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‘The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants’ Opens Wide With Comforting CG Adventure

Early reviews call the PG-rated outing a familiar, voice-driven crowd-pleaser buoyed by standout performances.

Overview

  • Paramount’s latest SpongeBob feature opened in theaters on Dec. 19, returning the Nickelodeon icon to the big screen for a fourth wide theatrical run.
  • Critics describe the film as likable franchise fare rather than a reinvention, with praise for the original cast and scene-stealing turns from Clancy Brown and Mark Hamill.
  • The story follows SpongeBob and Patrick on a light, kid-friendly quest into the Flying Dutchman’s underworld as SpongeBob tries to prove he is a “big guy.”
  • Reviewers note the glossy 3D/CGI look and a brisk runtime, and the MPA rates the film PG for “rude humor, action and some scary images.”
  • Contemporary cameos include Ice Spice, who also contributes a song, with Regina Hall and George Lopez among additions, and a standard theatrical-to-VOD-to-Paramount+ window is expected.