The full-length animated film about SpongeBob’s adventures became another victim of the epidemiological situation. Instead of a summer release in theaters, the premiere moved to the online platform Netflix. For the character created by Stephen Hillenburg (who, by the way, passed away during the production of the cartoon), this is already the third appearance in full-length animation.
SpongeBob still lives in his pineapple house, and one day the sea hero loses his beloved pet, Gary the snail. Gary is sent to the kingdom of Poseidon, a terrible narcissist who rules in Atlantic City, a beautiful underwater city that resembles a shopping center. SpongeBob’s pet is needed by Poseidon to smooth out wrinkles, as snail mucus has medicinal properties. The main character and his friend Patrick immediately set off in search of Gary.
Still from the movie “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”
A Dive Back into Bikini Bottom: Is It Worth It?
The need for another SpongeBob cartoon is debatable, but the project has taken on new colors thanks to new technologies. The three-dimensional world created by the animators noticeably enlivens the texture of Bikini Bottom, the city where the main character lives. This world has become deeper, more detailed and engaging. On the other hand, in addition to the visual elaboration, Tim Hill’s cartoon is not able to offer anything new - it treads in the already familiar space of the animated series.
The specific humor, the bizarre organization of life on the seabed, where the inhabitants have “their own atmosphere,” the presence of bows that only SpongeBob fans can appreciate - it seems that there is absolutely nothing for a random Netflix viewer to do here. But a fan of the Hillenburg universe is likely to be satisfied, especially if he has had time to miss the characters.
Keanu Reeves in a still from the movie “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”
Cameos and Flashbacks: Adding Depth to the Absurdity
A number of actors with spectacular cameos join SpongeBob’s adventure: from Keanu Reeves to Snoop Dogg. For the most part, they are needed to fill in the gaps in the narrative with various humorous numbers. However, the presence of Keanu Reeves is really amusing - he appears as a talking tumbleweed that instructs SpongeBob and gives wise advice. In addition to the schematic conflict between SpongeBob and the royal figure of Poseidon, the cartoon has an interesting move - flashbacks of childhood years, when the hero met Patrick the starfish and Sandy the squirrel. The inserts really enrich the story, making it touching, sentimental and holistic.
A Ray of Sunshine in Isolation?
The three-dimensional cartoon, with all its visual abundance and detail (the underwater world and the kingdom of Atlantic City are really beautifully designed), is unlikely to give rise to a new popularity of SpongeBob - times, perhaps, are no longer the same. But returning to the bizarre world of Nickelodeon heroes, when everyone is isolated from theatrical novelties, and animation is not easy to win the audience’s attention, may really seem like a ray of light and brighten up the gray everyday life. Beggars can’t be choosers.