The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants 2025 Movie Review
Last year, I—an avid SpongeBob fan—had the incredible opportunity to play The Flying Dutchman in “The SpongeBob Musical” at The Croswell’s Opera House. Needless to say, I’ve fostered a great relationship with the spiritual swashbuckler. So when I saw that “Search for SquarePants”—the latest addition to the SpongeBob Cinematic Universe (SCU)—would mark the Dutchman’s film debut, I was immediately intrigued, to say the least.
One thing I can say with confidence is that director Derek Drymon and the legendary Mark Hamill do The Flying Dutchman a great deal of justice. Of course, I should have expected as much, with Drymon being a series writer from the very start and Hamill being the multifaceted icon he is. The character is as conniving and creepy as ever, with the animation even going as far as making him properly transparent. In fact, the animation overall is absolutely stunning and features effects that scream cinematic, particularly in 3D, which, while arguably past its prime, still has its place. I would actually recommend watching this one in a theater if you can. Then again, I feel that way about most movies, but “The Spongebob Movie: Search for SquarePants” in particular is a surprisingly visual feast that keeps both kids and adults engaged.
The other aspects are where the holes in the sponge become slightly more apparent. “Search for SquarePants” is essentially two iconic SpongeBob plots rolled into one, beginning with SpongeBob wanting to be a “Big Guy,” essentially tall enough and brave enough to ride a roller coaster. While I’m intrigued by the premise (mainly because the phrase brings an inside joke from the musical to mind), it does feel like a rehash of the original and still superior “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” from 2004.
This time around, a mysterious blowpipe appears to SpongeBob and Patrick, summoning The Flying Dutchman, who vows to turn our porous companion into a swashbuckler if he can complete several “challenges” in the Underworld, a realm of monsters and chaos. What the duo doesn’t know is that the Dutchman only needs SpongeBob for his pure heart and bubble prowess to break a curse bestowed upon him eons ago. This latter portion is where the film truly shines, literally and figuratively. Like a light dip into an acid trip, “Search for SquarePants” fully epitomizes the nautical nonsense of the show. At one point, the movie goes off the rails so hard that it openly acknowledges its own absurdity in a way few franchises—other than SpongeBob—can pull off.
Let’s face it: this was never going to be Oscar bait. SpongeBob was never meant to be. It’s a saccharine yet largely well-executed kids’ movie that hits the right beats and gags to satisfy fans while earning adults a chuckle or two. Regina Hall’s Barb is a stellar addition, thanks not only to her spot-on comedic chemistry with Hamill’s phenomenal Flying Dutchman, but also to a very different kind of chemistry rarely seen in the SCU. It’s unexpected, surprisingly welcome, and well done. Barb easily could have been a one-off, but instead is given a surprising amount of charm and depth, details many viewers might not even consciously notice. It’s touches like this that make “Search for SquarePants” stand out as a genuine contender for the second-best SpongeBob movie ever. There’s a depth to some of the stupidity that recalls what made Stephen Hillenburg’s original so iconic. Even Ice Spice delivers a pretty solid ending song, along with a cameo appearance in the film itself.
The main reason the movie is held back comes down to one thing, and one thing only: a relentless amount of butt jokes. Did they not learn the lesson from “Ripped Pants”? Scatological and anal humor run rampant throughout the film. While I understand that this kind of humor is to be expected—and I’m not opposed to it in principle—the same jokes are repeated again and again with little subtlety. SpongeBob dropping his “lucky brick” or clenching his square glutes might be funny once, but when it’s repeated four or five times, it loses all integrity. The anatomical absurdity can also veer into uncomfortable territory, especially for a kids’ movie. Patrick wears nothing but an eyepatch over his crotch and regularly gets hooks stuck in his crack. Buff Krabs is a solid sight gag, but lingering on what are essentially hairy man-boobs on multiple occasions may leave viewers wondering who this movie is really for.
Yes, SpongeBob has always leaned into this kind of humor, but usually with more restraint and purpose. The strenuous repetition here leads to a brain-rot appeal that the show and the 2004 classic managed to pull off without being so blatant.
Essentially, “Search for SquarePants” is probably the best SpongeBob movie of this decade, and likely the best one we’ll get for a while. Too bad it rips its pants one too many times.
