The year 1999 consisted of multiple cartoons for children of all ages and even got some laughs out of adults too. This amazing year aired the first episode of the greatest kids cartoon of the 21 century: “SpongeBob SquarePants.” I personally will always be a kid at heart and SpongeBob is definitely my favorite cartoon from my child days.
When the first “SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” aired in 2004, my childhood was lit up by the adventures of SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick Star traveling out to save King Neptune’s crown. While 30 minute episodes air on Nickelodeon at least three times daily, the cartoon is a good way to relax and still get a good laugh out of myself.
When I found out that SpongeBob was coming back with a new 3D feature, I was beyond stoked.
Feb. 6, “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” released in US theaters. Not only did the graphics look different compared to the first movie when the characters reached the surface, but the trailers themselves left a unbelievable twist compared to the movie.
While the trailers show the main characters, SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Sandy Cheeks, and Squidward Tenticals out of water for the majority of the trailer, the movie really only has them out of water for what felt like a 30 minutes on a action packed journey to save the secret formula.
The movie starts off with a pirate, Burger-Beard, searching for a magical book that is hidden away on the island above Bikini Bottom. The scene then fades to under the sea in Bikini Bottom, where Plankton is attempting at his old tricks once again and tries to steal the secret formula. He manages to get his hands on the formula with a impressive trick towards SpongeBob, and when SpongeBob tries to take the formula back it suddenly disappears.
Yes, the secret formula just, poof, disappears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjSVDz_8sn0
As this happens, the town goes crazy, besides Squidward of course, who only cares about his paycheck. As the town goes to havoc, the townspeople blame Plankton for stealing the formula, but little do they know it really just disappeared. SpongeBob, knowing the truth, defends Plankton and runs away with him to save him from the town. With suspicion, the town blames SpongeBob and Plankton to be working together.
While away they try to figure out how to get the formula back. By being a “Team” they build a time machine and travel back in time and forwards and all over the place. These 10 minutes of time travel give off bright colors and unbelievable ideas of the future and past. While accidentally ending up in the future, they meet a dolphin, Bubbles, who watches over the universe.
After meeting Bubbles, they go right back to where they were before the formula got taken away, but things fail for them in the end and the time machine breaks.
Now, above the surface, Burger-Beard is telling his talking pelicans the story he found above Bikini Bottom, which happens to be the story of the well-known SpongeBob. However, he cuts the story short and writes “The End” on one of the pages in the book. This upsets the pelicans and they rip the page out and throw it into the ocean.
At this time in Bikini Bottom, everyone has gone mad. Sandy Cheeks is the only one who is sane, safe and sound inside her glass dome home. While eating the last Krabby Patty around, the note that the pirate wrote ends up on the top of her dome.
Later on, when SpongeBob and Plankton travel back to where they originally were fighting over the formula. Just as I said before, the time machine breaks and at this point Sandy announces that she found a page written with “The End” on it and it is the answer to their downfall.
The towns people, still convinced that SpongeBob and Plankton stole the formula, decide to try to end them. They place SpongeBob under a patty smasher, but right before he can get squished he smells the beauty.
A Krabby Patty.
Mr. Krabs also smells it, and then all the characters make their way to where the smell is coming from with the note Sandy Cheeks had. They travel for quite some time, and then realize where the smell is coming from. The surface.
Now you may be wondering, how do they get to the surface and still be able to breathe? Well, Bubbles is there for the rescue. He comes back from the future and helps them out by giving them the ability to breathe outside of water. The main characters make their way to the surface and discover the beach life we all thrive for on a summer vacation. As they make their path to get closer to the smell, they discover who the formula-stealer is, Burger-Beard.
They try to get the formula back, but being powerless, Burger-Beard rewrites the story and sends them to Pelican Island. This is when they realize you can write the story to change it. Sandy pulls out the page she has and SpongeBob re-writes the story, sending him, Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, and Squidward back to the surface with superhero powers.
Now I won’t completely ruin the ending for you, but they each use their different powers to get the formula back, but eventually all their powers are not strong enough.
But who comes for the rescue?
What happens now?
Is it “The End?”
No. Plankton makes a reappearance with his super strength powers and they defeat Burger-Beard as a “Team.”
The movie has laugh out loud jokes, songs meant for sing-a-longs, action, good food, a amazing plot twist, and some epic rap battles to top it off.
Being a SpongeBob fan for my whole life, I would rate this a 5 out of 5 and how they incorporated “Epic Rap Battles” in the movie just made it ten times better no matter what age you are.