The movie critique portion of this review was written by my colleague Michele Arbir.
SpongeBob Square Pants is at it again along with his best friend Patrick, and the Bikini Bottom gang star in their most epic adventure movie yet! The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run is a 2020 American live-action/computer-animated adventure comedy film based on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants.
When SpongeBob’s beloved pet snail Gary goes missing, a path of clues leads SpongeBob and Patrick to the powerful King Poseidon, who has Gary held captive in the Lost City of Atlantic City. On their mission to save Gary, SpongeBob and his pals team up for a heroic and hilarious journey where they discover nothing is stronger than the power of friendship.
I’m going to start with saying my grandson sat through this whole film. That says a lot, having Autism the movie has to capture him and pretty much all CGI brings him in at the start. The CGI animation fits in well with SpongeBob’s cartoonish vibe, almost all of the jokes land, the voice performances are great, and I love to feel nostalgic and I definitely felt that while watching this movie. Stephen Hillenburg, if you are looking down, I think you would be pretty happy with this film.
The chemistry of the original cast I believe is what made this film. Tom Kenny as SpongeBob and Gary, Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, Roger Bumpass as Squidward, Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs, Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy, and Mr. Lawrence as Plankton have always been the heart of the series. Their performances here really paid off as they constructed the sweetness in the film. So much weight was put into the script when it came to portraying how much SpongeBob meant to others, and the perfectly matching style of forgotten original charm really sold the film. Kenny’s performance is believable and heartening when SpongeBob voices the viewpoint of pet owners on the subjects of love and loyalty. This in turn makes the picture a meaningfully worthy petition for not just some of us old fans but also pet owners in general due to such thematic conversation.
Let’s talk about the soundtrack! This movie was hopping, and I couldn’t have been happier. Interscope Records released the film’s soundtrack with artists Tainy, Weezer, Snoop Dogg, The Flaming Lips, and Kenny G. Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman also co-wrote the track “Secret to the Formula.” Previous material that is part of the film but not on the soundtrack album is “Slow Ride” by Foghat, “Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright, Weezer’s cover of the a-ha song “Take On Me”, and Kenny G’s cover of “My Heart Will Go On” from the film Titanic. All of the music was on point at the right times. My grandson was really eyeing me as I was bouncing in my seat with Snoop Dog…
No SpongeBob movie will ever disappoint me per se. It’s a good film to watch and better than a lot of episodes towards the end of the series. Nevertheless, for me it just didn’t meet movie standards – the plot is more befitting an episode than a feature film. I also think Covid and the release being pushed back six times hurt it as it cost $60 million to make. Paramount+ eventually released the film, but coupled with other platforms it only ended up bringing in $4.8 million. That said, I think kids will still really like it and it should connect with pet owners for sure.
Creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died in 2018, is to be thanked for all our years of SpongeBob and the film is dedicated to him. Before Spongebob, Hillenburg was an actual marine biologist. We have him to thank, for this underwater Atlantis world grown out of science. Doesn’t matter your age, you’ll get all the jokes in Sponge On The Run. The film is a goofy fun-filled trip for the whole family.
Video Quality
The Blu-Ray of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run looks quite magnificent in its 1080p transfer. The clarity of the image is as flawless as you would expect a modern animated film to be. The computer-generated characters do not have any stylistic blemishes or bleeding outlines. The character designs and settings have a really impressive amount of details including the tiny textural bumps on Patrick and the grainy texture of the sandy ocean floor. Colors are bright and bold in a way that practically leaps off the screen. Every location that our characters visit is a new opportunity to impress with vibrant visuals. Even the live action bits are without flaws as the facial details reveal subtle elements and zombie makeup presents some texture. This transfer has a really good sense of depth both in the “real world” and in the standard animated one. This film really wows in high definition.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio transfer that is supremely engaged and active. The dialogue and voice work never falters in clarity. The score and special effects are balanced well so that no lines of dialogue are ever overwhelmed within the mix. The main dialogue is anchored in the center channel with occasional instances of people communicating from off-screen. Environmental sounds fill the surround speakers with subtle sounds. Kinetic sequences result in sounds panning around the room in a really cool way. The low end is engaged way more than you would imagine for a film of this sort. Music drops fill the side and rear speakers in a way that makes your room come alive. A SpongeBob movie is probably not the first one you would think of to show off your system, but it is an active enough track that you certainly could.
Special Features
- I’m Urchin You To Leave Mini-Movie: A five-minute short in which SpongeBob and Patrick befriend a sea urchin much to the chagrin of Squidward. As expected, chaos and laughter ensues.
- Campfire Songs
- Agua Music Video by Tainy & J. Balvin (3:02)
- How We Do Lyric Video by Snoop Dogg and Monsta X (1:24)
- Krabby Step Lyric Video by Tyga, Swae Lee & Lil Mosey (3:27)
- Agua Lyric Video by Tainy & J. Balvin (2:49)
- Campfire Stories: Two deleted storyboards totaling four minutes are provided here in rough hand-drawn animation form. These scenes depict Patrick and SpongeBob waking up for the day and Patrick and SpongBob getting on Squidward’s nerves once again in a creative way.
- Camp Coral Buddies
- The Ballad of SpongBob and Patrick!: A five-minute look at the friendship between the main characters, the vocal performances and much more.
- I Heart Camp Coral by SpongeBob SquarePants: A two-and-a-half-minute piece in which SpongeBob flips through a scrapbook to show his time at camp.
- Camp Arts and Crafts
- Drawing The Cutest Camper Ever: A nine-minute lesson on how to draw young SpongeBob.
- Drawing The Cutest Snail Ever: A six-minute lesson on how to draw young Gary.
- The Amazing Stages Of Animation: A two-minute look behind the scenes at how the animation is brought to life from storyboards to the finished product.
- But Wait…There’s S’mores!: A two-minute look at the new Patty Mobile hosted by Sandy.
Final Thoughts
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run never really does enough to justify being a feature-length film, but the journey is enjoyable enough that you never begrudge its existence. These are characters that we have loved for years, and we never pass up a chance to spend a bit more time with them. While we prefer the classic 2-D animation, the film is a visual delight from beginning to end. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a 5-star A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. If you are a fan of the character, this entry into the franchise should not disappoint. Recommended
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
