Bikini Bottoms and its famous citizens are celebrating
25 years of being on the air this year. Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants”
series – created by animator Stephen Hillenburg – became famous worldwide. Tara Bennett said in her review, “The goofball sponge and his expanded circle of
friends continue to be the poster children for the rare contemporary animated
show that has generational legs (“my leg!”).” From memes to spin-off shows and
movies, “SpongeBob” remains a huge hit. However, ever since it has been on air,
the sponge has never let any of the other characters have the spotlight. Now,
we have Sandy Cheeks, the Texan squirrel, get her own movie.
Bennett noted, “Much like 2020’s Sponge on the Run,
The Sandy Cheeks Movie embraces 3D character animation for Bikini Bottom’s
citizens, and then takes those 3D characters out into the “real world,” where
they’re integrated into live-action plates set top-side in the wilds of Texas.”
Now viewers might be asking why would Texas being in a
SpongeBob movie? Bennett answered, “Because that’s where Sandy (Carolyn
Lawrence) is from, as her twangy accent and murky origin story has forever
reiterated. The only outsider to call Bikini Bottom home, Sandy is a marine
biologist by profession who wears a dive suit to breathe underwater and study
the tiny hamlet of aquatic oddities. But now the brisket is being peeled back
on everything Cheeks, as she and SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) are forced to return to
the Lone Star State to save their beloved town after it’s literally scooped up
and kidnapped right out of the ocean.”
As Bikini Bottom’s only reliably intelligent resident –
despite Plankton, voiced by Mr. Lawrence, would argue that he is – Sandy uses
science, math, and her own deductive reasoning to find out that the excavator
came from BOOTS Marine Biology Lab, the lab she’s been giving data to since she
moved into her biodome. Bennett said, “Incensed by her colleagues having
anything to do with this travesty, Sandy grabs a despondent SpongeBob to give
chase.” She calculates how they are going to get on an airplane so they can
travel to the lab’s headquarters in Galveston.
Does it go smoothly? No, it does not, which gives them
the ability to create a whole list of hilarious physical comedy. Bennett
credits, “While The Sandy Cheeks Movie’s script and tone are typically broad
and silly as a SpongeBob movie should be, director Liza Johnson (whose credits
are live-action, including What We Do in the Shadows) brings a fresh
perspective and sense of humor to the franchise.” Working from an actually
funny script by Kaz and Tom Stern, Johnson does an excellent job perfectly placing
the hilarious cartoon characters together with the silly “real world” villains:
Wandy Sykes’ over-the-top Sue Nahmee, her dangerous dog ‘Cuda, and her vacuous
employees, Phoebe (Ilia Isorelys Paulino) and Kyle (Matty Cardarople).
Bennett admitted, “All of that, along with Sandy being
given the reins as the prime motivator of the story and SpongeBob just riding
shotgun as comedic relief, enlivens the whole adventure. As a long-time fan of
all things SpongeBob, the change in protagonist is welcome—if not a bit
overdue—considering how well-established the core ensemble is to audiences
after a quarter-century. Sandy’s smarts, tenacity and loyalty to her found
family makes her a competent, proactive lead for the movie and changes up the
usual bumbling, accidental nature to previous stories that typically place
SpongeBob and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) front and center.”
As we find out finally how Sandy got the job at the
bottom of the ocean. Bennett said, “Each acorn of discovery about Sandy’s past
life is rolled out in an appropriately outlandish way—be it Stetson-wearing
snakes or acrobatic relatives in a traveling circus—that are both funny and
fitting for her outsized personality.” Carolyn Lawrence is clearly enjoying herself
voicing Sandy, which adds to “The Sandy Cheeks Movie’s” positive vibes.
Nobody gets pushed off to the sides in this film. As
Bikini Bottom’s use is revealed by Sue, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, voiced by Clancy
Brown, and Plankton are all given their time. Even Squidward, voiced by Rodger
Bumpass, gets a song, doing a very off-key Singin’ in the Rain
tribute. “The Sandy Cheeks Movie” does have songs, the best being Sandy’s
opening song (sang by Linda Perry from 4 Non Blondes).
Bennett credited, “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy
Cheeks Movie is a visually clever, character-redefining film for the strongest
of animated smart gals, Sandy Cheeks. She is given her due and then some in a
movie that rightly celebrates her heart, enthusiasm and grit.” The rest of the
characters are not pushed to the side, giving their own part in helping save
Bikini Bottom from the villains. It’s a good, funny film in the Bikini Bottom
franchise.
If you’re a fan of this series, I would recommend it.
As someone who has seen parts of the show, maybe a few episodes, I enjoyed this
film. There were a few effects that I found absurd, as Sue Nahmee’s motivation,
but still, I liked this film. Check it out on Netflix and enjoy.
Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Tomorrow
I will reveal what I will review this month.
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