Dir. Derek Drymon, US, English, 88 mins
Cast: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Clancy Brown, Mr. Lawrence
Review by Matthew Morlai Kamara
It opens with a short film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Chrome Alone 2 – Lost in New Jersey. It’s directed by Jeff Rowe (co-creator of Mutant Mayhem). On Christmas Eve, Krang seizes New York’s festive offerings, prompting the Turtles to head to New Jersey for a rescue that becomes an epic snowball fight through a frozen amusement park packed with action and nostalgic nods. And straight afterwards we have the main feature (The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants) which is a directed by Tim Hill who original co-wrote 2004 SpongeBob film.
SpongeBob (Kenny) is determined to prove to Mr Krabs (Brown) that he’s not just a tiny sponge, but a total hero. So he does the unthinkable – he chases after the one and only Flying Dutchman, that mysterious, sword-wielding ghost pirate who haunts the seven seas. What unfolds is a side-splitting, heart-pounding adventure that takes him all the way down to the ocean’s deepest, darkest depths place no sponge has ever ventured into before.
Having the TMNT short as an extra is a lovely surprise and hopefully will be a triumph of success over the rest of the Christmas/new year holiday Those who’ve loved both franchises over the years will adore this. The short is a masterclass in concise storytelling, seamlessly extending Mutant Mayhem’s tone and earning spontaneous applause while SpongeBob’s animation is visually striking, with humour that resonates across all generations. This is a definitive family offering that honours its roots, while still feeling fresh and exciting.
About the Author
