Nickelodeon legend SpongeBob Squarepants adorns – and in the aftermath owns in tremendous fashion – the big screen for the second time in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water. Life is typically buoyant for the residents of Bikini Bottom, until the recipe for food favourite Krabby Patty disappears. Unaware of the pirate Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas) and his dastardly plot, Spongebob (Tom Kenny) and Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) are accused of the crime, sent out to track down the recipe while the town decends into chaos. Freaky, consistently side-splitting and inspired, Sponge Out Of Water is a farce miles better than expected. The humour explodes like an out-of-control firework, shadowed by perfect one-liners and sight gags (Plankton vomitting a rainbow while inside SpongeBob’s candied brain is exemplary). The plot might be bonkers and motive untraceable, but none of that matters when talking space dolphins and Banderas having the time of his life are among the stand-ins. It’s a magnificent hodgepodge that’s soundtracked well and easy on the eye – and that’s what makes it so wonderful.
Empty Screens 