The SpongeBob Movie Search for Square Pants

3D Movie Review

Written By: Jacob Scarberry

SpongeBob search for squarepants movie 2025 poster

3D

Ahoy, yer mateys! Welcome aboard the SOS 3D, where the depth is everything and the pop-outs don’t matter.

From the get-go, we’re treated to a beautiful 3D conversion — from the clever, SpongeBob-ified Paramount logo all the way to the end credits — and it’s clear we’re in for a visual treat for fans new and old alike. Depth is the (Patrick) star here, beautifully displaying tremendous use of layers, with backgrounds that feel seemingly endless and foregrounds perpetually right within reach of your hands.

The underground scenes are the best examples of this, showing off the depth in a way that makes it feel genuinely dimensional. Even simple shots in and around Bikini Bottom feel properly extended and natural to the human eye.

Pop-outs do happen on occasion, with faces coming toward the viewer without really breaking the barrier — with the exception of a nose poking out here or the unnaturally pointed hair of the live-action Flying Dutchman sticking out toward the audience. Most of these moments are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, though. Even scenes of the Dutchman’s ship charging toward the camera chicken out, with the bow always turning away at the exact moment things were about to get good.

The best example of pop-out perfection comes during a transition involving a skull head. Later, when SpongeBob and Patrick enter the air ducts, you get a nice effect of SpongeBob’s body (which is also his face) coming toward the viewer, along with Patrick’s belly poking out of the vents as well.

The movie has some live action footage. Most of the live-action scenes are unimpressive and feel like an afterthought, with the climactic roller-coaster finale being the best of the bunch. Overall, this is an impressive 3D movie for the most part, but with pop-outs kept to a minimum, it never quite reaches its full swashbuckling potential.

Final 3D Score: 8/10

Movie

Are ya ready, millennials?

Nay, nay, Captain!

I can’t hear you?!

Nay, nay, Captain!

I still can’t hear you! I’m an aging millennial!

SpongeBob SquarePants has been in my life since its debut in May of 1999 — a mere 26 (!) years ago — and is still airing brand-new episodes to this very day. With three theatrical feature films, two spin-off shows, a glut of video games, and enough merchandise to last until the end of time, it’s safe to say SpongeBob is one of the most recognizable and popular characters ever created. Now, five years after the COVID-affected release of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, we arrive at the latest entry in the series.

It’s another day in Bikini Bottom, and SpongeBob is excited that he’s grown another half-clam in height — finally tall enough to ride the scariest roller coaster in town. Alas, he chickens out at the last minute when Patrick joins him and concocts a story that he promised Mr. Krabs he’d ride it with him, but now has to work instead. Mr. Krabs plays along… while also belittling SpongeBob, boasting that he would never be afraid of such a ride, having once been a certified swashbuckler who served with the infamous Flying Dutchman.

The cursed ghost sets his sights on SpongeBob, whose pure heart can release him from his curse, and plans to use him for his own nefarious deeds. With SpongeBob and Patrick tricked into completing dangerous trials to become swashbucklers, Mr. Krabs, Gary, and Squidward set sail on an adventure deep into the Underworld to save them from eternal doom.

SpongeBob SquarePants has undeniably gone downhill over the years — after more than a quarter century, that’s bound to happen. However, the movies tend to maintain a higher level of quality, with stronger writing and ideas that help them feel fresher than the show’s modern episodes. Thankfully, that trend mostly holds true here. This is the best SpongeBob has been in quite some time (though, having not seen the third film as of this writing, I can’t say how it compares to Sponge on the Run).

There are fun visual gags and jokes that feel reminiscent of older episodes — maybe a weaker post-2004 episode — not great, but better than most current installments of the TV series.

The classic voice cast — Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, and Roger Bumpass — are all at their usual best. Mark Hamill does a solid job replacing Brian Doyle-Murray as the Flying Dutchman, though he can’t quite match Doyle-Murray’s classic performance. I also missed the inclusion of more supporting characters, as we mostly get minor voice cameos at best. This makes the whole endeavor feel smaller in scope — like it should’ve been a direct-to-Paramount+ release, which it originally was meant to be.

It feels more substantial than a typical episode and definitely beefier than the SpongeBob TV specials of old, but as a larger-than-life, big-screen adventure, it falls short. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — but it could’ve used a rewrite to make things feel more epic, or at least included more familiar characters.

The animation style is a major departure from the hand-drawn 2D look fans are used to, but it manages to retain the show’s charm with an added dimension. Still, if we ever get a SpongeBob 5, I’d love to see a return to a fully hand-drawn look — or at least a SpongeBob 2-style hybrid of 2D and 3D. That said, it’s a good-looking movie with some creative animation and designs.

Another major complaint is the live-action sequences, which are clearly shot on sets with heavy green-screen use, making them look as cheap as a typical Nickelodeon live-action TV series. Flat, artificial, and seemingly produced on Mr. Krabs’ commercial budget, they feel shoehorned in simply because the previous films had live-action elements — and those movies did them better. The climax absolutely could (and should) have remained animated for a more satisfying finale.

All things considered, the film is pretty decent — not offensive, but also not daring. There are solid gags, faithful animation, and strong vocal performances, but it lacks scope and wastes its live-action potential. Still, it’ll entertain the Generation Alpha whipper-snappers, and parents and grandparents will likely stay awake. Here’s hoping SpongeBob SquarePants: The Today Sponge does even better next time.

Final Movie Score: 6/10

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https://www.3dor2d.com/3d-or-2d-ratingssystem/

Official Website :

https://www.spongebobmovie.com