I was born at a good time to be a SpongeBob fan. A ’97 baby, I was in elementary school right around the time that all the classic episodes were coming out. I still have fond memories of going to the local Blockbuster’s (you know, when that was a thing), picking out a dvd, and enjoying some of the best children’s television ever made. And yes, I absolutely believe that episodes like Chocolate with Nuts, Band Geeks, and Survival of the Idiots rank up there with the best Hannah-Barbera and the Warner Brothers ever managed to make.

 

10 years later I’m a few inches taller with a scraggly beard, and Blockbusters is long dead, god bless its bankrupt soul, but SpongeBob is still around providing entertainment for a new generation of kids. And while it’s been many years since I’ve tuned into a nautical new episode of my favorite childhood cartoon, watching Sponge out of Water was better than it should have been.

 

Maybe the nostalgia goggles are clouding my vision a little too much, but I was surprised at the variety and quality of the humor. Best of all, SpongeBob’s newest big screen adventure feels just like one of the classic episodes of old, standing tall as the most entertaining SpongeBob’s been in years.

 

Sponge out of Water spends the majority of its time in SpongeBob’s hometown Bikini Bottom, which has had the misfortune of descending into chaos and post-apocalyptic anarchy, complete with mutants, bad haircuts, and Mr.Krabs in a gimp suit. These unlucky events all occur after the formula for the Krabby Patty, an addictive and delicious sandwich that Bikini Bottomnites devour at artery clogging levels, disappears. Now it’s up for SpongeBob and Co. to travel to the surface and reclaim the stolen recipe.

 

The story isn’t anything special, but for once that’s actually a good thing. The premise could easily fit any episode that would air on TV, just with a longer run time and prettier animation.  And I applaud the writers for it. Rather than try and make SpongeBob something he’s not, they’ve  just given him a larger canvas to work his slightly annoying brand of humor on, and the results are great. The trade mark surreal humor and variety is kept, with tons of blink-and-you’ll miss it sight gags, callbacks to the original show (My Leg!), and with some exceptions (sorry Mermaid Man) the same great characters we all know and love.

 

One problem that does arise from the films TV like feel is the runtime.  Sponge out of Water is 93 minutes long, a pretty average length for a kid’s film, but there isn’t nearly enough story here to fill that hour and a half. As a result, we get ALOT of filler, including a full music video, a time machine that really ends up going nowhere, and repeating plot points. Kids won’t care, but the film grinds its heels a bit much.

Kids will love the newest film adventures of their favorite undersea sponge, but it’s a movie adults can enjoy as well.  If you’re looking for a trip back to your childhood, or just a way to blow a Saturday afternoon with your kid, Sponge out of Water delivers.

 

3 out of 5