My relationship to SpongeBob, Sandy Cheeks and the other denizens of Bikini Bottom is a long one filled with fond memories. I remember watching the series’ pilot episode the very first time it aired on Nickelodeon, and seeing The SpongeBob SquarepPants Movie in theaters its first week of release. A land dwelling, oxygen breathing squirrel isn’t exactly a character you’d expect to find in a series set at the bottom of the ocean, but Sandy has been a prominent element of the franchise since the early days of its first season. It only seems fair that after more than two decades she’s given the reigns to her very own feature-length film, but perhaps we’ve waited too long. This one should have stayed at the bottom of the ocean.
The Plot
Bikini Bottom and its inhabitants are ripped from their home by B.O.O.T.S., the scientific organization that employs Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence). As the only two to escape and remain free, SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny) and Sandy must leave the ocean and travel to Texas to save their friends and their home.
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie review
I’ll start by saying that I’m clearly not the target audience for this film. While I grew up watching SpongeBob SquarePants and still laugh about his ripped pants and his battle with DoodleBob to this day, the style of the humor and the writing of these characters have changed and evolved over the years. The silliness of its story steers heavily into childish territory, rather than absurdity. That’s a shame because the absurdity of the original animated series is what made it so memorable and popular.
Craig Robinson (The Office) and Johnny Knoxville (Jackass) join the voice cast as members of Sandy’s immediate family, and Wanda Sykes (Harley Quinn) gives a live-action performance as a sort of villainous scientist. Despite the comedic talents of these new additions and my love for the original characters, I can honestly say I didn’t laugh at a single moment. Sykes, who is traditionally known for her boisterous deliveries, is subdued and bored. She delivers each line of dialogue as if she’s reading it off a cue card. It’s disappointing to not see her lean into the role and bring her signature energy. A scenery-chewing antagonist could have helped to spice up the otherwise dull story.
The simplicity of its road trip plot would be forgiven if it was used to drop the duo of SpongeBob and Sandy into situations poised for humor. After all, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was little more than a road trip adventure with SpongeBob and Patrick, but it was filled with sharp writing, hilarious jokes and David Hasselhoff being ridden like a speedboat. There are no moments of excitement in Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie. There’s nothing unique or memorable.
There is a single moment involving a pug on a paraglider that feels like a hint of old-school SpongeBob. It’s the type of silly imagery one expects from this type of story, and we aren’t given enough of it. Things like a frantic pirate with a marionette parrot that were common place in the earlier years feel so far-off from the toned-down simplicity of the new film. The three-dimensional animation style is beautiful, well-done and will certain appeal to the younger audience this movie is geared towards.
Is Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie worth watching?
For children of a certain age, primarily those six-years-old and younger, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie will provide the necessary colors and sounds to possibly endure the feature-length runtime. For everybody else, its a generic and unnecessary entry in the never-ending saga of Bikini Bottom. Perhaps its time to hang this sponge out to dry.
3/10
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