A new review in Variety describes 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants' as a pirate adventure that lacks the spark of earlier entries in the franchise. The film follows SpongeBob's quest to overcome his fears, but critics note it feels rote and less innovative. Directed by Derek Drymon, the movie premieres with familiar voices and a PG rating.
The latest installment in the SpongeBob SquarePants series, 'The SpongeBob Movie: Search For SquarePants,' has received a lukewarm reception in a Variety review published on December 21, 2025. The critic portrays the film as an overly mild pirate adventure where SpongeBob, voiced by Tom Kenny, embodies a "harebrained yet rote elder statesman of high-energy juvenilia." While the character retains his beguiling doofus charm—sounding like "Daffy Duck on laughing gas"—the movie's jokes fail to land with the same punch as in previous adaptations, including the 2020 release 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.'
The story centers on SpongeBob reaching 36 clams in height, qualifying him for the rollercoaster at Captain Booty Beard's Fun Park. Instead of excitement, he panics, accompanied by the dramatic "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana, setting up his arc to become a "big guy." The plot involves the Flying Dutchman, a green ghost pirate voiced by Mark Hamill, who tricks the gullible SpongeBob into climbing an underwater mountain to break his curse. Meanwhile, Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) and Squidward (Rodger Bumpass) embark on a rescue mission in a boatmobile Winnebago.
Background on the franchise highlights its origins: the Nickelodeon series debuted in 1999 as a surrealist under-the-sea anarchy, influencing shows like Disney's 'Big City Greens.' Creator Stephen Hillenburg, who passed away in 2018, infused early episodes with flippant irresponsibility and exquisite dementia, elements somewhat absent here. Director Derek Drymon, a founding creative on the series, delivers amusing moments—like a conversation about string cheese or a kiddie Abbott and Costello loop—but the review laments the lack of surprising humor, describing the film as SpongeBob "treading water."
Screened at Regal Times Square in New York on December 13, 2025, the 96-minute PG-rated production from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies features a screenplay by Pam Brady and Matt Lieberman, with music by John Debney. The voice cast includes Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence, Regina Hall, George Lopez, Isis “Ice Spice” Gaston, Arturo Castro, and Sherry Cole.
