely funny. It is strange, clever, will surprise non-Squarepants fans and delight those of us who love the show. is the strangest, silliest and funniest film ever to be catapulted out of the ocean by a laser headed space dolphin. Which actually happens.
The eye-meltingly surreal imagery perfectly complements the anarchic script which sees our heroes take a trip, in every sense, through time and space in search of the missing Krabby Patty formula. En route, the movie pays tribute to Stanley Kubrick and Sergio Leone, notching up several cinematic references that will make adults chuckle, cinephiles nod sagely at each other and kids laugh in bewilderment. It cannot be emphasised enough just how peculiar this piece of work is; notably the time travelling sequence and Plankton’s foray into Spongebob’s brain, but that does not make it inaccessible. There is some helpful exposition at the beginning which will help newcomers understand the wacky world of Spongebob while not boring long-time fans. This is one of many improvements over the 2004 Spongebob Squarepants movie. For instance, while the first theatrical feature sacrificed screen time of beloved characters such as Sandy Cheeks and Squidward in favour of newer, less interesting ones, the principal supporting cast get plenty to do here. Also, this doesn’t feel like too much of a departure from the show like the first film did. It is a much more organic adaptation, starting off like a regular episode and then expanding into a grander, more cinematic affair while keeping the spirit of Nickelodeon’s finest TV product (Sorry Kenan. Sorry Kel. Do one, Clarissa) and it’s much, much funnier.
The voice cast clearly revel in their work and Tom Kenny (Spongebob), Mr. Lawrence (Plankton), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy), Roger Bumpass (Squidward), Clancy Brown (Mr Krabs) and Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick) all get to show what they’re made of with excellent performances all round. But the show is stolen by none other than Matt flippin’ Berry (Yes, THAT Matt Berry) as an intergalactic laser dolphin named Bubbles. His instantly recognisable, bombastic vocals fit perfectly and are a welcome addition to the proceedings. Incidentally he is part of the original cast as opposed the voices of the seagulls who, in the UK edition of the film only, are voiced by Alan Carr and Stacey Solomon. Why? No idea but it works much better than Shrek 2, which had Kate Thornton off X-Factor doing the voice for what was clearly meant to be Joan Rivers.
Special commendation must go to Antonio Banderas who gives a gloriously over the top performance as Burger Beard the Pirate. Banderas has proven his comedy chops before, being the best thing about The Expendables III and, of course, playing Puss In Boots. Unlike his previous foray into animated children’s movies, he is in the flesh here and goes all out to match his cartoon co-stars with a brilliantly ludicrous performance. It would be his film if it weren’t for Matt Berry.
The special features are passably enjoyable; there are a couple of making-of featurettes and a neat little package about Mr Banderas, in which he comes across as the consummate professional as well as an all-round heart throb. However, the ten minute behind-the-scenes look at the voice cast is well worth your time, particularly if you’ve an interest in the world of voice acting.
The SpongeBob Movie: A Sponge Out Of Water is, first and foremost, extremely funny. It is strange, clever, will surprise non-Squarepants fans and delight those of us who love the show. It’s the Spongebob Squarepants movie we deserve and shows that the franchise still has plenty to offer.
The SpongeBob Movie: A Sponge Out Of Water is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now.
