To follow up my review for The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004), I shall now do a review for the standalone sequel The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015). Unlike the first film, I had been more aware of film criticism and went into this one ready to critique it. Part of me, however, had a good feeling that I was going to enjoy it no matter what for two reasons. One, I heard that the original creator Stephan Hillenburg (who stepped away from the show after the first movie) was heavily involved with this film.  Two, I had just watched Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) two days before and anything other than that film would’ve been a blessing to watch. Was my hunch correct? Well, let’s see.

In The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water we are introduced to Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas), a pirate who discovers a magical book where anything can happen if you write in it. The book also tells the story of SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny) and his position as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, which is home to the world famous Krabby Patty. One day during a lunch rush the Krusty Krab is attacked by Plankton (voiced by Mr. Lawrence), who wants to steal the secret formula for Krabby Patties. Just when he steals it from SpongeBob, it vanishes right before their eyes. Despite not stealing it, the owner of the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs (voiced by Clancy Brown), still accuses Plankton for taking the secret recipe and gathers the townspeople of Bikini Bottom to apprehend Plankton. SpongeBob, who knows Plankton is innocent, helps him escape, which forces them to exile. Without any Krabby Patties, Bikini Bottom quickly becomes a post-apocalyptic wasteland and from there SpongeBob and Plankton must work as a team to find the secret formula and restore their city.

Again, much like The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, there are moments in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water that definitely catered to fans.  If you’re not a fan, then I can safely bet that you’ll not enjoy this. I, on the other hand, found myself having a good time with film, particularly for the same reasons as I did with the first film. I will say, though, that one major problem that the film had was how there was so much going on in the film that I almost couldn’t comprehend it. I only scratched the surface of the plot in my description and if I told you the rest of the plot you’d be confused as I was the first time I saw it. However, once the antics started, I just sat back and enjoyed whatever surreal moments I was about to endure.

The message in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, while not subtle, is about teamwork and how much you can get done when you cooperate. Teamwork is an essential Christian value, and I’m glad that this film had that element even though it was mentioned over and over again.

Again, to repeat what I said in my review for The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water was for fan both young and old.  If you’re someone who had no interest in the show then I doubt you’ll find any entertainment value whatsoever. That said, I had a fun time and would watch it again given the chance. Not a great film, but far better than Fifty Shades of Grey. Now that’s a review for another day.