7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
There's trouble brewing in Bikini Bottom. Someone has stolen King Neptune's crown, and it looks like Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob's boss, is the culprit. Though he's just been passed over for the promotion of his dreams, SpongeBob stands by his boss, and along with his best pal Patrick, sets out on a treacherous mission to Shell City to reclaim the crown and save Mr. Krabs' life.
Starring: Tom Kenny (I), Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Mr. LawrenceFamily | 100% |
Animation | 96% |
Comedy | 88% |
Adventure | 24% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
I missed out on SpongeBob, because my household didn't contain the target demographic. So when a review of this title was assigned to me, I decided to recruit help from someone more age-appropriate and asked a young man with whose family I'm acquainted to join me in viewing the film (with his parents' permission, of course). He hadn't seen it before either, but he knew the TV show and he had accompanied his parents on prior viewing occasions in our media room. We agreed that I would jot down his observations while we were watching and shape them into a something resembling a review afterwards. The only condition -- and, to my surprise, he imposed it before his parents did -- is that I not use his name. My new colleague told me that the internet is full of "weirdos" and that he didn't want anyone to know who he is. He did agree to let me identify him by the handle "MikiMoko". I have no idea what that refers to. Herewith, the first film review by Blu-ray.com's latest guest reviewer, MikiMoko (as told to yours truly, with occasional comments).
(At this point, SpongeBob accidentally stomps on Plankton, who screams wildly several times, which convulsed my companion with laughter and resulted in several scenes without comments.)So why didn't Bob get the job? (He's a kid.) Lame. Who's the fat guy with the crown? (King Neptune.) He's mean. Who's the girl? (His daughter, Princess Mindy. Her voice is Scarlett Johannson.) Who's that? (Famous young actress.) Don't know her.
(It suddenly occured to me that, by the time MikiMoko's hormones reach the point where Scarlett Johannson will matter to him, she'll have been supplanted by some younger starlet; so I sighed and gave up.)Good scene at Goofy Goober. (Pause.) This Neptune guy is pretty dumb. Krabs didn't steal the crown. So I guess Bob has to find it, right? Wait, the car is a hamburger? (I think it's a Krabby Patty.) Oh yeah. I still don't get it. The guy on the motorcycle is great! (That's Dennis. Plankton hired him to kill Spongebob.) He won't.
(During the scene in a tough bar where the patrons' manhood is tested by seeing who can resist singing along with the Goofy Goober theme song, my viewing companion sang it -- softly. I didn't, because I don't know the lyrics.)OK, so why is everyone in town wearing pails that say "CB"? Oh, I get it, "Chum Bucket". That's how Plankton takes over. Ooh, look at all the skulls where Bob and Pat are! What's wrong with being a kid? Wait, where did the princess come from? Now she's putting seaweed on Bob and Patrick's faces. Huh? It's supposed to be moustache? Looks fake. Monsters -- cool! All right, it's the motorcyle guy. Wait, he's been stomped?? That looks kinda . . . real. Where are we? It's a fishbowl.
(Silence for the next seven minutes of a truly inventive combination of live action and animation as SpongeBob and Patrick Star are captured by a diver a/k/a "The Cyclops" who collects sea creatures to sell at "Shell City". Concentration is broken only by the appearance of a new face.)Who's David Hasselhoff? (Long story.) Is he a famous swimmer? (Sort of.) So that's how they get home? (Probably.)
(Silent concentration resumes, except for an audible exclamation of "yeah!" when motorcycle killer Dennis reappears on David Hasselhoff's leg. Yes, his leg.)OK, the jerky King has his crown back, but now SpongeBob plays the guitar? In a music video thing? Well, I guess. So now Bob is the manager. That's the end. (No, there's supposed to be something after the credits.) Can you fast forward? See, it's just more pirate stuff. Lame.
It should come as no surprise for a children's animated film created in the digital realm that The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie presents a clean, sharp, colorful image on Blu-ray. Strong, saturated colors are the norm, and the 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer handles them easily, without bleeding, distortion or artifacts. A more demanding test is presented by the footage that combines animation with live action, and here the transfer is also impressive. The live-action portion of the frame exhibits a natural and well-controlled film grain that does not appear to have been filtered or artificially reduced, while the animated portion remains steady and solid. That many of these scenes involve large expanses of moving water makes their stability and detail all the more impressive. This is a first-rate transfer of demanding material.
The DTS lossless track effectively delivers the film's active 5.1 mix, which makes aggressive use of the rear speakers. One of the advantages of an imaginary environment is that the sound design is not constrained by any regard for physics or naturalism, so that mixers are free to place interesting effects wherever they'll be most entertaining. Dialogue and other sounds pan freely to the front left and right, but the excellent voice work ensures that you can always understand what these loopy characters are saying. The effects work is appropriately exaggerated for humorous impact, and the original underscoring by Gregor Narholz strikes just the right note of absurdity.
MikiMoko, my guest reviewer, had zero interest in the film's extras, which confirms my suspicion that, when studio marketing departments stuff DVDs and Blu-rays with PR fluff, they're doing it all wrong. In any case, here's the usual overview. Most of the extras are in standard definition and appear on both the Blu-ray and the DVD copy. However, some are exclusive to each disc and are so designated below.
As my young friend took his leave, I asked him how many stars he would give The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie out of five, with half stars allowed. He thought for a minute, then shrugged (which, as I'd learned by then, was his most frequent gesture). "It was pretty good", he said, "except for the pirate parts". Then he left without picking a number. Sounds like a solid 4.0 to me! Given the technical quality, highly recommended for fans of the little yellow guy.
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