The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants review: The franchise’s funniest film to date

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A key to the enduring success of SpongeBob SquarePants lies in the character’s literally spongy nature. Like many residents of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob is constantly stretched, reshaped, cut, and even blown up – endlessly. This flexibility allows for a playful, slapstick style of comedy reminiscent of silent film star Buster Keaton.

This SpongeBob movie is the wildest and most hilarious one since the first film in 2004! SpongeBob and Patrick get stretched, squished, and sent on a crazy adventure, even ending up in the underworld. The script, written by Matt Lieberman and Pam Brady (who’ve worked on comedies like Hot Rod, South Park, and Team America), cleverly uses SpongeBob’s flexible body as a key part of the story.

The Search for SquarePants is SpongeBob’s Funniest Adventure in More Than 20 Years

The movie starts with SpongeBob thrilled to discover he’s grown to an enormous thirty-six clams tall! He’s always wanted to be seen as a “Big Guy” so he can finally ride the Shipwreck roller coaster at Captain Booty Beard’s Fun Park. His sudden growth is so dramatic that Patrick mistakes him for his grandma, and Sandy thinks he’s just gotten new shoes.

Okay, so at the amusement park, SpongeBob totally chickens out when he sees how crazy the roller coaster is! He panics and blurts out a lie – he tells everyone he promised Mr. Krabs he’d ride it with him. That’s our setup! It’s hilarious because suddenly we’re at the Krusty Krab, and Mr. Krabs starts rambling about being a pirate back in the day. Seriously, he claims he was a real swashbuckler and even has a certificate to prove it! It praises everything from his strong stomach to his general boldness – all the qualities you need to be a proper pirate captain, apparently. It’s a ridiculous backstory, but classic Krabs!

SpongeBob is eager to be seen as strong and impressive, so he and Patrick stumble upon Mr. Krabs’ hidden collection of pirate treasure in the restaurant basement. There, they find a strange horn that’s said to grant strength. When SpongeBob blows it, a swirling, colorful vortex appears, and the Flying Dutchman (voiced by Mark Hamill) rises from it. The Dutchman is looking for a kind, naive soul to steal from, hoping it will break his own curse, and SpongeBob seems like the perfect target.

SpongeBob eagerly signs on to become part of the Flying Dutchman’s crew, and he’s quickly joined by Mr. Krabs, his pet snail Gary, and Squidward. Squidward is forced to join after being threatened with a demotion to the undesirable job of fry cook. Director Derek Drymon (known for Hotel Transylvania: Transformania) keeps the movie moving at a very fast pace, with a constant stream of both spoken and visual gags. A particularly funny running joke involves characters literally dropping bricks when they’re scared – a play on the phrase “shitting bricks.” For example, one character says to Patrick, “You dropped your lucky brick,” and Patrick replies, “I don’t have a lucky brick.”

The fact that SpongeBob’s main goal in his sixth movie is simply to ride a roller coaster perfectly captures what makes him so endearing – a delightful mix of serious determination and silly stakes. And it’s not just SpongeBob who gets a comical makeover; down in the underworld, the Flying Dutchman and his companion Barb are completely baffled by SpongeBob and Patrick’s cluelessness, their faces contorted in disbelief. Ironically, the army of skeleton pirates chasing them fall apart laughing, so it’s anyone’s guess who’s actually winning!

The animation is visually stunning, overflowing with imaginative creatures, especially in the underwater scenes. You’ll see enormous squids, sirens with menacing teeth, and rope monsters reminiscent of Sauron – just a few of the strange beings SpongeBob and his friends have to overcome, particularly while navigating the fortress-like Challenge Cove, which feels like a video game level.

While the movie does offer a gentle message about self-acceptance – embracing both your good and not-so-good qualities, and even finding strength in your weaknesses – The Search for SquarePants is mostly just incredibly funny, filled with silly, lighthearted humor. It doesn’t need to be deep or complex; it’s a film that thrives on simple, escalating gags, like SpongeBob’s increasingly frantic blinking. And honestly, we all could use a good laugh, and this film definitely delivers that.

The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants screened at the 2025 AFI Film Festival

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2025-10-28 00:48