Sponge on the Run: a disappointing new start for Spongebob Squarepants
Occasionally there are films which pander to my childish side, and occasionally I let my partner choose what film we watch on film night. It was this combination that led to us sitting down to watch the new Spongebob Movie released on Netflix in Summer 2020. It was something light-hearted, a throwback to our childhood and so we decided to go for an easy night, just have something on in the background that we were both curious enough to watch. But from the change in animation style to the executive meddling resulting in its production, I really didn’t have high hopes and I’d like to say it surprised me, but I’ll be honest when I say it didn’t.
Firstly, with regards to the executive meddling, whilst there is no way to know for sure, there was too much of a coincidence with the timing of the film and its release. The show’s original creator, Stephen Hillenburg, sadly passed away in late 2018, and since then Nickelodeon has accelerated their plans to expand the Spongebob franchise. Two spin-off shows were quickly launched into production alongside the film, Sponge on the Run, with the first of these two, Kamp Koral, was set for release in early 2021. Kamp Koral was to be set when Spongebob and the rest of the cast were children at Summer Camp, and it was this that caused so much controversy with the most recent Spongebob Movie. It suddenly set up a canonicity that was never intended for the series, and a big part of the film was to market this new spin-off show. The pacing is interrupted in order to include flashbacks which take the focus from the action and place it on scenes from Kamp Koral. As a result, it does something which Hillenburg never wanted, and does it with his perceived blessing as the film itself was done in dedication to his memory. Whilst Hillenburg had worked on the show, there were apparently constant compromises to ensure that there were no crossovers or spin-offs made. For example, one of the desires of the executives was to have a show all about Spongebob at school, the compromise for this was Hillenburg sending Spongebob to boating school in the show. His desire to keep Spongebob separate from everything else, to keep it as its own entity, is something which is echoed by those who worked with him, even after his passing, but it seemed that the studio had very different ideas on the direction Spongebob was heading.
Now, this is a very quick summary of the current controversy surrounding the franchise, as I would like to turn my attention to the film itself. On its own merit, is it any good? Short answer: no. But I will start with what I did enjoy about it.
As a Spongebob Movie, it is enjoyable enough. It feels like an expended episode filled with the same body humour and gags that are typical of the show. The premise follows Spongebob and Patrick as they try to find Spongebob’s pet snail, Gary, who was stolen by Plankton and taken to the Lost City of Atlantic City in his attempts to steal the Krabby Patty Secret Formula. It took the premise of the original film released in 2004, with Spongebob and Patrick’s quest to recover something, and combined it with an episode released in 2005 (S04 E03- Have You Seen This Snail?), which saw Gary leave Spongebob and Spongebob desperately try to find him. As a concept, it was uninspired, but I have to say it was well executed as I found myself laughing at a few of the jokes that definitely hit their mark.
Likewise, its cameo cast was also enjoyable. There were some strange inclusions, particularly with Snoop Dogg and Danny Trejo, but overall, I didn’t mind the addition of the new voices. I mean one of the funnier characters in the film was included this way. A tumbleweed named Sage, played by Keanu Reeves, who acted as Spongebob and Patrick’s exasperated spirit guide. The inclusion of a tumbleweed with Reeves’ face inside of it was odd, with his jokes and references leaning towards the adults in the audience, but the character still had some good moments and didn’t feel too out of place on a second viewing.
However, I feel this is where my compliments run a little dry.
With regards to the move from 2D animation to 3D animation, I can’t really say that it does the film any favours. In fact, at points, I think the new animation style harms the overall feel of the film. Whilst the backdrops are competent the character models are ugly and plastic. At times they almost hover or float above the ground of the 3D backgrounds and especially in the live-action portion of the film, the models for Spongebob and Patrick don’t interact well with the environment. Additionally, there is not as much freedom with the 3D models, meaning that the visual gags and body humour are very hit or miss. Now some of the models look okay, Patrick and Gary for example look okay in this style. However, Sandy is hideous with her realistic fur, Spongebob almost looks shiny at points, and the background cast rarely moves and when they do it’s very stunted and static. Similarly, it’s frustrating as there are splashes of 2D animation throughout the film. Bubbles and water effects interact better with the surroundings than the character models themselves.
I think the shift came from wanting the film to feel like something new, rather than a continuation of the old show. The animation style is the one that is used for the spin-off Kamp Koral, and I don’t feel that this was simply a coincidence. It links the two and allowed parts of the show to be used more fluidly in the film. But it looks cheap and lazy, and the much-loved characters, in my opinion, lose their appeal and charm. I don’t care for it and as a result, it puts me off wanting to go back and re-watch it.
It’s a shame because, even now, I still love the show and the original film. Even if the studio does want to move into 3D animation, there is a better way to go about it. Sponge Out of Water released in 2015 worked a lot better than Sponge on the Run. The movements were fluid even if the narrative was not. Sadly, though, I feel that there is a lot more planned for Spongebob as a franchise, moving away from what we knew in favour of what is profitable.
