Everyone remembers the first movie they ever watched in a theater. For many, this core memory can be directly referred to as what made them fall in love with cinema. When the lights dim and you can feel the booming sound in your chest, it’s a feeling that Madame AMC theaters herself Nicole Kidman aptly describes as magical. I often look back on my first theater experience at the enlightened age of two with a smile.
I vividly remember how colors I had never seen danced on the big screen as the projector switched on and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) began to play. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the whole affair like some uncontrollable fever dream. However, it took no time for that feeling to fade away and evolve into an obsession, which still shapes how I view movies all these years later.
Over time, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie has taken on new meanings for me. A portion of this comes with getting older and appreciating how it differentiated itself from nearly all other media I consumed throughout my childhood. I’m also now able to appreciate the history behind the film and the impact of Stephen Hillenburg, the man who shepherded the titular sponge onto both television and the big screen.
Regarding children’s movies, I’ve always considered this film to exist within its own lane of unique greatness. One could say that my intense nostalgia informs how I view the film, but there is no doubt that this feature recognizes the strict commonality that links all audience members: everyone loves to laugh.
Unlike most children’s fare, the first concern of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie isn’t to relay audiences a strong emotional message but to make them laugh frequently and consistently. Whether it’s the opening dream sequence which sees SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) essentially take on the role of a bomb technician operating on a burger missing a key ingredient, the extended ice cream hangover scene, or countless other side-splitting moments, this film holds intelligently hilarious absurdity to a ridiculously high standard.
Like some of the best Pixar movies, there is as much in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie for adults to appreciate as there is for children, if not more so. No child in 2004 (or today) would recognize the significance of David Hasselhoff’s triumphant return to the beach, saving the day in a third-act live-action cameo appearance. However, once you set aside the humor, there still manages to be a hefty amount of heart on and off-screen that keeps this movie afloat.
On-screen, at the end of the day, this is a film about friendship and self-acceptance. As SpongeBob and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) venture off to uncharted depths of the ocean to retrieve the crown of King Neptune (Jeffrey Tambor) and save Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), they reckon with ideas of maturity and self-worth. Throughout the film, they question whether they’ll be able to successfully pull off their mission because they’ve only been viewed as kids who lack responsibility.
By the end of their road trip via the iconic Patty Wagon, they realize they accomplished everything they set out to do and best Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) because they were unabashedly themselves. Self-acceptance is an empowering message for children, and it’s delivered in such a way that it doesn’t feel overbearing or preachy, making it all the more effective.
Years later, off-screen is where the heart behind this film becomes all the more interesting and impactful. Although SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-) maintains its popularity, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024 (partly with an anniversary meal at Wendy’s), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was originally intended to serve as the series finale. Some of the most diehard fans of the iconic Nickelodeon cartoon continue to view it as such.
While SpongeBob SquarePants went on to amass several spinoff series, follow-up feature films, and a Broadway musical, the original series creator and director of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Hillenburg, intended this film to be the spongy empire’s end. In a way, it was, at least for Hillenburg. Hillenburg was originally against producing a film but eventually grew to see it as a way to properly send off his creation in grand style. However, due to SpongeBob’s immense success on television and at the box office, Paramount opted to continue the series after the film’s release.
Hillenburg bestowed his creative blessing upon the studio to maintain their plans but permanently stepped away, leaving show running duties to Paul Tibbitt, another high-profile creative who had been with the show since some of its earliest and most influential episodes.
Since Hillenburg’s departure, the series’ popularity skyrocketed, cementing itself as one of the most iconic cartoons of all time. Nonetheless, with his absence, many fans would agree that the heart was no longer present, especially as the series’ quality never again reached the peaks of the first few seasons.
When Hillenburg passed away in 2018, he had lived long enough to witness the immense impact that his creation had on millions of people. The laughs and heart he imbued into his undersea characters have touched multiple generations and will continue to do so. No matter what adventures and decisions would be made on behalf of SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom, Hillenburg put everything he had into the world he created and knew when it was the right time to step away as an artist satisfied with their work. Spongebob’s success and stories have continued without him, but his legacy remains his own. The quality of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a testament to the idea that an artist’s best work may come to fruition when they decide it’s time to put down the brush.
Whenever I rewatch The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, it’s impossible not to think about Hillenburg’s impact on me and every other fan through the laughs we’ve shared and the love we have for his creation. It almost makes me forget how silly the feature is at heart. When the film is screened in front of packed audiences during rereleases and fans erupt, shouting their favorite lines and laughing together, it’s difficult to not feel thankful for the individual who made the film and the characters come to life. Viewers lose their minds when the iconic showstopper that should have received an Oscar nomination, “Goofy Goober Rock” hits the film like a freight train in the finale. There is a sense that this is a proper end with the sole purpose of presenting audiences with an unforgettable time at the movies.
Whether The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was your first movie or your 1,000th movie, there’s no escaping the fact that it is and always will be a defining moment not just for one of the most famous cartoon characters in history but for animation and the cinematic art form in general. When a film and a creator can bring people together like this movie does, it’s impossible to deny that we’re all Goofy Goobers, now and forever.
Article Courtesy of Evan Miller
Feature Image Credit to Paramount Pictures via Picturehouse