Release Year: 2020 7,1 / 10 Stars Set before the events of the television series, SpongeBob goes on a trip to Kamp Koral and meets some new friends. However, when his pet snail Gary gets kidnapped by Poseidon and taken to the Lost City of Atlantic City, he and his new best friend Patrick must go on a rescue mission to save him from the dastardly plan of Poseidon before it is too late. The movie will also reveal the first time our beloved characters (as kids) met at Camp...a magical moment that brings meaning to the power of true friendship creators: Tim Hill actor: Tom Kenny Adventure

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Every character is shown to meet spongebob in flashback sequences that completely disregard the previous canon. They used this movie to set up a new show called Camp Coral, and it shows.
The peak of the movie was snoop dogg and Danny trejo. Keanu Reeves and weezer are forced memes.
The voice cast is clearly getting old. Some moments just don't sound like the original characters.
The entire Keanu Reeves plot doesn't end up going anywhere. It seems like when spongebob wakes up from the dream, the entire movie had a shift in direction.
Lastly, they dishonoured Stephen hillenburg by putting his name on something so subpar. I don't believe that he approves of these rewrites to his story and characters.

If you asked me to name the show that I watched the most and talk about constantly when I was a kid, I would easily without hesitation, say it was Spongebob Squarepants.
Created by Stephen Hillenberg, the Nickelodeon show, which hit the airwaves more than two decades ago at the turn of the century, chronicled the day to day undersea life of the titular sea sponge who worked at a fast-food joint and the antics he and his zany friends would get up to while being an unbelievable beacon of cheerfulness and optimism, much to the annoyance of some.
It quickly caught on, easily becoming the network's most popular show, a cultural phenomenon that is recognizable everywhere, and with the show still airing new episodes, it continues to strike a chord with audiences of all ages, myself included, being countlessly referenced, marketed, and in particular, memed online. I dare you to go on a social media thread without seeing one Spongebob reference or image. My belief is that all these characters encompass what many of its core following, particularly the Millenials & Gen Z, went or are going through now, and encountering the struggles, wants, and desires that both a child and adult has and paints a reflection on the lifestyle this audience is experiencing first hand in today's modern society.
Or I could just be crazy and it was just a colourful, silly distraction. Here's a link that explains my notion in greater detail.
He also starred in a couple of movies, each spanning a different decade apart (2004's The Spongebob Squarepants Movie and 2015's Sponge Out of Water) that are both worth rewatching, which I did in preparation to revisit the world of Bikini Bottom, and I can definitely say stand up much better than the other adaptions of popular Nickelodeon mainstays like Rugrats or Avatar (spoiler and apologies to Last Airbender fans, but Spongebob is three for three right now) especially considering how they are some of the last mainstream traditionally-animated films to grace the big screen. But now with this third film, even he has transitioned over to the third-dimensioned common to the current landscape. Does this serve the story better and make it stand out more, or does it distract by cramming in too much of today's trends like the recent Scoob! or Trolls.
Thankfully, it doesn't. This is Spongebob (Tom Kenny) as pure as he is and this time, his beloved pet snail Gary is Snailnapped! Taken by the evil Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) and given to the vain and self-absorbed King Posidon (Matt Berry) in an effort to get that Krabby Patty secret formula once and for all, the cheerful sponge and his dim-witted, but loyal best friend Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) go on a quest to the Lost City of Atlantic City in an effort to get Gary back. Along the way, they come across a talking tumble-weed sage that looks a lot like a benevolent Keanu Reeves, an El Diablo figure with a Danny Trejo face, a Tiffany Haddish-personality fish, a robot with the voice of Awkwafina (this film stacks on the celebrity cameos) and a gorgeously lit Las-Vegas inspired city that puts Canto Bight to shame in looks alone, all while Spongebob's other friends, grouchy Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) frugal Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) and scientific Sandy (Carolyn Lawrence) go out in search of him in order to rescue him from the dangers that lay ahead.
From this premise, writer-director Tim Hill, who worked on the show in its early days, goes back to the buddy formula of the first movie, even having Patrick reference this early on and forgoing the weirdness/superhero/whatever sticks exploits of the last film, opting more for "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" escapades and structure, where each situation of the adventure is different and more random from the last. That doesn't mean he disregards that film, as the teamwork aspect is brought back in the final act and having all the characters play a part and contributing to the plot, something the first film heavily lacked. Honestly, it's the best of both worlds, combining what worked in the previous two while not treading over the same old ground while taking influence from one of the show's more popular episodes "Have You Seen This Snail. potentially making it my favourite of the three films so far.
I think what also helps make me feel this way is because of the style of animation used. Those worried that the character's simple design would get lost in translation needn't worry, as this is a stunningly animated movie. It's saddening that Paramount decided to forgo a release in theatres in the U.S and opted for streaming, as it really deserves to be shown on a larger scale. The Rankin-Bass/Aardman like CGI are all finely detailed to make it resemble clay figures, right down to how the colours are placed and the speed the characters and background are going at, of course taking inspiration from the Phil Lord and Chris Miller school of design and placement, while still being in the realms of Spongebob. This will help Paramount Animation find it's footing should it continue to make itself like this, and hopefully find success. Not to bash how the other two looked (Sponge Out of Water did a great job rendering these characters in CGI for a live-action setting compared to the likes of those terrible Chipmunk and Smurfs movies) but that'll help it stand out more.
This helps brings Sponge on the Run humour to life, as the film is chock full of blink and you'll miss it easter eggs, sight gags and wording older fans can appreciate and laugh at (also adding some risque jokes the series was known for) while having goofy expressions and voices the kids can enjoy and not be bored by, especially helped by the energy brought by the special guest stars. It also, believe it or not, tugs at the heartstrings a few times, in a couple well earned moments that feel believable, courtesy of the great voice talent who've played these roles since the beginning and have built great relationships and chemistry off and for each other, not like Scoob! which needed to replace the character's voices for the sake of celebrities and marketability (it also helps that they got Hans Zimmer to score this movie, making it more epic and impactful for. Even the sound effects, from Mr. Krabs' walk to the bubble transition to the next scene, sound just as they did twenty plus years ago and give the authentic experience older Spongebob fans who may no longer watch it can see again, this time with their own kids.
By the time the credits roll and the last message pops up, you realize that Sponge on the Run was a celebration of who the character is and what Hillenberg, who unfortunately passed away in 2018, intended him to be from the beginning; an optimistic, positive, and considerate sponge who cares about his friends and the fish around him and will do whatever it takes to make them happy. Regardless of what you consider the quality of the show now and it's future to be (three spinoffs are planned, one of which was teased throughout this movie, though not as bad as you might think) or even your perspective on the character in the first place (it's understandable if you don't like him) it's nice to know that little Spongebob has given its creator a legacy with potentially the same staying power of Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse to keep more generations captivated with his nautical nonsense, and keep the kid inside me onboard still watching to this very day.
To sum it up: Third time is definitely the charm for Spongebob, as Sponge on the Run is a silly, fun, and gorgeously animated celebration of the character who values friendships and positivity for anyone who was ever a fan.

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