Film Review - The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)

It’s a curious thing that a cartoon detailing the mostly insignificant and often baffling adventures of a cheerful, rectangular sea sponge should become such a phenomenon. Stephen Hillenburg, whose past work includes the frankly bizarre Rocko’s Modern Life, has created a truly enduring modern cartoon character imbued with an optimistically naive sensibility, complemented by an animated style that is at turns both simple and joyously intricate. This is now the second big screen outing for the happy-go-lucky fellow, giving another chance to enjoy the peculiarly hypnotic exploits of an anthropomorphic porous man who lives in some fruit at the bottom of the ocean and cooks burgers for a living.

Essentially, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water treads the same ground as its 2004 predecessor, with SpongeBob (Tom Kenny)embroiled in an epic and continuing struggle with the maniacal Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) who yearns for the secret recipe to Bikini Bottom’s celebrated Krabbie Patty burgers. Following an all-out undersea war, the recipe vanishes into thin air, with Plankton footing the blame. This leaves the residents of Bikini Bottom without their favourite snack, quickly descending into a Mad Max style orgy of looting and destruction and prompts the fantastic line: “Welcome to the apocalypse, I hope you like leather.”

Of course, any eagle-eyed viewers will have spotted that SpongeBob already left the confines of the ocean in his first movie, memorably surfing on David Hasselhoff’s hairy back. Sponge Out of Water’s trick is to weave in a self-reflexive little narrative in which the pirate Burger-Beard (Antonio Banderas) has stolen a book which tells film’s story and therefore contains the burger recipe itself. Burger-Beard uses the recipe to open a beach-side burger stand, forcing SpongeBob and his pals to go to the surface to rescue the recipe, gain control over their own narrative and bring some sort of order back to Bikini Bottom. It’s a twisting, introspective narrative web that works on a couple of levels and provides some distracting and satisfying comedy above the usual noisy slapstick. Add to this the presence of a stately, cape-wearing dolphin who guards the galaxy (Matt Berry) and you’ve got one of those way out cartoons that’s as likely to appeal to stoners and deadbeats as it is children.

The humour is irrepressibly surreal and the jokes rattle off at a fair old lick, flitting from one narrative plane of existence to the next. Directorial duo Paul Tibbitt and Mike Mitchell have kept up that icky and visceral–yet-playful cod-violence that calls to mind similarly bonkers animations such as Ren and Stimpy and brings forth many a shocked giggle. The hallucinogenic sequence in which Plankton ventures inside SpongeBob’s brain is like some wonderful, sickly overdose on Class A drugs and hundreds and thousands.

There are dropped marks for an unnecessary and disappointing recasting of some of the voiceover parts which sees animation stalwart Billy West and the recognisable Eddie Deezen (amongst others)making way for the UK version. Comedian Alan Carr, singer Stacey Solomon and a couple of You Tube celebrities inject a needless sense of woodenness and incompatibility to Burger-Beard’s otherwise amusing scenes.

Dubious recasting aside, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is a brash, psychedelic caper; a lively blast of wit and substance that contradicts its hero’s leaky inclination.

[rating=3]
Chris Banks

Genre:Animation, Adventure Distributor: Paramount Animation Release Date: 27th March 2015 (UK)Rating: 15 Director: Paul Tibbitt Cast: Tom Kenny, Antonio Banderas, Bill Fagerbakke, Stacey Solomon, Allan Carr, Clancy Brown,Mr Lawrence, David Hasselhoff