The film actually kicks off with the “Big Guy” gag — a classic Bikini Bottom hustle where SpongeBob tries (and fails) to convince the universe he’s finally grown into someone who can handle capital‑A Adventure. It’s goofy, it’s fast, it’s proudly unserious, and it immediately tells you what kind of voyage you’ve boarded. This isn’t prestige animation; it’s a 90‑minute joyride with a sponge who still thinks bravery is something you can fake if you puff out your chest hard enough. The joke lands, the energy pops, and before you can say “barnacles,” SpongeBob is already in over his square little head.
Director Derek Drymon, one of the franchise’s original creative architects, steers the ship like someone who’s been navigating these waters since the first bubble popped. He knows exactly when to lean into the slapstick and when to let the emotional beats breathe. Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman’s screenplay gives him plenty to play with — a brisk, joke‑dense adventure that remembers to keep its heart beating under all the hijinks. The pacing is pure speedboat: zippy, bright, and somehow never rushed. And the set pieces? Imagine a haunted kelp forest and a pirate‑themed obstacle course that looks like a Spirit Halloween detonated underwater. It’s that kind of party.
The voice cast remains the franchise’s secret weapon. Tom Kenny continues to be a miracle of vocal elasticity, giving SpongeBob’s eternal optimism just enough wobble to make his bravery arc land. Bill Fagerbakke’s Patrick drifts through scenes like a well‑meaning concussion, which is honestly the highest compliment. Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, and Carolyn Lawrence all show up ready to play, but the newcomers bring some unexpected seasoning. Mark Hamill’s Flying Dutchman is a delight — part theatrical pirate captain, part cranky uncle who’s had it up to here with these mortals. And Ice Spice pops in with a breezy, modern‑kid energy that somehow fits right into Bikini Bottom’s surreal ecosystem. Her musical moment gives the soundtrack a welcome jolt of “oh, okay, we’re doing this.”
As the adventure deepens, the movie leans into its nautical‑fantasy trappings with gusto. What follows is the Dutchman’s curse‑breaking obstacle course — a string of supernatural side quests that feel like they were designed by someone who’s been dead for centuries and deeply resents the living. Each task is equal parts mystical nonsense and OSHA violation, and SpongeBob, bless his absorbent little heart, tackles them with the wide‑eyed enthusiasm of someone who hasn’t yet realized he’s being scammed. It’s his greatest strength, his biggest flaw, and the engine that keeps the whole voyage humming.
But beneath all the glowing runes and ghost‑ship shenanigans, the emotional throughline holds steady: SpongeBob wants to prove he’s brave, not because anyone asked him to, but because he’s finally tall enough to think he should be. It’s a deeply Gen‑X joke — the idea that adulthood is just a height requirement you meet one day and immediately regret — and the movie mines it for both laughs and sincerity.
This fourth SpongeBob theatrical voyage leans hard into swashbuckling nonsense and supernatural razzle‑dazzle, like someone dared Nickelodeon to make Pirates of the Caribbean but replace Johnny Depp with a dish sponge and a dream. It’s lighter than Sponge Out of Water, less self‑aware than Sponge on the Run, and far more interested in classic character chaos than any grand franchise reinvention. Think: “Haunted Pirates of the Caribbean, but everyone is shaped like a kitchen sponge,” and you’re basically there.
Its greatest strength is pure velocity — bright, fast, and proudly ridiculous, the cinematic equivalent of chugging a Capri Sun and sprinting straight into the ocean. Its biggest weakness is that it occasionally feels like a supersized two‑part TV special that wandered into a movie theater and hoped no one would check its ticket. Fun? Absolutely. Evolutionary? Not unless you count Patrick discovering a new way to fall down.
By the time the credits roll, Search for SquarePants has delivered exactly what a SpongeBob movie should: big laughs, bigger heart, and enough nautical nonsense to fill a treasure chest. It doesn’t reinvent the franchise, but it doesn’t need to — it just sails confidently into familiar waters with a sharper compass and a ghost‑pirate figurehead. With energetic direction, a stacked voice cast, and a surprisingly resonant hero’s journey, this is a seaworthy adventure that earns its stripes. Four out of five stars — a sturdy vessel, a spirited voyage, and proof that Bikini Bottom still has plenty of wind in its sails.
MPAA Rating: PG.
Runtime: 88 mins
Director: Derek Drymon
Writer: Pam Brady; Matt Lieberman
Cast: Tom Kenny; Clancy Brown; Rodger Bumpass
Genre: Animation | Adventure
Tagline: Get Ready for a Yellow Christmas
Memorable Movie Quote: "The Dutchman's taken SpongeBob to the deepest, most dangerous part of the sea... the Underworld."
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: December 13, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: SpongeBob journeys to the ocean's depths to face the Flying Dutchman's ghost, encountering challenges and uncovering marine mysteries.
