‘The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants’ Review: Adventure Romp Soaks up a Good Time for SpongeBob Fans of All Ages
I can’t believe I live in a timeline where a mainline SpongeBob movie went from being an event to being counterprogramming to Avatar. “Mainline” sums up how Nickelodeon's flagship series hit that franchise button, full of several spin-off shows and direct-to-Netflix movies. I believe I have matured since I gave the previous feature, Sponge on the Run, a 0/5 rating. Naturally, I was hopeful for the sea sponge's fourth cinematic feature, Search for SquarePants, which features SpongeBob going on a pirate adventure with the Flying Dutchman, with Derek Drymon steering the sponge-ship as director.
If you're not in the know, Drymon was the creative director behind SpongeBob SquarePants seasons 1-3, the seasons every person my age and older looks fondly on and won't watch past the post-movie seasons. He was also co-writer and sequence director on the iconic 2004 feature. This fourth installment is a laugh-out-loud, greatest-hits riot that sees original SpongeBob veteran artists going unhinged in every direction. As a result, they spiritually capture the nautical nonsense magic many Sponge-fans, young and old, can enjoy.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
MPA Rating: PG (for rude humor, action and some scary images.)
Runtime: 1 Hour and 36 Minutes + 7 Minutes (due to preceding short Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey)
Language: English
Production Companies: Paramount Animation, Nickelodeon Movies
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Director: Derek Drymon
Writers: Pam Brady, Matt Lieberman
Cast: Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence, George Lopez, Isis "Ice Spice" Gaston, Arturo Castro, Sherry Cola, Regina Hall, Mark Hamill
U.S Release Date: December 19, 2025
SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) wakes up a few clams (an inch) taller, meaning he can ride the big roller coaster at a Bikini Bottom amusement park with Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke). But the wee boy gets cold feet, using Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) as a scapegoat to hide his fear. However, Krabs is of no assistance, as he recounts to SpongeBob how, at his age, he was a sailor on the high seas, where he faced dangerous threats and demonstrated "bravery," "courage," and "moxie" to earn his swashbuckler's certificate. He also worked alongside the ghastly ghost pirate, the Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill, who replaced Brian Doyle-Murray). SpongeBob, to demonstrate that he is not merely a "bubble-blowing baby," is unexpectedly transported to the Krusty basement, where the Dutchman's horn is located. When he blows it, the Dutchman and his ghost ship appear. He deems SpongeBob to be the ideal candidate with the purest heart to lift his dreadful curse. So he takes him and Patrick to the underworld, where they embark on a swashbuckling quest.
In Search For SquarePants, SpongeBob's new CG appearance enhances the classic SpongeBob comedy.
SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny), Barb (Regina Hall), Flying Dutchman (Mark Hamill), Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), Gary (Tom Kenny) and Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) in The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon. | ©2025 Paramount Pictures and Viacom International Inc.
I’m convinced that each SpongeBob movie released on the big screen serves as a testament to the current state of the series. The 2004 film was a send-off for the early series run. Sponge Out of Water symbolized the Paul Tibbitt era, and Sponge on the Run served as a major transitional period between soft reboot and spin-off setup. The team responsible for Search for SquarePants, which consists of current showrunners Marc Ceccarelli and Vince Waller, as well as the seasoned Kaz, is showcasing their comedic and absurdist abilities. The sole purpose of the film is to elicit laughter with its distinctively silly and irreverent, whimsical humor. More so than its predecessor, it creates a mindless romp. Granted, there are far too many butt-related jokes, to a weird degree.
Truthfully, I am apprehensive about the insistence of each SpongeBob movie being CG-animated. However, Drymon, who directed the final Hotel Transylvania film, Transformania, brings the series' quirky, outrageous 2D-influenced poses and expressive style into a 3D space. Its CG execution, done by Texas-based Reel FX (Book of Life, Rumble, Scoob), is far superior to Mikros Animation's Sponge on the Run, which, despite its polish, has experimental frame rate issues with the comic timing and is influenced by The Spider-Verse. FX encapsulates the same fast, frenetic pace in its absurdist humor, which enables a significant number of the jokes to be effective and feel like classic SpongeBob.
With lovely touches like gorgeous 2D artwork in flashback scenes and mosaic backgrounds during multiple action shots, Drymon and co expand the cinematic scope, enhancing its theatrical space. Taking on a darker, if not more obscene, tone in the main underworld setting, the film's purple- and green-infused visual palette adds a unique shine that sets it apart from other Sponge-features. Its strong visual aesthetic preserves the SpongeBob identity while capturing the spirit of swashbuckling and satisfying a Pirates of the Caribbean void in the heart.
The film's slapstick energy is evident throughout, as it’s purposefully played as a romp. The animators' hilarious antics, which make the most of each set piece to a comical degree, feel like the ideal old-fashioned love letter to the new adults who grew up with SpongeBob and are now introducing it to their kids. This is a perfect bridge. There’s a “Twelfth Street Rag” needle drop in a standout montage sequence that will have older viewers astral projecting with joy.
Search for SquarePants retreads water but with a charming swashbuckling freshness.
Gary (Tom Kenny), Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) and Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) in The Spongebob Movie: Search For Squarepants from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon. | ©2025 Paramount Pictures and Viacom International Inc.SpongeBob SquarePants is a trademark of Viacom International Inc
Nearly every other SpongeBob movie is specific to the subversion of masculinity. But this one works mostly because it dissects SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs' relationship (with his greed not even playing a part). It’s both sweet and sincere, and Clancy Brown's performance feels like a celebration of his years as Krabs. You could tell me he's retiring by next week, and I'd accept it. It plays like a beautiful swan song, even from the cold opening featuring Brown in live-action pirate getup as a narrator, and man, it’s delightful.
Regarding the new voices, Mark Hamill provides a solid performance as the Flying Dutchman, replacing Brian Doyle-Murray. There’s a story reason for the casting change, but I still prefer Doyle-Murray's voice. Then again, it would've made this SpongeBob adventure feel like a Flapjack episode with Hamill playing Captain K’nuckles (which Brian Doyle-Murray also originally voiced).
One thing I’ve grown tired of with these SpongeBob movies is that structurally, they all abide by the same formula. SpongeBob is at home, starting his day; by the time he reaches the Krusty Krab, the incidents begin. If not taking a road trip to fulfill an objective, most lead to an above-surface live-action climax. This is the third movie to do so, fifth if counting the spin-off features starring Sandy Cheeks and the Plankton movie. However, this is the one that pushes absurdism across the board, capturing the same hilarious brilliance that made its first movie so beloved.
Final Statement
This is the first SpongeBob movie in 20 years that feels like a SpongeBob movie. Not a byproduct to push a studio-mandated agenda, but one that encapsulates its jokey energy, silly expressions, and a fitting theatrical adventure that provides a great outing for families and old fans alike.
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