100
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
The delights of the movie lie in its zany characters, its goofy settings, and above all its surrealistic visual style.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
- South Korea,
- United States
- 2004
- · 87m
Directors
Mark Osborne,
Stephen Hillenburg
Cast
Tom Kenny,
Bill Fagerbakke,
Mr. Lawrence,
Clancy Brown,
Jeffrey Tambor,
Scarlett Johansson
Genre
Adventure,
Animation,
Comedy,
Family,
Fantasy
There's trouble brewing in Bikini Bottom. Someone has stolen King Neptune's crown, and it looks like Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob's boss, is the culprit. Believing Mr. Krabs is innocent, SpongeBob and his best pal Patrick set out on a treacherous mission to Shell City to reclaim the crown and save Mr. Krabs' life.
Stream The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
What are critics saying?
90
The Hollywood Reporter by Michael Rechtshaffen
The result is an animated adventure that's funnier than "Shark Tale" and more charming than "The Polar Express."
80
L.A. Weekly by Ella Taylor
The movie is driven almost entirely by its exhilaratingly subversive characters.
80
Salon by Stephanie Zacharek
The brilliance of The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie -- as well as the show -- is that it's cognizant without being self-consciously knowing.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
Its instinctive, unstoppable cheerfulness can be, as all those millions of viewers have found, something of a tonic if you're in the mood.
80
The New York Times by Dana Stevens
The movie itself triumphs by similar means; it is a marvel of unleashed childishness, like a birthday party on the edge of spinning out of control.
75
Philadelphia Inquirer by Carrie Rickey
The trippy creation of onetime marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob is a cockeyed optimist toiling at the bottom of the fast-food chain.
75
Boston Globe by Wesley Morris
The film, which is as economically made as it is primitively animated, ambles from adventure to adventure, taking nothing seriously, not even itself.
75
New York Post by Lou Lumenick
Full of action and silliness that will delight rug rats, but it's still hip and absurd enough to entertain grown-ups, too.
70
Dallas Observer by Luke Y. Thompson
The central theme of the movie is the pure joy the cartoon takes in childishness.
70
Variety by Todd McCarthy
Possesses charm, as well as visual and musical appeal, on the bigscreen. But as with many short-form TV entities when sextupled in length, "SpongeBob" proves more palatable as scrumptious fast food than full-scale repast.
67
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
The best moments in his first movie outing are those that feel most TV-like, just another day in the eternally optimistic undersea society.
60
The A.V. Club by Tasha Robinson
It's all innocuous, forgettable fun, but it's firmly aimed at those who find underwear endlessly funny.
50
Miami Herald by Peter Debruge
Rarely delivers anything above and beyond the scope of the series.
50
Chicago Tribune
If your kid has SpongeBob SquarePants underwear, it's a good bet she or he will relish The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
50
Miami Herald
Rarely delivers anything above and beyond the scope of the series.
Loading recommendations...
Loading recommendations...