The SpongBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)

SpongeBob humour is either for you or it isn't. Its chaotic absurdity, rapidly jumping from one bit of silliness to another, often with a "gross" esthetic, either makes you laugh or it doesn't. If you aren't into SpongeBob, Sponge on the Run isn't for you. But as I watched it I wondered if it was even for SpongeBob fans.

Set up as an extended episode of the show, Sponge on the Run does little to differentiate itself from a TV experience. Some celebrity cameos, especially Snoop Dog or Keanu Reeves as a spiritual tumbleweed, are the only thing that feels "big screen." The rest of the story is as forgettable and bland as any episode of the show. It's disposable. One leaves Sponge on the Run wondering why they sat through that. 

As cinema is moving in a new direction at this particular moment in time, a TV film adaptation might change too. Perhaps just telling a longer version of what we're used to on TV might be a good fit for the streaming age or it might just make it less interesting to spend time on. In this case it felt more like the latter for me. And I'm not sure it offers much even to those who might be big fans of the characters. I guess time will tell if a series of these rather nondescript movies for characters like this attract an audience or not. My bet isn't on it having much impact.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run
Starring: Tom Kerry, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Carolyn Lawrence, Snoop Dog, Keanu Reeves, Awkwafina, Tiffany Haddish
Director: Tim Hil
Writers: Michael Kvamme, Tim Hill