Nova's Galaxy

Movie Review

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Search for Squarepants

Posted On: January 14th, 2026

 

TLDR: Cute movie. Respects the franchise and source material. Fun for the whole family and can be enjoyed by both new and old fans. Great Animation Style. Comedy is lacking somewhat. The actor's performance is great. Marketing choices are slightly obnoxious. Overall enjoyable film.

 

When my mom asked me a week ago what movie I wanted to see, I was almost too quick to suggest the new SpongeBob movie. I grew up with the yellow square being a big part of my life, and he still is, so of course I was going to jump at the chance to see him on the big screen. I don’t think I’ve seen any of the other movies in theatres (this would be his 5th film I believe?), so this was fun! We also invited my cousin, J, and we all had a good time watching the film.

 

Funny enough, there were barely any people there besides us and like 9 other people. It was probably because we chose a late showing on a school night, which I was glad about because while I do enjoy “kids” media, I cannot stand having to share the spaces with children when it comes to things like going to the movies. And since it was quiet and comfy, I was able to focus solely on the movie and coming away from it, I have mostly good things to say about it!

 

The first thing that already had me hooked is the choice of the stylized CGI animation. It is the same they used for Sponge On The Run, but more polished. It reminds me a bit of the same style they are using for the new games since Rehydrated came out. I personally think, when done right, SpongeBob translates really well to 3D. I would be completely okay if they were to switch from digital animation to this style for future seasons of the show. They did actually use it for Kamp Koral, but that was a spin-off show that I haven’t gotten around to watching.

 

Animation quality in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Search for SquarePants is fantastic. It’s bubbly, bouncy, and well, spongy! SpongeBob looked very cute in the movie, and so did his other friends. I love how they handle characters like Gary as well, cranking the cute appeal in the design up to 100. I opted out of seeing the movie in 3D, but the camera composition and shots of the film would have certainly lent themselves well to that! There were a lot of little animation details too, which, as a lover of animation, was a delight to see. I love looking for easter eggs too. 

 

One particular one stood out to me as well - King Neptune’s Crown from the first movie was pictured in Mr.Krab’s basement. Given this and the Chum-Bucket Bucket Helmets showing up again in The Plankton Movie, has sparked a theory for me that there is now a solid SpongeBob Cinematic Universe Canon that is separate from the show Canon. Expect an in-depth blog post about that at some point, I suppose. (Which reminds me, I should also revisit my “King Julien from Madagascar is a Demi-God theory…)

 

But moving past that, how was the story? 

 

SpongeBob has been on the air for over 26 years, going on 27 in May. I only predate the little dude by a few months, having been born in March. Like any good show, it has gone through a lot of changes over the years. With this came lots of feedback from the fanbase. A lot of people miss the “golden” era of the show, which could be described as Seasons 1-3, and the first movie. Everything else past then has been considered “bad.”

 

Well, that used to be the sentiment. But lately it seems with the resurgence of episodes before Hillenberg’s passing, and since the quality of the show seems to be on the rise again. It also appears to be pulling in a new generation of fans (much like other franchises, such as Sonic the Hedgehog or Super Mario has been doing.) And with that, it seems reception has also been on the rise again. I have recently rediscovered the joy in the show, and I do personally like the changes it has made to adapt to modern times. A review of the seasons and such will probably come from me, too, at a later date. (I can’t be a YouTuber, but by GOD can I write and not shut the fuck up, as you can tell.)

 

I am pleased to say the story in Search for SquarePants is good! It is entertaining enough and makes sense within its own plot and universe. If you come as a veteran, it ignores some established lore. But it’s a kids' cartoon; if you can suspend your expectations, the journey is quite enjoyable on its own.

 

SPOILERS AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

 

I like how this story starts out, implying that SpongeBob has been waiting to grow up tall enough so he can ride the new rollercoaster. We learn that clams are a unit of measurement, and from this moment, that SpongeBob is now officially 36 clams tall. This makes him a certified “Big guy,” which is how the show gets around showcasing him as a “kid” that’s growing up, despite being portrayed as an adult. We get a montage of him getting ready, as a lot of episodes and movies like to do. The song that played was clearly commissioned by some sort of new age artist popular with the kiddies that I didn’t recongize but it was alright. It wasn’t as jarring to hear as to see Snoop Dogg in the previous movie.

 

There were a few other licensed songs, too. When they are travelling to the Underworld, the instrumental to “Holiday In Cambodia,” by The Dead Kennedys, plays. (Which I only recognized due to my extensive hours playing that shit on Guitar Hero III on the Wii growing up). I’m sure there were also a few voice choices that were used to bring up the marketing as well. One thing they did do was cast Mark Hamill as the Flying Dutchman for the movie. I think this was a great choice, and his performance as the Dutchman was so spot on, I had to Google and see if he normally did the voice. (He doesn’t. The talented Brian Doyle-Murray normally plays the iconic role.) Sometimes I dislike it when they recast voice actors like this. The choice of Chris Pratt for Mario was especially controversial, but I think Mark Hamill lends himself well to the scurvy sea dog that is the Dutchman.

 

The plot is a little stale at first. There already was a SpongeBob Episode of him and Patrick being afraid to ride a big boy coaster before. The theme was very similar to the Firey Fist of Pain incident. This is where the lore clearly strays from the show. While it is episodic in nature, I do like them to recall some things in the show’s history and stick to that. Another thing that indicated they didn’t keep to the show’s established canon is playing into Mr.Krab’s history as a pirate.

 

He tells SpongeBob about all his grand adventures across the seas, where we know in truth, aside from a fisherman, maybe, Krabs isn’t actual pirate material despite his marketing and character design. He grew up poor, was best friends with Plankton, and really didn’t make it big until he invented the Krabby Patty. The theme of SpongeBob wanting to grow up too was already rehashed a few times. It was the plot of the First Movie as well. In Search For SquarePants, he goes on a journey with the Dutchman to prove himself to Mr.Krabs that he can be a “big guy. A swashbuckler. 

 

Now here is where it gets a bit different. (Lore Issues aside, again, SpongeBob met the Dutchman way back in Shagnhighed, but here it’s like a first meeting). The Dutchman has been cursed for over 500 years and needs a pure, innocent soul to swap out and then trick to blow his horn so he can pass on the curse to them and be freed. I think this is a unique take, and we haven’t really been exposed to much information on the Flying Dutchman before this. We even have a chance to see what he would be like as a human again, thanks to the casting of Mark Hamill. This live-action take would also remind me a lot of the Patchy the Pirate Segments they used to do in older episodes. (Which I’m not sure why they don’t do those anymore. Dedicated fans would know that Patchy was played by Tom Kenny - SpongeBob’s VA.)

 

Anyway, the Dutchman convinces SpongeBob to go through the challenges to be a “big guy,” all while it’s a trap to swap places with him instead. The plot actually is split between this journey, which is tackled in a more marathon-like style, and then following Mr.Krabs and Squidward as they go to rescue SpongeBob from the Dutchman’s clutches. It reminds me of an extended version of the “Now That We’re Men!” Segment from the first movie. SpongeBob and Patrick get through the scary challenges by playing, messing around and sheer dumb luck. There’s also a conflict here with their friendship as the Dutchman convinces SpongeBob to ditch Patrick near the end of the challenge so they can focus more, and surprisingly, SpongeBob actually agrees to it. I felt this was a little bit out of character, but recent flanderization of the square has depicted him as more stupid and easier to manipulate than earlier versions of him.

 

I thought this would open up as a chance to have a side issue where the Dutchman’s first mate, Barb, though she was his friend, and realize friendship is important, as she can connect with Patrick, being tossed aside too. This doesn’t really happen, though. They bait it out, but really, all we get is Barb still helping the Dutchman, and then at the end, he doesn’t take her with him, because they aren’t friends. All she does then is point out how SpongeBob can break the curse, and then takes the rest of the gang home. I thought it would have been a bit more of an epic betrayal than that.

 

I was surprised, too, to see that SpongeBob actually got all the way to the end to be cursed. It makes me think of a side story I could write where he’s stuck as the new Dutchman. That would beinteresting. During the transformation, Mr.Krabs got sucked up too, and they both were the Dutchman, and really, it came around that this movie was an excuse to expand on the Father-Son Dynamic SpongeBob and he shares. Mr. Krabs came clean that he lied to SpongeBob about being a big guy, and this is where they finally came back to some of the show’s lore, indicating he was a frycook on a ship and wasn’t a swashbuckler at all. This is true to the canon, in the show, Krabs comes from a background of a sailor via being a cook on a ship.

 

I was a bit sick of seeing the surface being used as a selling point in these movies, though. Of course, again, they had to go to the surface to track down the Dutchman. It was funny, though, how they handled it. Mark Hamill as the Dutchman is half dressed as a beachgoer and still as a pirate, relaxing on the beach for a good gag. It was clearly green-screened shots on top of pre-filmed stock footage, which lent itself to the joke and did remind me more of the live action cut aways from the early days of the show. 

 

Of course, the Climax of the show was the non-urgency to break the Dutchman’s horn before sunset. It resulted in SpongeBob having to ride a human rollercoaster and face his fears, and realizing that it’s actually a lot of fun and he wasn’t scared. And he manages to drop the horn with his bubble powers (Can we talk about SpongeBob’s proficiency in Bubblemancy btw? Some time??) and reverse the curse. The Movie cut hard here as we didn’t get any de-transformation for the Dutchman; he was just back on the ship with his Crew, then it cuts back to the Krusty Krab to close out the Movie with SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs sharing a heartfelt moment of understanding and respect.

 

And y’know what? Despite all my criticisms and shortcomings. I loved this movie. It gives me a lot to think about with regard to the characters of Bikini Bottom, and it was super fun. It was colourful and good to look at. I liked the animation style, the little details, and how the tone was turned up slightly. It was a bit more adult-oriented, mainly because they must know by now the fanbase for SpongeBob has mostly grown up. A lot of the adult jokes hit well with me. And even the gimmick running gag with dropping your Lucky Brick got me too.

 

I wouldn’t mind a game tie-in that just rehashes the Movie plot again. I haven’t played Clash of Triton, BUT NOW I WANT TO.

 

My closing thoughts are that the movie was cute and enjoyable, and I’d watch it again. It could be improved in some ways, but for a show that’s starting to run into the same issues as The Simpsons before it, there’s only so much they can do with the IP. I understand people’s critiques and issues with the franchise, but personally, as an autistic adult who just loves to pretend these cartoons are real sometimes, I’ll eat up most slop they put out unless it's really, really bad. I just liked to see my yellow boi re-animated again in a style I like and going on more adventures. It makes me more scared and worried for when some of the VAs finally pass from old age. Oh I can’t stand to think of it. I love SpongeBob, it’s been with me forever.

And if you love it too, then go see this movie. It was a good time. :) 

N0VA ★



Last Edited: 2026-01-14 3:15 AM