The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

***1/2

Reviewed by: Angus Wolfe Murray

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
"The pace is frantic, the characters entertaining and the CGI seagulls a squawk"

Followers of Bob, Patrick and the underseasoned weirdos of Bikini Bottom won't be downset by Sponge Out Of Water, despite a fantastical storyline that goes way beyond simple fun.

This is the story of how the recipe for Krabby Patties is stolen by the pirate, Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas), which causes mayhem amongst the loyal clientele of The Krusty Krab.

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SpongeBob is the best flipper of the fabled patties. The only other fast food outlet in Bikini Bottom is Plankton's place to which no one goes because his patties don't come close to Mr Krabs' magic formula.

Plankton is a one-eyed worm and Bob is a sponge with square pants. Patrick is an obese starfish and Mr K is a crab - what else? - with a money fixation.

At some point the scriptwriters stopped taking their meds and didn't know how to control themselves. Without access to The Krusty Krab the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom lose every semblance of normality, not that there was much in the first place, and go on the rampage.

SpongeBob and Plankton escape in search of the recipe, which involves a time machine, a dolphin that might be a wizard and a magic book. Keeping up with the twists and turns of their adventure is fruitless. Go with the flow and hold your breath.

The pace is frantic, the characters entertaining and the CGI seagulls a squawk. The animation has lost something since the first SpongeBob movie (1999) - precision maybe - and Patrick's supporting role has been cut.

Krabby Patties rule! What else is there?

Reviewed on: 26 Mar 2015
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When a diabolical pirate steals the secret Krabby Patty formula, SpongeBob and his nemesis Plankton must team up in order to get it back.
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Director: Paul Tibbitt

Writer: Glenn Berger, Jonathan Aibel

Starring: Antonio Banderas, voices of Tom Kenny, Mr Lawrence, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Jill Talley, Rodger Bumpass, Eric Bauza, Tim Conway, Eddie Deezen, Rob Paulsen, Kevin Michael Richardson, April Stewart, Cree Summer, Billy West, Carlos Alazraqui, Nolan North, Paul Tibbitt

Year: 2015

Runtime: 92 minutes

BBFC: U - Universal

Country: US, India, Malaysia, Canada, Australia

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