Doug Lawrence

SpongeBob SquarePants has always been aimed much more at childish adults than actual children, and this deranged comical adventure is no exception. Youngsters may giggle at the relentless silliness, but it's the grown-ups who will enjoy the script's continual raucous mayhem, including a stream of innuendo that's genuinely hilarious. This film also manages to bridge the gap between the TV show's hand-drawn style and eye-catching 3D live-action digital animation as our heroes head above the surface for the first time.

It kicks off as usual under the sea in Bikini Bottom, just as the recipe for the town's addictive snack, the Krabby Patty, is stolen. Everyone thinks the villain has to be fast-food rival Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), but Krabby Burger cook SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) believes Plankton is innocent this time. As Bikini Bottom descends into a post-Krabby apocalypse, SpongeBob assembles his pals to set things right, including dimwitted starfish Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), blustering boss Mr Krabs (Clancy Brown), the clueless Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) and the hyperactive squirrel Sandy (Carolyn Lawrence). On their quest, they get unexpected help from, yes, galactic guardian dolphin Bubbles (Matt Berry) to travel to dry land and confront the thief, an opportunistic pirate named Captain BurgerBeard (Antonio Banderas).

Everything about this film is so completely bonkers that we have little choice but to sit back and just go with it, especially as the screenwriters continually add random elements to get themselves out of various plot corners. For example, to take on BurgerBeard, the team manages to acquire superpowers that lead to a massive Avengers-style action-chase sequence. Not one moment makes even a bit of sense, and yet the film is so cheerful that we can't help but enjoy every random bit of knowing silliness. Even Banderas' hammy, over-the-top performance grows on us as it goes along.

Continue reading: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water Review

Since the beginning of time mankind has posed the most difficult questions: "Is the Earth round or flat?" "Is there life after death?" "Why is junk food so tasty?"

But no question elicits quite the same response as: "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"

The answer, of course, is the star of Nickelodeon's enormously popular cartoon series "SpongeBob SquarePants," which enjoys nearly as many adult fans as it does children. After five years on television, the little sponge now hits the big screen with the aptly titled "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie."

Continue reading: THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE Review