RJ Writing Ink

A Fan’s Retrospective on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 20 Years Later

New Year’s Eve, 2003. Nine-year-old me is celebrating by watching Nickelodeon count down the final hours of 2003 with their best moments throughout the year. Then, the host, Pick Boy, segues into a teaser showing off what’s to come for Nickelodeon in 2004. While I don’t remember the rest of what was included, one image shown brighter in my eyes than the sun itself:

The following day, I woke up, went on Nick.com, and found the teaser trailer for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. I then proceeded to watch it hundreds of times.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Meant Everything to Me

To say that I was a fan of SpongeBob as a kid was an understatement. Until Avatar: the Last Airbender showed up a year later, SpongeBob was my favorite cartoon of all time. Even long after I’ve stopped watching the newer episodes, SpongeBob holds a special place in my heart. That little sponge was the coolest, funniest, and friendliest guy kid-me knew, and I wanted to be just like him. Throughout 2004, I would follow news about the film with a growing obsession, all leading up to the day when it finally came out in theaters, and I got my family to take me to see it. Even though I already knew most of the plot, I was still over the moon watching the movie, thanks to playing the tie-in games ahead of time. SpongeBob, my hero, is on the big screen! It was one of those moments that stayed rent-free in my head.

Now, here we are, twenty years to the day when SpongeBob and Patrick went on their biggest adventure ever. Having rewatched the whole film for the first time in years, I felt compelled to ask myself, “Is this film still good? Does it hold up after two decades of additional SpongeBob content?”

My answer: not only does The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie still hold up, but it’s even better as an adult.

I Relate to SpongeBob’s Struggles With Maturity

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you should know the film’s plot by this point. After Plankton steals the crown of King Neptune and frames Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob and Patrick have to go on a quest to get it back from the treacherous Shell City. However, the driving force behind the whole film is SpongeBob’s emotional conflict because of how others perceive him as an immature kid. They’re not wrong. SpongeBob is a kid at heart, but getting passed over for a promotion he had more than earned because of it really got to him. As a result, he, and to a lesser extent, Patrick, spend most of the film going through this character arc. First, they ignore what everyone says about them, then they try to act like how they think an adult should act. Eventually, though, SpongeBob makes peace with his childish nature. Instead of letting it get to him, he wears his childishness like a badge of pride, giving him the power he needs to save the day. And giving us one of the most epic guitar solos in animation history.

I already loved seeing SpongeBob prove his naysayers wrong as a kid. I had never seen a problem with the way SpongeBob acted before, after all. However, after going back and rewatching The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie as an adult (and listening to others review it for a whole day), I appreciate the themes even more as an adult. As we get older, our worldview starts to get more complicated as we see how stressful it can get. More often than not, it can become a trial to stay happy and have a positive attitude, especially when we’re going to inevitably fail. I’ve learned that all too well as I’ve become an adult and found myself working the same kinds of jobs that SpongeBob has. In addition, I’ve also been called out for my own perceived immaturity, something that bothers more than I would like to admit. Thus, I can relate to SpongeBob’s plight in this film.

And you know what? After seeing this movie again, it reminds me why I want to remain a kid at heart forever. Yeah, SpongeBob can be an immature goofball, something that’s gotten exaggerated in later seasons. But looking back on this film and seeing how happy he is with his life, a lot of people could stand to learn from it. Everyone should keep that inner child alive and well and maintain that youthful sense of optimism all their lives.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is Still Amazing

In short, I loved The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie as a kid, and I love just as much as an adult. I love it more when you consider the waxing and waning of quality in the post-movie era. If anything, having the show continue up to the present day has only allowed its popularity to endure to the point that it’s more than just a show. SpongeBob is a legend on par with Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny. And The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie played a large part in making that happen.

Also, this movie introduced me to the likes of David Hasselhoff and Scarlett Johansson. I didn’t even know Scarlett voiced Mindy until after she hit it big as the Black Widow!!

Spongebob’s Birthday Blowout Review!

This post’s dedicated to the legendary Tom Kenny on his 57th birthday, the cast and crew of Spongebob, and to the late Stephen Hillenberg. Thank you for twenty years of absorbent, yellow, and porous fun. Happy birthday Spongebob and Tom!

This year, one of the greatest cartoons of all time reached a historic milestone. That’s right, mateys: Spongebob Squarepants celebrates his twentieth birthday! If you’ve seen some of my posts in the past, you know how much Spongebob means to me. So when I heard that Nickelodeon planned to celebrate their favorite show with a birthday special, I had to watch it and say happy birthday, Spongebob!

Considering that it premiered on the night before Tom Kenny’s actual birthday, the timing makes perfect sense.

Quick Synopsis

It’s Spongebob’s birthday in Bikini Bottom and all his friend’s team up to make it his best birthday ever. Patrick takes Spongebob on a sightseeing tour to celebrate, but not just any trip. They go on a bus tour to a place that Spongebob’s only been to twice: THE SURFACE!

It’s all part of Sandy’s plan to get Spongebob out of the house so she and all his friends can decorate it for a surprise party. The hardest part was getting Patrick to understand the plan.

“I’m gonna collect all the pretty eggs that I can see and repeat it back to me.”

Review

I still remember the special that Nickelodeon made for Spongebob’s 10th anniversary, “Truth or Square.” That was a lackluster special, and I honestly remember little of it. So I was skeptical about this special. I’m pleased to say that, as the title indicates, this special’s a love letter to what’s made Spongebob one of the greatest cartoons of all time. From the cameos to the Easter eggs and callbacks, this episode has everything a longtime fan of the show could ask for. Heck, let’s start with me counting out all the cameos I could find.

Cameos

Let’s take a little sightseeing tour down memory lane. As the 20th anniversary special, we got a lot of cameos from the show’s long and colorful history.

The French Narrator, AKA “Frenchy,” appears in his scuba gear. I didn’t know they made him an onscreen character so I thought he was that Shell City “Cyclops” from The Spongebob Squarepants Movie.

Speaking of the Spongebob Squarepants Movie, next we have the heroic lifeguard himself, David Hasselhoff!

Spongebob’s surprise party includes several characters from the show’s long history, but two stood out to me the most. First, we have Princess Mindy. You may remember her as Neptune’s daughter from the Spongebob Squarepants Movie. The second is Fred, the “My Leg!” guy. He’s so popular that he ended up getting an entire episode dedicated to him, which seems like a dream come true.

Spongebob Live-Action Cast

The most prominent cameo of the special, though, comes during Spongebob’s trip to the surface when they visit a restaurant called the Trusty Slab. The voice actor’s for Spongebob play their characters in live-action form, with the voices and everything. It was AWESOME! Watch the likes of Clancy Brown, Bill Fagerbakke, and Tom Kenny play their long-running roles live, and in-character was indeed a meta-joke to behold. It’s one of the big highlights of the entire special.

Thank You Spongebob and Steve

The other big moment for the special for me comes in the closing minutes when Spongebob gets a surprise gift from none other than Patchy the Pirate. Patchy’s always been Spongebob’s biggest fan and has longed to meet him in real life. While he failed in the 10th anniversary, I’m thrilled to say that he finally got his wish. He then led the entire cast in singing “Happy Birthday, Spongebob!” to the tune of the theme song.

The cherry on top is that the last scene is a simple message:

Thank you, Steve Hillenberg.

It’s the perfect tribute to the late creator of Spongebob, who you may remember died on November 2018 from ALS. This moment, more than anything brought tears to my eyes. Tears for all the joy that Spongebob has given kids over the years, and sadness that Steve couldn’t live to see his creation reach the big 2-0.

Seeing that simple “thank you” to Hillenberg re-affirmed what I thought when watching this special: it’s a love letter to everything that Stephen Hillenberg created. He may be gone, but he left behind something that will stand the test of time. Spongebob’s earned his place as one of the most famous animated characters of all time, standing alongside the greats like Goku, Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse, and others.

Growing up, my parents couldn’t understand what’s so appealing about Spongebob. They saw it as silly and pointless, and they’re right, to an extent. I would say that that’s what a lot of cartoons should be, though. When I look at Spongebob, though, I don’t see a hyperactive man-child: I see someone who’s not afraid to be himself, even if people call him a “goofy goober” for it. I see someone who always tries to see the best in the world and the people in it; that’s something this world sorely needs. If we had more people as lovely as Spongebob, I think the world would be a better place.

Happy Birthday Spongebob

What I’m trying to say is that this unique show us what make’s Spongebob so great. It has all the humor and jokes we expect from Spongebob, but it also got all its heart and love. It’s everything that we could want from Spongebob Squarepants, and I wish we got this ten years ago. If you’re a fan of Spongebob, then I’m telling you to see this special. Happy birthday, Spongebob, and happy birthday, Tom Kenny. Thanks for twenty years of laughter.

I Give Spongebob’s Birthday Blowout a 4.8/5.

Click here to see this birthday tribute to Spongebob

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2019 Super Bowl’s Failed Halftime Show

I wanted to write this yesterday, but since the Super Bowl was still fresh in my mind, I decided I would get too emotional to do anything about it. So, I gave it an extra day to let myself cool off.

As many already know, in November, 2018, Stephen Hillenberg, the creator of the famous cartoon Spongebob Squarepants, died from ALS.

Shortly after his death, a petition began to go around the internet. With the Super Bowl coming up, one fan came up with an idea to create the perfect tribute to Hillenberg: have the song “Sweet Victory” play at the Super Bowl Halftime show.

Sweet Victory

Any fan of Spongebob has heard or seen “Sweet Victory”. At the climax of the Season Two episode “Band Geeks“, Spongebob helps Squidward lead the citizens of Bikini Bottom in playing the song at halftime for a spoof on the Super Bowl, the Bubble Bowl.

That performance and the final shot of Squidward leaping into the air in joyful triumph is legendary in cartoon lore. “Band Geeks” was critically acclaimed and is considered by most fans and critics to be the show’s best episode. I affectionately call it “Squidward’s finest hour.” So when that petition went up to play it at Super Bowl LIII, hundreds of thousands signed it as the ultimate tribute to the late Hillenberg.

In January, it looked like fans were going to get their wish:

Here’s what we got instead:

What. The heck. Was that? Just thinking about it makes me upset!

While some fans were happy that Spongebob got a cameo at the halftime, many were livid, myself included. So, we did what angry fans do: go to social media and spew our bile. Currently, the #1 trending video on YouTube, the Super Bowl LIII Halftime’s overwhelmingly disliked. It stands at 622k dislikes, last time I checked. And the comments are just as bad:

I don’t hate Sicko Mode, i actually think it’s an amazing song. But when you do Spongebob dirty like that, that’s when you’ve crossed the line

Lee Croc, YouTube

“Hey Patrick, what am I now? “”Uhh, stupid? “”No, I’m the NFL!” “What’s the difference!”

Hello, YouTube

We are disliking the video faster than nfl can remove it

Rocky Reyes, YouTube

I could go on! Everyone hated it!

We Got Ripped Off

I am aware that we were never outright promised that “Sweet Victory” would be played at the Super Bowl, but it was implied that it would be, given the footage of Spongebob in Maroon 5’s promo for the Halftime. I know that it can be argued that we should be lucky that we even got that cameo.

I don’t want to argue that, though. Because it felt like the cameo was an even bigger insult to the fans. The people who run the NFL and the Super Bowl thought that fans would be content with a brief cameo, but they underestimated us.

An Insult To the Fans

Having Spongebob reduced to a small cameo not only felt lazy, but disrespectful. Disrespectful to the fans who fought so hard for this, and disrespectful to Spongebob, Hillenberg, and the impact they’ve had on so many lives. Even if they didn’t have the cameo, the Halftime Show would have gotten a lot of hate. It was bland, forgettable, and honestly, it sucked.

At least there are people out there who have tried to do something to correct the NFL’s mistake. The morning after the Super Bowl, the Dallas Stars posted this video on their Twitter feed, giving us the halftime show fans deserve.

There’s no point in dwelling on the past any longer, though. All we can do is make sure the NFL learns their lesson and move on. Maybe someday, we can give Hillenberg the tribute he deserves, and get the sweet victory we deserve. As for Maroon 5, I hate them now. Plus side is, we have our first Dank Meme for 2019.

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The year 2018 was a huge year, as far as I’m concerned: superheros dominated the box office, we lost a lot of celebrities, and saw stellar game after stellar game released. It was also a big year for me personally, thought that is another story. With today being the last day of 2018, I thought I could look back on some of what I thought were the defining moments of 2018.

“Wakanda Forever!”- The Black Panther

I already talked about it in my post on superhero movies I saw for 2018, but I will say it again: Black Panther was one of the biggest hits of the year. Its success goes well beyond that, however. It celebrates the traditions and customs of African cultures while also showing what it can become. That’s what Wakanda stands for.

To outsiders, Wakanda looks like a third-world nation. In reality, though, it has the kind of technology and economic prosperity that would make America green with envy. They have hoverbikes, people! HOVERBIKES!

At the same time, Wakanda is in tune with African culture and traditions. People walk through the streets of the city wearing traditional garments alongside more modern clothing. Wakanda’s military rides into battle in warrior garbs that are laced with vibranium and holographic shields. The method through which T’Challa officially becomes King is through ceremonial combat. It’s an amazing blend of technology and tradition, and shows what African culture can be. I can’t wait for the next time we visit Wakanda.

The Ultimate Pop Culture Drug- Ready Player One

Oh my god, this movie was the absolute BEST. For someone who has spent their entire life surrounded by popular culture, this movie was like being a kid in the world’s coolest candy store. I would have to spend days looking through the entire movie to list every cultural reference in this game. I hope Ernest Cline is proud of how the movie adaptation turned out.

If you didn’t see the movie or read the book, here’s the synopsis: it takes place in 2045, where everyone has basically given up on fixing the world. Instead, they put on VR headsets and hang out in the OASIS, which is the ultimate VR hub-universe where you can do anything! It was co-created by this giant pop culture nerd and gamer James Halliday. When he died, he left a scavenger hunt for three keys in the OASIS. The player who finds them first gets full control of OASIS. So, it’s Willy Wonka meets Bill Gates. If you haven’t seen it already, see it now.

RIP Dr. Stephen Hawking

Dr. Stephen Hawking was one of the most brilliant minds of our time, but he was always living time. He was diagnosed with ALS in his 20s, but that never stopped him from living a full and happy life. It also didn’t stop him from make guest-appearances as himself on various shows. And somehow, he managed to live for fifty years with the disease. But, he passed away in peace on March 14, 2018. I think he would have found it funny that he died on Pi Day.

“I don’t feel so good…” The Snap of Infinity War

If you’re one of the handfuls of people that haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War, then here’s a spoiler: Thanos wins and kills off half the universe. I watched half the cast of the movie turn into dust and fade away before my eyes, but the hardest part was watching Spider-Man die. I NEVER saw that coming.

At any rate, Tom Holland’s line “I don’t feel so good” as he turned into dust from what pop culture has dubbed “The Snap” became a staple of pop culture for 2018. All over social media, people started using the disintegration special effect to recreate The Snap and dusting. It was our way of coping with the genuinely traumatic sight of watching characters we never thought we’d see bite it die. My only regret is that I couldn’t find one of Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones turning into dust.

Seriously, I WANT to see her die in 2019.

End of Adventure Time

One of the greatest cartoons of all time, Adventure Time brought on a renaissance for Cartoon Network. Several awards, critical acclaim, and a fan base that spanned across all generations and nationalities, Adventure Time was a cartoon that only comes around once in a lifetime. But all good things need to come to an end. Or else they up like The Simpsons (that’s right, I went there).

On Labor Day, 2018, Adventure Time came to an end with the hour-long finale, “Come Along With Me”. But even though it ended its run on TV, it’s legacy has inspired other cartoons and helped to launch a new generation of creators, one that I think we have only begun to tap. Besides, it’s not like the show is gone for good: it’s still be continued in comic book sequels.

Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4

Never in my life have I have ever needed something so badly and never knew it until I got it. This was probably my favorite game of 2018, even if it didn’t win Game of the Year.

We Were Right About Global Warming

You know how all those people kept saying that global warming wasn’t real, in spite of the evidence. Guess what? WE WERE RIGHT! Global warming is real, it’s already here, and it’s dangerously close to the point of no return on it. And people are starting to wake up to the danger of it, despite the fact that Donal Trump insists that it is not real.

As more and more of the world begins to go green in order to reduce the effects of global warming, estimates are coming in. It’s believed that the demand for fossil fuels will peak in about 11-12 years, and then decline as green energy sources become widespread. That’s promising, but it still might not be enough to stop our planet from being irreparably screwed over. It’s never too late to try, though.

RIP Stan Lee and Steve Dikto

This one doesn’t really need any more explaining. I already covered my feelings about it plenty in my post about it.

In case people forgot, though, I would like to point out that Steve Dikto, who co-created Spider-Man with Stan Lee, died earlier this year. So I think it’s only right to mention him. Hopefully, those two are with Jack Kirby in that great comic book studio in the sky

RIP Stephen Hillenberg

Nor does this need any more explaining. RIP, Ocean Man.

Fallout 76

From the moment I saw the lackluster reaction to it at E3 2018, I knew that this game was going to have problems. Still, I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt and pre-ordered it for myself. So far, it feels like it was a waste of my money.

This game has been plagued with issues from the very start, and they have only gotten worse. Bethesda has repeatedly broken its promises and abused the trust of its customers with poorly made merchandise related to the game. I wish that this game would improve, but so far it doesn’t look likely.

ANIME IS NOW MAINSTREAM

Gentleman, let us mark 2018 as the year when anime was officially mainstream. For evidence, I provide this video: Goku’s balloon at the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I watched that parade from start to finish just for this parade, and I think plenty of other people did as well. It was an amazing experience showing that we were no longer a niche group of fans but a full part of pop culture. I did groan in frustration when the host pronounced “Saiyan” wrong.

BTW, Pikachu doesn’t count. He was a video game character before he got his own anime.

So, what were your favorite moments of 2018? Let me know in the comments below! Happy New Year, and check out my other blog on what I look forward to in 2018

My fellow goofy goobers, nickelodeoneans, and millennials: yesterday Nickelodeon announced on social media that Stephen Hillenberg, creator of the legendary show Spongebob Squarepants, had passed away from ALS.

You may now commence with the crying.

 I’m crying too, by the way. But not just out of sadness. I’m crying tears of joy, laughter, and gratitude. Growing up, Spongebob was probably my favorite cartoon to watch on TV, not counting Avatar: The Last Airbender. I loved watching Spongebob and his friends in their adventures through Bikini Bottom. I played the video games, I saw the original movie, and read the comics. For a time, my parents even banned me from watching the show because it was making me too silly. That just made me love it more 😉

Spongebob was a massive part of my childhood, and I’m taking the creator’s passing pretty hard. As hard as I took Stan Lee’s passing. But after I wipe the tears off my face, I just started remembering all the good memories Spongebob gave me. And then I wanted to just start laughing. Now, I just want to talk about a few of my favorite episodes and moments in Spongebob in honor of the man who gave us so many laughs. In no particular order, by the way.

Pranks a Lot

I remember this one very well. It came out on video before it ever aired on TV, so I got my parents to haul me to the Library to check it out first chance I got. Spongebob and Patrick bought that can of invisible spray from a jokes shop and decide to use to prank everyone in Bikini Bottom. So they strip down and go around scaring the whole town into thinking they’re ghosts. But when they try and scare Mr. Krabs, he turns the tables on them and exposes them.

The whole plot of the episode is funny enough as it, watching everyone freak out over the “ghosts.” But the real clincher is how Mr. Krabs gets payback on the duo. Instead of getting mad, he pretends to laugh it off. But as soon as the two leave the bathrooms in the Krusty Krab, this happens:

I don’t remember if I laughed at this or just sat there smiling, but I can imagine that I was laughing myself to death on the inside. The way Mr. Krabs sets up the prank by fooling Spongebob and Patrick and then timing it just as the episode ends is comedic gold. Now THAT is what I call comedic gold.

I Had an Accident

I think this episode aired right before the Kid’s Choice Awards in 2003. Spongebob breaks his butt in a sand-sledding accident and then gets too scared to leave his house. Then a gorilla attacks Sandy and Patrick and he has to go outside and save them.

I liked this episode as a whole, but the really funny came at the end, with this:

To this very day, I have no idea what it was that I had witnessed. Like, no idea at all. I think that that was the point, though: to get people to laugh at the sheer absurdity of what had happened. That or the staff couldn’t come up with an ending. Either way, Stephen Hillenberg did good.

Goofy Goober Rock!

I loved this movie as a kid! I was one of the first people in line to go see The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. Not to mention I read the junior novel and played the video game. But this was my favorite scene by far because it has to do with the underlying message of the film: it’s alright to be yourself.

Spongebob spends the whole movie trying to prove to everyone that he’s not a kid, but by the film’s climax, he learns to accept that he is very much a kid in a man’s body. And he’s fine with that because he still managed to do everything a “kid” shouldn’t do. Then he proceeds to jam out to one of the coolest songs I had heard in my childhood. 

The message rings true even today now that I’m grown up. With everything negative that comes with being an adult, it’s easy to end up being a Squidward. I’d rather be an optimistic goofball like Spongebob and enjoy my life than spend it being a Squidward! #GoofyGoober4Life

Help Wanted. Stephen’s Legend Begins

This was the episode that started it all: Help Wanted. Spongebob goes to get his dream job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab (not something most people would want, but Spongebob made it look cool). Mr. Krabs and Squidward sent him on that wild goose chase, and then the infamous scene happens:

I wish I had a video of what happens next, but YouTube seems deadset on not letting that happen. But it was one of the coolest things I had ever seen in my life.

Band Geeks

For nearly every fan of Spongebob out there, this is considered to be the best episode of the entire show. The finest moment of Stephen Hillenberg. It gave us so many jokes and funny moments: from the “dying animal” joke at the start, to the “kicking” incident, and of course, Patrick’s words of wisdom up above. Also, eager face:

But that’s not why it’s the best. It’s the ending. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call it one of the greatest moments in cartoon history. IT’S THAT GOOD! I actually call it “Squidward’s Finest Hour”, because it is one of the few times that Squidward, or any of the other cast members, is able to be this successful. I read a tweet on Twitter yesterday from another fan, saying that they felt this moment perfectly encapsulates Spongebob’s rise to success: it was nervous and unsure of itself, but once it got going, everybody loved it, and everyone loved Stephen Hillenburg for giving it to us. Just look at how much love the clip of it got when someone posted it on Twitter. It’s clear that Spongebob meant a lot to my generation, and that a lot of us will miss Stephen Hillenburg and thank him for what he gave us.

What Stephen Hillenburg and so many others created nearly twenty years ago has become one of the greatest cartoons of all time, with a cast that’s right up there with the gods of cartoons like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and the Simpsons. Decades from now when it’s all over, the fans of today are probably going to be sharing this with their grandchildren and scholars are gonna study it as an example of what cartoons can do for our culture. So, I’m only going to say this once: Stephen Hillenberg, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!

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