5 Dollar Reviewer Disclaimer: Have you ever seen a movie that you hated and wished you hadn’t ponied up the dough? Well fear no more reader, I am here to advise you how and when to spend your money when looking for an affordable movie to go see. I will be rating films on a $0-5 scale because of the relation to Duluth theaters such as Marcus Theatres in Duluth and Lake Theatres in Hermantown that offer $5 deals for everyone on Tuesdays and college students on Thursdays. A five will represent a fantastic movie, worthy of spending your hard earned Lincoln. A four will represent a very good movie that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but is definitely worth the price of admission. A three will be awarded to an above average movie that is entertaining more or less but won’t knock your socks off. A two will be given if the movie is average more or less, not worth the price of admission for most unless the movie is of special interest. A one will represent a film that falls flat on its face and has its fingers crossed behind its back praying you (the audience member) don’t notice its obvious downfalls. Lastly, a zero rating will be “earned” through a complete lack of entertainment value what-so-ever. I hate to give these ratings but if I review a film and it receives a zero it is not even worth sneaking into for free, do not waste your time with this movie.
The Review: Walking into this film I had the idea that I was going to be mildly entertained by Spongebob and Patrick’s shenanigans. Not wanting to hold my standards too high to a film that is based on a television series I watched as a child, I was hoping to walk away fairly satisfied with my investment. Spongebob, a sea sponge that lives under the sea, passes his carefree days in Bikini Bottom as a fry cook at the most popular local fast food restaurant in town, the Krusty Krab. His best friend is a pink starfish named Patrick who is your prototypical slacker and is dim-witted to say the least. SpongeBob’s boss, Mr. Krabs is the owner of the Krusty Krab and is constantly on guard of his evil nemesis Plankton who is gunning for his secret burger formula in order to turn around his own failing restaurant.
The adventure begins with your typical SpongeBob and Patrick shenanigans that quickly thrust the two goofballs into a convoluted plot to retrieve and protect the classified Krabby Patty burger formula. The film begins with an action sequence of edible proportions in which Plankton leads an epic attack on SpongeBob and the rest of the Krusty Krab in order to swipe the formula and rescue his business from the gutter. After a struggle, the formula disappears and leads the residents of Bikini Bottom to accuse Plankton of his usual evil deeds. SpongeBob, knowing Plankton does not have the formula in his possession accompanies the microscopic sea creature to safety hoping to join forces with his nemesis for the greater good of his underwater civilization.
With the absence of the Krabby Patty formula Bikini Bottom becomes a wasteland of chaos and all evidence of a culture are in ruins. The plot continues on with all of your favorite characters stepping up to try and save the underwater community from completely self-imploding. The team is even transported to our own three dimensional world and become live action versions of themselves. Time travel, animated action heroes, mysterious talking dolphins and giggly humor are all in play in this second adaption of the popular Nickelodeon animated series that is enjoyable for all ages if you soak in all that it has to offer.
The visuals of the film are quite good; the mix of animated characters interacting with live humans and the world around them is comparable to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” Many aspects of the film will seem outrageous and unimaginable to adult viewers but the children audience is whom this film is geared for in the first place and I believe they will ultimately enjoy it the most. Even adults should find this adaption fun and a good way to relieve some stress with a light-hearted family undertone that never takes itself too seriously.
In the end however, this review is geared toward the five-dollar movie crowd audience, not to the goofy goober in myself so I have to be honest and note the lack of a competent story as a draw back of the film as well as the average musical numbers oddly included in some scenes. The summary of the characters at the beginning of the film is important for audience members who are not familiar with the SpongeBob Universe, however it ultimately seems to me an early anchor to the pace of a well scripted plot that hilariously gets out of control. Although entertaining for the SpongeBob diehard fan and children alike, the film will be off putting to the average moviegoer based on its ridiculous plot elements and lack of consistent pace. If I were to put a dollar amount on this film it would earn $2 from my rating scale. I recommend checking out SpongeBob's latest adventure if you have a special interest in the animated sponge, otherwise take a pass and see it on television in a few months.