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The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

Adventure · Animation · Comedy · 2004

There's trouble brewing in Bikini Bottom. Someone has stolen King Neptune's crown, and it looks like Mr. Krab, SpongeBob's boss, is the culprit. Though he's just been passed over for the promotion of his dreams, SpongeBob stands by his boss, and along with his best pal Patrick, sets out on a treacherous mission to Shell City to reclaim the crown and save Mr. Krab's life.

Movie details

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

“Hero. Legend. Sponge.”

2004 Adventure · Animation · Comedy 1h 27m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

There's trouble brewing in Bikini Bottom. Someone has stolen King Neptune's crown, and it looks like Mr. Krab, SpongeBob's boss, is the culprit. Though he's just been passed over for the promotion of his dreams, SpongeBob stands by his boss, and along with his best pal Patrick, sets out on a treacherous mission to Shell City to reclaim the crown and save Mr. Krab's life.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stephen Hillenburg

Written by

Stephen Hillenburg · Tim Hill · Derek Drymon · Kent Osborne

Tom Kenny

Tom Kenny

SpongeBob / Narrator / Gary / Various (voice)

Clancy Brown

Clancy Brown

Mr. Krabs (voice)

Rodger Bumpass

Rodger Bumpass

Squidward / Fish #4 (voice)

Bill Fagerbakke

Bill Fagerbakke

Patrick Star / Fish #2 / Chum Customer / Local Fish (voice)

Mr. Lawrence

Mr. Lawrence

Plankton / Fish #7 / Attendant #2 (voice)

Jill Talley

Jill Talley

Karen / Old Lady (voice)

Carolyn Lawrence

Carolyn Lawrence

Sandy (voice)

Court is in session

Put The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.