The underwater city of Bikini Bottom is as lively as ever, with SpongeBob SquarePants trying to master a new skill and Plankton dreaming of cloning himself to take over the world.
Taking the spotlight in this feature film, however, is Sandy Cheeks, a scientist squirrel observing, studying and living the Bikini Bottom life. Originally from Texas, Sandy left the Cheeks family circus to pursue her passion. And she’s made some great friends at the bottom of the sea while she’s at it.
All seems to be well until …
… a giant construction claw scoops up the city of Bikini Bottom and most of its inhabitants leaving Sandy and SpongeBob stranded just outside of the wreckage. As for poor, scooped-up Bikini bottom? Well, it seems like the underwater town has been transported to … Texas.
To save Bikini Bottom, that’s where SpongeBob and Sandy must go, too. And it turns out that Sandy’s own research company has been taken over by an evil new CEO named Sue Nahmee. Now, only Sandy and SpongeBob can save Bikini Bottom and their friends from certain doom.
Sandy Cheeks is obviously in the story’s spotlight here. And there’s a clear message from this rodent scientist: Science is more than clone monsters and lasers. It’s fun!
Sandy even manages to convince her mother and father (who want her to stay in the family circus business) that what she’s doing is valuable and also what’s best for her. Her parents, for their part, are protective and sensible when it comes to Sandy’s future.
At one point when when Sandy’s optimistic attitude starts to fade in the face of unfortunate revelations, SpongeBob is there to encourage her to not give up.
In the end, Sandy finds a reinvigorated love for her family in Texas and her family of friends under the sea.
None.
Emerging from the ocean, Sandy Cheeks sheds her underwater suit and wears a two-piece of sorts, though she is a squirrel. When we meet her mother, Mrs. Cheeks is wearing a skintight suit that, oddly, accentuates her feminine figures.
Characters both male and female seem to be infatuated (though not in a sexual sense, it seems) with Mr. Cheeks’ and Sandy’s older brother’s “masculinity” and strength.
At a Texas waterpark, after leaving Bikini Bottom, we briefly see an actual bikini bottom and later a bikini top, both in the background of the scene.
In a battle with Western cowboy snakes, the snakes are stripped down to their undergarments, one complaining about sand in his innards.
One human character kisses a giant fish.
The violence here is all slapstick, but it is rather constant … and comedically brutal. And as is often the case in this franchise, characters are seriously deformed and injured (broken legs, concussions, falls from great heights, snake bites, being split into pieces, etc.), but none of them are seriously harmed beyond a single scene. It’s all just played for laughs.
Even when a character is eaten by a giant carnivorous fish, she just becomes the fish rather than dying.
Mild interjections include: “great Neptune,” “what the heck,” “what in tarnation,” “dangnabbit,” “dadgumit,” and, the most creative one in my opinion, “holy sugar cookies.”
God’s name is misused twice.
None.
As always with SpongeBob, toilet humor is an ongoing staple throughout the film.
Villain Sue Nahmee wants to genetically modify the Bikini Bottom creatures to survive on land, then clone and mass produce them as pets.
The Cheeks family evades the police in an epic car chase. Sandy’s older brother has little respect for law and the authorities.
Characters have misplaced priorities for comedic effect. When Bikini Bottom is taken from the ocean, SpongeBob initially seems more concerned about his collection of streaming movies than his friends. Likewise, non-villainous scientists are inclined to help the villain for the promise of a filled vending machine.
Oh, and Plankton still wants to rule the world, of course, and he seems thrilled with the prospect of the destruction all around him.
The SpongeBob franchise has often gotten a bad reputation in certain circles for its myriad crude and pointless gags. In other circles, SpongeBob’s decades-long screen fame has garnered him the title of “classic.” Amazingly, it’s now been more than 25 years since he first showed up on Nickelodeon. And, frankly, not much has changed over that time period.
The latest SpongeBob movie, now streaming on Netflix, is no exception. If you’ve seen any of the previous movies, you know exactly what to expect here.
Yup, we’ve got near-constant violent gags, though no one ever seems too much the worse for wear. Still, those mildly intense pratfalls may be a bit much for younger or especially sensitive viewers. And then, of course, there’s the toilet humor.
All of that said, however, the yellow sponge with square pants has never wavered in his commitment to his home and his friends. And neither has Sandy Cheeks. Their determination to save their home and their friends is equally evident here.
So, if you’re willing to wade through the seaweed of cruder jokes and gags with your kids, the newest SpongeBob movie might just be a great jumping-off point for a family discussion about the importance of family, friends, perseverance and working together.
Caleb Gottry is the Plugged In intern for Summer 2024. Caleb studies journalism with a minor in music at Texas Christian University, where he will be a junior in the fall. He loves playing with words, listening to and making music, and spending any spare time with friends or family.
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