The Spongebob Movie: Search For Squarepants ★★

Released: 26 December 2025

Director: Derek Drymon

Starring: Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence, and Mark Hamill

It is incredible to think that this goofy little show about an endearing friendship between a sea sponge and a starfish has been running for over 25 years, spawning four major movies and two spinoffs. The iconic animated show is undoubtedly one of Nickelodeon’s most beloved IP, and it’s not just adored by children worldwide, but celebs alike – with an impressive array of both live-action and voice cameos. Whether that’s David Hasselhoff as a boat in The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (iconic!), Keanu Reeves as a tumbleweed in Sponge on the Run or most recently, Mark Hamill voicing the Flying Dutchman. However, even with the enviable and entertaining cameos, it certainly feels like their bonkers big-screen adventures are beginning to run out of steam, with the latest instalment rehashing repetitive villains and story beats.

Now that he’s 36 clams high and tall enough to be a “big guy”, Spongebob (Tom Kenny) can finally ride his dream rollercoaster with best friend Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke). However, that all changes when he actually comes face-to-face with the daunting task at Captain Booty Beard’s Fun Park – and subsequently chickens out. What follows is a convoluted journey for Spongebob to overcome his fears, inspired by Mr. Krabs’ (Clancy Brown) swashbuckling tales of his youth. And the solution? Blow on an enchanted horn to summon the Flying Dutchman, a cursed pirate (voiced by Mark Hamill) who will teach him the ways to become a real swashbuckler and earn his certificate. However, all is not as it appears, and it isn’t plain sailing for the pair of wannabe pirates, as – surprise surprise – the cursed captain has ulterior motives to double-cross them to undo his curse.

On paper, the story sounds like a winner – a swashbuckling adventure which sees Spongebob having to overcome his fears by completing over 20 daring challenges, mentored along the way by a cursed pirate. There’s also betrayal, haunted relics, dangerous realms and a fun road trip b plot with Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), along with Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), and Gary the snail (also Tom Kenny) as they navigate a boatmobile Winnebago on a rescue mission. And yet, the finished project disappointingly feels more like a generic mashup of elements from previous outings, with less heart and amusing visual humour. Call me cynical, but Kenny and the creative team have yet to recapture the magic of the 2004 instalment, with it’s iconic Goofy Goober song (I’m a goofy goober, yeah, you’re a goofy goober, yeah!) and the surprisingly emotional climax.

Writers Pam Brady, Matt Lieberman and Marc Ceccarelli have once again turned to pirates as the major antagonists in the hopes to steer the Spongebob ship, following Antonio Banderas’ Burger Beard in the 2015 instalment Sponge Out of Water. Channeling the cursed crew of Disney’s Black Pearl, there’s many deranged challenges and dark creatures for Spongebob and Patrick to face, but the Flying Dutchman is unfortunately far too much of a generic moustache twirling villain – and the less mentioned about that nightmare-inducing prosthetic, the better! Bestie Patrick also feels sidelined this time round, as he grapples with his evolving dynamic with Spongebob. The saving grace really is the rescue mission, with Clancy Brown and Rodger Bumpass doing a lot of heavy lifting – and admittedly, seeing Gary dressed up in pirate garb is incredibly cute – it’s just a shame that this is the side plot.

This silly and unhinged outing is an incredibly exhausting experience – with breakneck pacing and an onslaught of scenes interspersed with deranged psychedelic sequences which feel aimed at the TikTok generation and their decreasing attention span. It’s the big screen equivalent of a sugar-filled Slushie trip. And while the stylised 3D CGI animation features more texture – particularly on the titular square sponge – it really is lacking the character and creativity of the hand drawn traditional 2D look. 


It says it all when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles short (Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey) prior to Search for Squarepants is infinitely more entertaining, timely and features much more creative animation than the film itself. While this is undoubtedly the best festive offering for kids during the school holidays, it’s one that millennial parents will unfortunately endure rather than enjoy. Let’s hope for a more original and entertaining outing for the next instalment.