The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

2004 • 87 minutes
4.4
5.1K reviews
68%
Tomatometer
PG
Rating
Eligible
Watch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More

About this movie

Dive into a comedy adventure that's bigger, better and more absorbing than the rest - the movie debut of that undersea sensation, SpongeBob SquarePants! There's trouble bubbling up in Bikini Bottom, King Neptune's crown is missing, and Mr. Krabs has been accused of stealing it! Together with his best pal Patrick, SpongeBob sets out to treacherous Shell City to reclaim Neptune's crown and save Mr. Krabs, in a spectacular adventure filled with "over-the-top, under-the-sea action and non-stop laughs!"* Featuring the voice talents of Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Tambor, Scarlett Johansson and a special appearance by David Hasselhoff, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is an uproariously funny comedy.
Rating
PG

Ratings and reviews

4.4
5.1K reviews
Kyle Vansteelandt
July 20, 2021
in 1999, Stephen Hillenburg has created a cultural phenomenon: An animated television series that became a childhood favorite for every kid's lives around the world called SpongeBob Squarepants. Tom Kenny's crazy high-pitched voice for SpongeBob has stood the test of time, Bill Fagerbakke is hilarious as SpongeBob's best friend, Patrick Star with his deep decompressed voice, Roger Bumpass plays the always unhappy Squidward with his monotonous to snotty nasal voice, Clancy Brown has this pirate-like voice that's pitch-perfect for SpongeBob's manager Mr. Krabs, Then, there is Mr. Lawrence with his sinister and sometimes booming voice for the diabolical Plankton. And let's not forget Gary, Pearl, Sandy Cheeks, Mrs. Puff, and Plankton's computer wife Karen. Hillenburg decided to make a full feature-length adaptation of the show and here's the premise: King Neptune's crown has been stolen by Plankton and takes the crown to the forbidden Shell City. Who will go on this perilous quest for the crown? The two goofy buddies "SpongeBob and Patrick" will get that crown, even if they are considered to be mature men; they are kids. Based on the premise, I thought it was going to be a simple feature-length adaptation of a with nothing cinematic or anything special, and it was going to be nothing but adventures and amusing comedy. How on Earth is Hillenburg going to make his film adaptation shine? Well, There are more people than just Stephen Hillenburg, Paul Tibbitt, and Derek Drymon who has written this film adaptation: Tim Hill, Kent Osborne, and Aaron Springer. And to get this out of the way, what I have been given is a pleasant surprise; Stephen and company knows how to make silly surreal comedy clever and not to mention that the comedy here is genuinely funny and frequently amusing, including some moments where repetitive words in one line for some of the voice actors that goes on for just about five seconds or more, and the way that Hillenburg directs the voice acting really offers a tickle to the funny bone. Speaking of voice acting, Stephen has done everything he did to make the voice acting from his casting crew more dynamic and larger-than-life to pump up the genre. For the adventure aspect of Hillenburg's own film, he and his crew has brainstormed some creative ideas that are brilliant, like using a grand sense of epic scale or scope, and adding giant voracious monsters. For instance, a fearsome huge-mouthed fish from underground and a monstrous cyclops that guards Shell City. These encounters are surprisingly dramatic. The craftsmanship from the screenplay and soundtrack offers some well-executed ideas. There are also some guest stars that are featured in the cast; Alec Baldwin as a big gritty cowboy named Dennis. Baldwin has delivered an intimidating gravelly voice for this brute. Jeffery Tambor as the tyrannical roaring King Neptune. Scarlett Johansson plays Neptune's daughter "Mindy," a sweet compassionate mermaid who is good friends with SpongeBob and Patrick. And there is David Hasselhoff as...well...himself who is a really big supporting character. As for the score, there are some familiar tracks used in the show that were used here, like the Hawaiian tracks and some tracks that are kooky and some with a sailor vibe to it. But one musical feature that really stands out is the grand, stirring symphonic score by Gregor Narholz. Gregor is a brilliant genius at making dynamic, emotional orchestral music that is highly effective and unforgettable. There is an instrumental version of "I wanna rock," but instead of the original lyrics, the lyrics were re-written for a remade song about being a goofy goober or just being a kid. There are also some messages about being a kid at heart and showing compassion. In Conclusion: This simplistic full feature-length adaptation is not out to win any awards or break any special ground, but rather offering persistent entertainment value that is wacky, pleasant, and it's long on satisfaction for all ages seven and up. Recommended.
24 people found this review helpful
Pokefan Sloth man
May 9, 2021
This is a movie that is absolutely great. Not much to say about it cuz I watch it like a year ago. If there's any movie you should watch, then I'll prefer Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. But if your too young for movies like this, then I'll prefer this movie. It's a total blast with this movie cuz it's all about adventure where SpongeBob and his friend Patrick find Neptune's crown cuz it's taken to Shell City all cuz of the old Plan Z plan Plankton got... We all know about it.
Tracey Duben
February 18, 2021
Ive watched this movie when i was a little kid and i gotta just say it was one of my favs. Anyone saying this movie caused it to be too kid friendly obviously has not been keeping up with spongebob, As a person who does not like newer spongebob i can confirm the kidness started in 2017+ And this movie just created good memories and memes for me, I think spongebob was ruined by the movie sponge out of water tho... I really did not like sponge out of water for some reason it didnt give soul