Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Spongebob Squarepants is a fry cook at a popular fast-food diner called The Krusty Krab in the undersea city of Bikini Bottom. The Krusty Krab is famous for a particular burger-type delicacy called The Krabby Patty. They’re insanely popular, and the secret formula is kept under lock and key. Unbeknownst to Spongebob and his compatriots, an enterprising surface-dweller pirate named Burger Beard, played with delightful relish and gusto by Antonio Banderas, has found an ancient text that essentially tells the story of the movie you’re currently watching. This gives Burger Beard the ability to rewrite the story as it progresses. He decides to steal the secret formula for himself and make a fortune selling Krabby Patties to the human populace. Unbridled chaos ensues, and the sudden depletion of Krabby Patties transforms Bikini Bottom into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. And so Spongebob and his friends must venture to the surface to reclaim his stolen property and restore order to his undersea city. Eat your heart out, Casablanca.

This isn’t the first time Spongebob has visited the human world, but in The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, the results have never looked and sounded this good. The HD picture in both the 3D and 2D formats are first rate. Much of the film is done in traditional hand-drawn animation, and the 3D is rendered remarkably well. But when the action moves onto dry land, Spongebob and his friends become CGI characters rendered against a live-action background, and it’s here that the 3D truly impresses. The climactic chase scene is such an outrageous feast for the senses, it makes you wish that the live-action segment occupied a larger portion of the film. It literally is a wild ride. The rousing DTS-HD Master Audio admirably suits the hyperactive visuals with an over-amped soundtrack and rousing score that never overpowers the center-channel dialogue.

The supplemental material offers a wealth of bonus content including featurettes, sub-featurettes, interviews, deleted scenes, alternate takes, sing-alongs and a music video. DVD and Digital Copy included.

The Spongebob Movie primarily panders to the kiddies, but adults will also find humor and charm hidden in the cracks and crevices. It won me over after several viewings. Enthusiasts will be impressed with the audio and the superlative visuals enough to give this little juvenile gem a permanent place in their collection.

Blu-Ray 3D
Studio: Paramount, 2015
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 93 mins.
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Paul Tibbitt
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Clancy Brown, Tom Kenny