LIKES:
The Colors
The Animation Is Mostly Smooth
Some Great Jokes
Some Decent Heart
Plenty of References
Primarily, Patrick's Humor
DISLIKES:
Predictable Story
Kiddie Humor
Many Things Reverted To Montage
Lacking The Same Emotional Bite
The New Twists Are Mediocre And Miniscule
Not Sure The Songs Felt Fitting
Theater Worthy?
Summary:
SpongeBob's traditional art style is more up my alley than the new 3-D, computer-heavy style they chose to make this one in. Yet, the colors and shading really pop in this style and add a little more definition that I think sometimes brings the world to life better than the 2-D design could accomplish. Primarily in the Underworld, the design team has made some smooth animation moments that run clean, have some energy, and still capture most of the silliness that SpongeBob brings with it. There is plenty of slapstick, goofy-faced, jumping about idiocy that has become associated with the innocent sponge, and the humor leans more toward modern times, but does still bring some old-school jokes from what I call the Golden Error of SpongeBob. Witty jokes, some adult humor carefully teased into the scenes, and a few brutal bashes are the shining stars of the comedy, and it was nice to get some exposure to it. Seeing the references from episodes past, SpongeBob and gang have fun poking at themselves, trying to incorporate those fun fan elements that nostalgia brings with it. And for fans of Patrick, the bloated pink starfish probably has the moments most closely associated with classic SpongeBob. His reactions with the voice acting had me laughing hard at times, and I felt this was the essence of the humor for me and most of the group I was watching, though some of the other supporting characters accomplish their own humor styles, though they still lack the writing I was looking for. Finally, it wouldn't be a movie of the famous fry cook without a little heartfelt moment, and though corny, they still manage to serve a good reminder of important lessons we all have to learn, especially for the younger viewers coming in to see this movie.
In terms of dislikes, the movie has a very predictable tale that doesn't do much to try to pull that classic originality they did in a few of their other movies. The Underworld held a lot of rocks to turn over for new and bold comedy styles, and a story that was as wild as the first tale. And yet, they didn't do much, with a lot of repeat elements and montage clips to do the heavy lifting that seems to be the common trend at this time. These twists feel very mundane and mediocre, and I felt a lot of the movie's potential was wasted on safe comedy and keeping to the humor these last few years have chosen to focus on. That humor is more of the kiddie humor type, reverting to over-the-top jokes about gross bodily functions, idiotic understanding, and crying temper tantrums. This isn't quite the comedic punch I like in my Nick flicks, but alas, the primary audience wins again and will be giggling in delight from the ridiculous energy of this film. Even the emotional moments still don't seem as put together, feeling shallow and lacking the full message that they were trying to convey. Again, it's cute, but I still feel the first two movies had that balance better, and I wish that they still had those stories. Plus, the trailers have ruined a lot of things, so just be cautious about how many trailers you watch, and try to avoid them if you can. As for the music, SpongeBob somehow has gone more rap than I had anticipated, and it feels like it's out of place in this movie. It's not too aggressive, but the energy is just wrong for this movie, and I kind of think we still need some of those awesome, goofy, and surprising ballads that we know this series to hold. Finally, with all these qualities, is this fourth installment worth the investment in a theater ticket? I don't necessarily think so, because of how many shortcuts they took with the story and humor compared to the classic days.
The VERDICT:
Overall, SpongeBob's newest movie is all about the modern audience for much of its humor and direction. It's a flash-in-the-plan movie that is all about inciting as many giggles as possible using the silliest, kid-friendly directions they can muster. I found good fortune with really well-timed jokes, Patrick's classic humor returning, and the voice acting doing a lot of the pickup. I even had fun finding references that I knew, another fun game to play while I watched everything unfold. Unfortunately, the original story is not original or maximized, and the humor's new direction and audience-specific humor were hard for me to get on board with the same level as the others watching the film. So many things could have been done, and I had hoped for just a little bit of clever, old-fashioned comedy to work its way in to give us an adventure that reflected the powerful minds that started this series. Throw in a few other nuances, and I kind of feel that, like the last movie, this installment is best a Paramount streaming entry unless you are going out for a group activity. When I pull all this together, I give this film:
Adventure/ Comedy/Family/Fantasy/Animation: 6.5
Movie Overall: 6.0.
