The SpongeBob SquarePants movie

(Note: I don't have the source, but I read that Mr. Hillenburg said the movie took place after the series ends, which explains the lack of Krusty Krab 2 on the show.)

Remember, way way back in '04? Season 3 had come to a close, and the world thought SpongeBob was cancelled, especially with the announcement that there'd be...a movie!

This is a big event! This was THE SpongeBob movie. A theatrical presentation for all us SpongeGeeks out there! Now, I didn't get the chance to see it in theaters, but it's just as well because I can't imagine watching Patrick...er, streaking to the extreme on such a huge screen. I'd be the ten-year-old with her face buried in her hands.

The movie had it's good points and it's bad points. It kinda tried to get away with more than a regular SpongeBob episode, and is actually a subject of some censorship. XD They didn't use any obscenities, but the Goofy Goober Rock song was censored for TV, and they rarely show the uncensored version.

As for the good points, I thought it was hilarious. Aside from the whole Patrick thing. SpongeBob and Patrick drunk and pestering a waiter was truly a rare site, because I've never thought of SpongeBob as the guy to run out and get drunk all night. Even if it's from ice cream. And the Now That We're Men song remains one of my favorites from the series. And Patrick's first meeting with Mindy was pretty funny. "She's purty, SpongeBob!" "You're HOT!" Good gravy, isn't this the sort of thing Neptune would BEHEAD a guy for?

I thought that the moral fell a little flat. SpongeBob acts like a child, but he's clearly an adult. Krabs' "you're just a kid" speech honestly sounded very forced. I also thought Squidward was out of character. They tried to do his usually kinda bored-and-uncaring thing, but instead it came across as, "you can kill people and take over the world, but I'd better get paid!!" One reason that's awful is 'cause Squid has been shown to actually care whether SpongeBob lives or dies.

And Neptune was kinda awful. They redesigned him and changed his personality completely. Since on the show, even after the movie, they've shown old Neptune, I just like to assume movie-Neptune is show-Neptune's son.

I thought the very end was pretty satisfying. The power-of-music-deus-ex-machina didn't suspend disbelief, but I felt pretty good afterwards when little old Spongey was a hero, a manager, and declared it the best day of his life just as the credits music began to play. Then, as the credits roll, we see images of a truly fulfilled sponge living his dream as manager of the Krusty Krab 2. No more fry cooking? Don't worry, I'm sure Krabs places a workload on him...