Ah, Bikini Bottom, home of many species of the sea. One of them is a yellow square sponge named SpongeBob, who lives in a pineapple with his pet snail, Gary. SpongeBob spends most of his time having fun with his starfish neighbor and best friend Patrick and making burgers at the Krusty Krab with Squidward and Mr. Krabs. Occasionally, the sea squirrel and inventor, Sandy, visits him to show him her new inventions.
Across from where he works is a restaurant called Chum Buckets. There lives Plankton, a tiny mischievous critter who wants to steal Mr. Krabs' secret formula for making delicious patties. Plankton never succeeded in stealing that formula; no thanks to SpongeBob who, always spoil his plans. It seems like there is only one way to achieve his evil goal. Get rid of SpongeBob. And the best way to do it is to have Gary snail-napped by no other than the king of Atlantic City, King Poseidon.
SpongeBob, with the help of his friends, must now embark on a big adventure to rescue his pet snail.
"SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge on the Run!" sees the return of everyone's favorite yellow sponge on the silver screen after a 5-year gap. As expected, the film brings back all of its beloved characters plus some quirky cameos from Snoop Dogg, Tifanny Haddish, Danny Trejo and, the breath-taking, Keanu Reeves.
"SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge on the Run!" brings back the values inherent in the Nickelodeon kids' show, such as bravery, love, and loyalty. These values remain at the center of the story, never swaying away from it despite its cookie-cutter plot.
The film also embraces a full 3D look, a callback to its predecessor, "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water". This outright shift to a more stereoscopic look is alluring and awe-inspiring but too unnatural and awkward for those who are accustomed to the traditional 2D animation. "SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge on the Run!" lacks the usual eccentricity, creativity, and simplicity present in its TV counterpart.
Overall, "SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge on the Run!" is the weakest in the SpongeBob trilogy. The animation is too jarring, and there is not enough sentimentality in it to invest in. Nevertheless, the fun of a SpongeBob show is consistent and present in every frame.
2.5/5
