Tag: review

Ranking The SpongeBob SquarePants Movies (w/Search For SquarePants)

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SpongeBob SquarePants has been going on for over 25+ years now. And in that 25+ year long gap, he has started in six different feature movies. While the original SpongeBob SquarePants movie was designed as being the epilogue of the entire television series back in 2004, his popularity for Nickelodeon has been off the charts for the past two decades, leading to the show’s continuation to this very day and five more feature movies that have been released since then. Since Search for SquarePants is now out on in theaters, it’s time to rank the six feature-length SpongeBob movies we have thus far from worst to best.

6.) Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie

Saving Bikini Bottom: A Sandy Cheeks Movie is one of the worst things to ever happened to SpongeBob SquarePants and is perhaps the worst of all of the SpongeBob movies. It takes nearly every problem of the very worst of SpongeBob medium and cranks it up to 11. The plot is non-existent, the characters are at their most one-note and nonsensical, there’s not a single joke that isn’t stolen from older SpongeBob material, the direction and special effects for the live-action sequences are jaw droppingly awful, and the main villain is one of the worst, obnoxious, and most cringeworthy villains ever put to film. Not even previous saving graces from other bad SpongeBob movies and episodes such as the animation and voice work are good here. It’s ironic how the main thing going with the villains is that they are a big corporation that is wanting to capture SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom for the sake of merchandises and branding. When watching the movie, it comes across as Nickelodeon patching itself on the back for letting SpongeBob be what he has become for the past two decades. And especially after the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, that is about the worst possible feeling imaginable.

5.) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run

There are plenty of things to talk about with Sponge on the Run that has been talked about in length by hardcore fans. Like how the film acts like snails are incredibly rare now in the ocean despite the show having plenty of different snails in multiple episodes. Or that SpongeBob and Patrick can now go into a casino even though they are technically still kids. Or how SpongeBob literally now has a name for his stove at work. Or how SpongeBob literally says the word, “crappy” in the movie. It all just makes you wonder what Sponge On The Run would have been like if Stephen Hillenburg was still alive throughout the entire production. While there are definitely hints at what the man was trying to accomplish throughout Sponge On The Run, it can never escape that sense of cynicism and studio meddling that I imagine Tim Hill and crew really wanted to break out of from the clutches of the evil corporation of Nickelodeon themselves. Driven forward by a derivative/non-existent plot, contradictions to the SpongeBob lore, and the most forced advertisements for Kamp Koral imaginable, Sponge On The Run feels more like a broken shadow of SpongeBob’s older, peak self than one that feels like a worthy edition to him. At least it’s pretty to look at….I guess.

4.) The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

The newest SpongeBob movie is FAR from the worst thing that has ever happened to our beloved yellow sponge! This does offers a nice expansion upon the father/son-like relationship between Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob (even if that is likely because of the fact this was originally suppose to be a spin-off series with Mr. Krabs) and a hilariously over-the-top performance with Mark Hamill as the Flying Dutchman! However, Search for SquarePants still can’t shake the feeling off of just feeling like yet another SpongeBob movie! SpongeBob’s overall arc about wanting to become a “big guy” feels like a water down version of his “wanting to become a man” arc from the first movie, most of the jokes fall flat, and the overall payoffs to each individual subplots are ones that even the youngest of kid will be able to see coming from a mile away. Does it makes for a mildly passable SpongeBob adventure for kids? Sure! Does it makes for a worthy big screen outing that you should absolutely take the whole family to see in theaters instead of waiting for it to come on streaming or television? Nope!

Although, if you do go see this movie in theaters, you get a rock solid Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs A.I. short! I guess that’s something!

3.) Plankton: The Movie

Never in a million years would I guess that a spin-off movie with Plankton would be among the better of the SpongeBob movies but here we are. On the surface, Plankton: The Movie comes across as yet another example of a pointless spin-off and something that just existed for the sake of having content on a streaming service. While that might be true on the business side of things, when it comes to the artistic side of things, this has more heart and charm than you would expected. You really get to see the relationship between Plankton and Karen get explored more here than ever before in the series, while still keeping the sense of humor and lightheartness that the series has always been known for. Not to mention, most of the female characters such as Sandy, Pearl, and Mrs. Puffs get their moments to shine here. There are certain gags that are quite repetitive and a retcon or two that will likely annoy the most diehard of fans but if you were someone that has been disappointed with the more recent SpongeBob movies, Plankton: The Movie makes for a nice palate cleanser and shows that perhaps SpongeBob spin-offs can indeed work.

2.) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water

I can totally understand why The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is as divisive as it is among the fanbase. It contains some of the very best, very worst, and very “meh” parts of all of the SpongeBob movies thus far. That is basically what you get when you go with a whole “throw everything but the kitchen sink” approach to a movie. However, I can’t help but respect Sponge Out of Water for going as far and bonkers as it dares to go. It still has most of the characters that I love from the show, some of which got very little to do in the first movie and have more to do here, it’s got some crazy visuals that I thought I would never see in a SpongeBob movie, some of the movie spoofs it provides were quite fun, and there is a moral, while simplistic and predictable, that I think can resonate with kids the way the first film’s “kids rock” message resonated with me. When looking at it through those lenses, I would give Sponge Out of Water a thumbs up and a recommendation to anyone curious. I can’t say for certain it will work for you nor will you find the movie to be necessary but if you are just looking for an excuse to hang with SpongeBob and his friends for an hour and a half with enough visuals and gags to keep you entertained, I think this will fill that SpongeBob hole for you in ways that other SpongeBob sequels and spin-offs have not.

1.) The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie still remains an all-time classic in my eyes and the very best SpongeBob movie to date! Regardless of whether you view this as an adaption of the show, the epilogue of a beloved franchise, or even just as a simple kids/family film, it all works in every way it possibly can. Even if the clear target audience is for kids, I do think there is something for everyone to get out of no matter how old they are. Beautifully animated, perfectly written, immensely funny, and emotional beats that all feel earned (You are a robot sent from Skyler if you didn’t cry at SpongeBob and Patrick’s “death scene”!), I could not ask for a better SpongeBob movie than what Stephen and company was able to provide to the big screens back in 2004. Even as someone that’s turn 28 years old this year, I can’t help but have a strong attachment to this film as I get older. No matter what age I am, I will always feel proud to call myself a goofy goober! Even though this did not end up being the very last of the series like it was originally intended to, this still works perfectly as a definite end to the franchise. Despite the fact that multiple seasons and films involving SpongeBob have come along over the past two decades, it doesn’t change the fact that the timeless nature of it makes this feel like the main stopping point and everything that came after basically just what came before chronologically. It’s the way that Stephen Hillenburg always intended and quite frankly, it works all the better for it.

My Favorite Shows of 2024

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So, this year I did something that I normally don’t do. I actually watch television shows. That’s an exaggeration of course but ever since I worked my way into college and grown accustomed to the internet, I normally don’t watch as many shows as I used to when I was kid. Outside of your casual Marvel and Star Wars shows on Disney Plus or your typical big hit series on Netflix such as Stranger Things, I hadn’t been that compelled to keep up with any new streaming series. That was until this year!

With how iffy film medium has been for the past couple of years, that has encouraged me to go to other resources for high quality entertainment. Those mediums that I’ve turned to have been video games and streaming shows. Because of my increase on the latter, I have worked my way to find the high quality shows that I heard so many good things about and see if they’ve lived up to the hype. And in 2025, I was able to find six distinct shows that were able to meet those expectations.

Keep in mind, these are my personal favorite shows of 2024. I didn’t have time to view every single hit show of the year and there are some that I liked but didn’t like well enough to where it deserved to be mention in my top lists. Regardless, here are my lists of my top 6 favorite shows of 2024.

6.) Terminator: Zero

People have gone back and forth in what should be considered the #3 best Terminator medium. Some favor the bonkers Rise of the Machines with it’s ballsy as hell ending, some favor the appropriately grim departure of the series known as Salvation, some prefer grandma Linda Hamilton and grandpa Arnold coming back to kick ass with Dark Fate, and of course there are those fortunate that was able to witness The Sarah Connor Chronicles in it’s entirety as the real proper continuation of the first two masterpieces in the franchise. However, we know have a new anime series that might just put every single film released between Judgement Day and Dark Fate to shame with Terminator: Zero.

Instead of relying on nostalgia and callbacks, Terminator: Zero actually dares to tell a fresh and unique story with new and engaging characters and adding new mythos to the lore. There’s no Connors or Arnold presence here, just a new conflict told through a different set of humans and machines. The animation style is incredibly fitting for what it’s going for, this is easily the most intense Terminator medium since the original film, the new characters that are introduced are able to hold their own, and it’s able to look at a much broader scope of the relationship between humanity and A.I. in ways that feels new and timely appropriate.

I don’t know if this series will appeal to those that aren’t fans of Terminator or anime but if you are a fan of either one of them, this Netflix exclusive is a must see. If anything, this proof that the Terminator brand can in fact endure with it’s own identity without the need to constantly bring a Linda Hamilton and Arnold into the mix.

5.) Arcane (Season 2)

The first season of Arcane was perhaps one of the greatest seasons of an animated series I have ever seen. Not only did it work near flawlessly as an adaption of it’s source material but it worked as it’s own series itself. It introduced some of the grandest worldbuilding, engaging characters, and superb animation of modern times, tackling serious subject matter involving tragedy and conflict. Because of that, expectations were over the ROOF for it’s second season. And while it’s still great, it can’t quite capture that lightning in a bottle that the first one did.

This perhaps has to do with the fact that Netflix decided that the second season should act as the final season and save any remaining stories set in this universe as individual spin-offs. Because of that, you got a third act, while well made and engaging, can’t help but feel overstuffed and crammed together just to get to the ending that the creators wanted for this series. While the first two/thirds of the show are able to be as compelling and intriguing as Season 1, the last third falters with trying to type up so much material in so little time.

Even so, I will still take a flawed masterpiece such as Arcane Season 2 than around 90% of most entertainment that I watched this year. The animation and world building is expanded upon even further with most impressive achievements, Vi and Jinx still remains the most compelling sisterhood relationship I’ve seen to date, the action is still grand and epic in scale, and the entire cast is still able to get a moment of their own to shine. Season 2 may not have been the perfection that Season 1 was but in this case, I’ll still take imperfection if it means I get to spend more time in this world and it’s characters.

4.) Fallout

Last year’s Amazon smash hit managed to be one of the most surprising new series to come out in 2024. Despite having all odds against them, Fallout was able to work greatly as an adaption that honored the source material is was based on (despite some potential retcons here and there) while expanding the overall world to new audience members all around the world.

Aided by an INCREDIBLY likable and talented cast with Ella Purnell’s Lucy (I NEVER get tired of her saying “ookie-dookie”), Walton Goggin’s Cooper Howard, and Aaron Clifton Moten’s Maximus, this series puts the focus on a handful of scrappy survivors fighting their way through a nuclear apocalypse in different parts of a retro-futuristic America. Even with it’s rather serious stakes throughout, the show never forgets to be lighthearted and fun when the moments require it. Show creator Jonathan Nolan clearly understood the assignment here and we all ended up the better for it.

Although the ending left quite a bit to be desired (which is apparently the case with most Fallout games), this video game show was an absolute blast regardless of whether you are a fan of the games or not. With a perfectly balanced tone, engaging protagonists, and top notch production values, Fallout earns itself a spot as a new gold standard for video game adaptions and shows.

3.) X-Men ’97

In an era where it seems like the hype around superheroes and revivals have died down, here comes in X-Men 97 that was able to swipe on it’s way to Disney Plus and show everyone how these things are suppose to be done. This was about as good of a revival as it could get, perfectly translate the traditional values and roots that the X-Men are known for in modern times while still being able to capture that Saturday morning cartoon vibe.

The 2D animation is stunning and feels perfectly in line with it’s 96′ series counter part, the action sequences are filled with energy and excitement, and there is plenty of time given to each cast member of the X-Men to shine, rarely suffering from the problem of the films where a certain group of characters manages to completely overshadow the other. And it was SUPER nice to see my boy Scott and my girl Rogue being done justice for once. Oh, and the glimmers of seeing 94′ Spider-Man back again brought a tear to my eye!

No offense to Deadpool & Wolverine but I think most would agree that X-Men 97 was far in a way the best Marvel-related thing to come out in 2024. It’s able to capture the spirit of it’s 90s counterpart as well as just the X-Men in general! It’s so good that I would love to see more Marvel revivals of beloved shows done in a similar matter. Come on, Disney! Greenlight Spider-Man 98 already! You know you want to!

2.) The Penguin

With there being so many “Who asked for this?!” spin-offs of existing IPs out lately, The Penguin was able to step up to the plate and hit an absolute grand slam of a spin-off series. Matt Reeves and Lauren Lefranc is able to expand upon the crime lord of Gotham in fascinating ways here, showcasing a perfect example on how to do these “grounded” superhero stories correctly.

The production values are fantastic, Gotham has never been this intriguing to explore in live-action, the characters are all engaging, the plot is intriguing, and the performance are stellar from top to bottom, aided greatly by the central performance by Colin Farrell (who is still unrecognizable as the Penguin) and the scene stealing turn by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone. It’s also incredibly refreshing to have a villain led-story where we actually get to see the main lead be a villain all the way through, with ZERO need to make them an anti-hero or the good guy in the end. Also, take notes, The Acolyte! THIS is how you do flashbacks in episodes!

Even if this kind of series wasn’t necessarily “needed”, The Penguin is proof if the talent and craft is there, you can make great art out of anything. Although the recent delays of The Batman: Part II is unfortunate, I will still be first in line to see what awaits for the next installment of the now-called The Batman Epic Crime Saga. I BETTER see Robert Pattinson beat the shit out of Oz in the first five minutes or else!

1.) Shogun

Of course, the one series that has received the most awards and acclaim turned out to be my favorite show of 2024. There was no other show in 2024 that was able to shock and astonish the entertainment world than Shogun. It rivals Game of Thrones in it’s prime in terms of quality, able to expand upon it’s periodic times to perfection while examining complicated themes surrounding war, culture, and religion.

The writing is excellent, the characters are very well developed, the story is rich and full of intrigue, the production design is off the charts all around, there’s not a single actor or actress that phones it in, and it’s able to showcase themes that feel modern to our times but also culturally appropriate in the setting that the series is set in. You even got some incredibly impressive action sequences that feel grounded and expertly choreographed, emotional beats that are always properly build up and earned, and able to find a satisfying pay off to nearly every single main thing it sets ups. And as everyone has pointed out, Anna Sawai gives the standout performance of 2024 as Toda Mariko, stealing every scene that she’s in for the better.

There are many shows that get hyped up nowadays but very few are able to truly live up to it for me. Shogun is surely one of those exceptions. It’s exceptionally made, exceptionally written, exceptionally acted, exceptionally directed, and exceptionally entertaining. If there is any show from 2024 that deserves to be studied and examined on how to make a proper streaming series set in a period time and setting, look no further than Shogun.

SpongeBob SquarePants (Seasons 14-15) Perspective- The Other “Awkward” Era

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Well, here it is! At long last, we have come to the end of the yearly long marathon of SpongeBob SquarePants. I don’t think there was a more fitting way for me to celebrate 25 years of SpongeBob SquarePants by going back to experience all the highs, lows, and nautical nonsense that this show has provided over the course of 15 seasons and 4 movies! While there were plenty of bumps along the way, I can’t deny that this has been an incredibly fun and nostalgic ride that I do not regret taking whatsoever! To wrap up the year of SpongeBob SquarePants, it’s time to check into how the show is doing now with Season 14 and what we have gotten so far with Season 15.

If you saw my Seasons 12 and 13 perspective, you would know I believe that was a sign that the show was really starting to run on fumes. After Seasons 9-11 gave hope that a potential SpongeBob renaissance was on the way, these two seasons basically squandered it, giving the impression that the creative team have really started to run out of ideas on the show. It also didn’t help that Nickelodeon was still forcing multiple SpongeBob spin-off shows and movies that no one asked for. Despite SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Bash acting as a worthy celebration of 20 years of SpongeBob and a logical endpoint for the series, Nick kept the show going after that because the brand still seems to be going strong in terms of sales and merchandise. Because of that, we now have Seasons 14 and 15.

These are two seasons that basically acted as the beginning of the post-Stephen Hillenburg era of SpongeBob SquarePants. While the previous two seasons still had the remains of the late great Hillenburg attached to it, these seasons likely did not have that same fortune. Because of that, Nick and the other creators attached to this current era of SpongeBob SquarePants are officially on their own when it comes to what remains of this show. Even if this new era manages to work out, it will always miss that special spark that Stephen brought to the show from the beginning.

For what we have right now with these two seasons, it’s……better I guess. Unlike the past couple of seasons, there at least seems to be a bit of restraint when it comes to how wacky and over-the-top the animation and gags are, the plots are more easy to follow, and it’s still able to keep that solid lighthearted spirit that SpongeBob has always been known for. However, it still can’t escape that sense of familiarity with the majority of the premises for these episodes and does show that Mr. Hillenburg no longer has any creative involvement in it. Even then, for a show that’s been going on for over 25 years now and it’s currently on it’s 15th season, this is probably as good as it’s going to get for the remainder of the show’s run.

Season 14:

The big thing I noticed about Season 14 as it seems to act as bit of a reaction to the responses that the previous seasons has got. The animation is much more restrained, only being as wacky and over-the-top when the plot or gags actually demand for it. The plots for each episode feel much better thought out with a certain end goal in mind and not just a bunch of random nonsense and bits to pad the runtime. There is even a bit more care given to the characterization of the characters along with finding justifiable reasons for bringing back previously well known supporting characters.

The main problem relies in the sense of familiarity and fatigue. The majority of the premises behind the majority of the episodes has already been covered or contains traditional SpongeBob beats that you know by heart at this point. This is likely because of the fact that the show has gone on for over two and a half decades now. Because of that, they have squeezed nearly every single idea they could possibly come up with out and they now basically have no choice but to inherit old ones while doing them in new and different ways.

That’s not to say it does the majority of them bad. If anything, I was quite surprised how I was able to get in to each episode and find some genuine enjoyment out of it. I enjoyed seeing another superhero based episode where the gang had to stop the Dirty Bubble and seeing Mr. Krabs trying to impress Mrs. Puffs and seeing SpongeBob and Plankton try to become close friends (or in this case, brothers). The problem is that I’ve already seen these ideas being presented in other episodes. The repackage food might still tasted good but it’s still the same repackage food regardless.

There also seems to be a bigger emphasis on connecting the main show to certain spin-offs. This is mainly the case with the episodes Kreepaway Kamp and Sandy’s Country Christmas. Kreepaway Kamp ties to the controversial Kamp Koral spin-off, which sees the SpongeBob characters returning to Kamp Koral for a reunion. Sandy’s Country Christmas ties into the controversial Sandy Cheeks movie that came out this year, with Sandy’s family playing a role in saving Christmas for their daughter. For as much as I despised the spin-offs they are based on, they did surprisingly work quite well for me as individual half-hour specials. It makes me wish those spin-offs were even half as enjoyable as those two episodes were. I just hate how Nickelodeon is using this business method as a means to try to create an incredibly forced SpongeBob cinematic universe because…….of course.

Oh, and there was even a special of SpongeBob’s take on Snow White, titled Snow Yellow and the Seven Jellies. (*insert joke about how this is a better Snow White remake than the actual Snow White remake coming next year*).

If my overview of Season 14 is coming across as more negative than it deserves, it mostly because there’s not much here that hasn’t been done in many other SpongeBob medium. It does fix certain issues that folks had with the previous few seasons, the episodes themselves are enjoyable to watch, and they do at least seems to have a hit a comfort zone that works for Nickelodeon and the overall brand of SpongeBob. However, it’s service level quality for the season and the sense of familiarity really makes this season lack the re-watch value that the better SpongeBob seasons had. Because of that, it makes you wonder how exactly SpongeBob can evolve on it’s own with it’s creator no longer there to guide him.

Season 15:

It’s really hard to talk much about Season 15 because it only got started this year and has only consisted of FIVE (!) episodes thus far. However, it has been confirmed that this was originally meant to be part of Season 14 but got split into a 15th season to keep the number of episodes per season on a consistent base without making a new season feel too bloated. In a way, Season 15 basically acts as Season 14 2.0.

For the most part, I see this keeping up on that same consistent path but with a few hints of what a new era of SpongeBob could be like. It mostly consists of a solid mix between the classic SpongeBob from Seasons 1-3, to the middle age SpongeBob of Seasons 4-5, and the “reassurance” age SpongeBob from Seasons 9-11. With each new episode, I see it’s trying to walk that incredibly tight line in the hopes that it’s able to strike a balance while finding room for it’s own identity. Will it work? I don’t know. But like the last “awkward” era of SpongeBob, I see the seasonings for a much broader plant to grow.

Aside from that, there’s not much to talk about with Season 15 that I haven’t already said with Season 14. Again, it’s too early and is currently not even halfway through the season. But if I were to predicted the outcome for the rest of the season, I imagine it will be like Season 14 but a tad more creative.

Although, please less Sammy Suckerfish in the near future please! Don’t pull a Bubble Bass or Rube Goldfish with him!

In Conclusion:

Similar to Seasons 4 and 5, SpongeBob SquarePants now finds himself in yet another awkward era. An era that likely acts as another transition from one era of SpongeBob to the next. While there are definitely improvements from the prior seasons and does show the seasonings for another potential resurrection run for the yellow sponge, it’s quite difficult to get as optimistic as last time due to Stephen Hillenburg no longer being able to play a part for the show’s future. But once again, this is a series that has gone on for over two decades now and is now on it’s 15th (!) season and just passed 300 episodes total (That’s not even counting the segments!). When putting those factors in mind, the fact this show continues to be watchable and even enjoyable is about as much of a miracle as it comes.

Even so, after 25 years later, SpongeBob SquarePants continues to thrive and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. It still stands as one of the most beloved and evolving animated shows that has ever been made, successfully growing from generation to generation among children and millennials. Regardless of one era you fall in with the show that may you get into it, there has always seems to be something special with this yellow sponge and his friends that has just resonated with so many people over the years.

Regardless of what the future may hold for Nickelodeon as a whole now that Paramount doesn’t see them as a high priority anymore, I have no doubt that SpongeBob will continue on with plenty of new content with 2025 and beyond. After all, we got the remainder of Season 15, a new movie that is subtitled The Search for SquarePants which is set to come out in December 2025 along with a new SpongeBob game developed by THQ Nordotic, the studio behind Battle for Bikini Bottom- Rehydrated and The Cosmic Shake. Even if this year long retrospective/perspective is over, there will still be plenty more of SpongeBob yet to come.

Final Words

But, yeah! That officially does it for the SpongeBob SquarePants marathon! I once again give a special thanks to everyone that joined me along this incredible ride! SpongeBob has already held a special place in my heart since I was a child and he’s a character that is incredibly important to me. This is a series that has taught us all about the importance of being positive, optimistic, and finding a sense of reliability in ourselves and the ones we care about. Even after now becoming an adult, this character will always be one I look up to and strive to be like.

No matter what the future holds for the yellow sponge, I do hope for the very best!

Once again, thank you to everyone that joined me for this marathon!

Have a Happy New Year!

Why Sonic Is About To Become More Popular Than Ever

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is set to hit theaters very soon and it’s perhaps the most anticipated movie for the rest of 2024. In what has been a very chaotic year, what better way to cap it all off than with our favorite blue hedgehog squaring off against our favorite lion baddie in Mufasa just days before Christmas. We’ll see if the box office race ends up being closer to Barbieheimer from July of last year or Memorial Day Weekend 2011 where Kung Fu Panda 2 got dominated by The Hangover Part II (I will still never forgive the world for that!).

Even so, I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that it has been a really exciting time to be a Sonic fan as of late. Since the 2020s rolled around, Sonic fans have been getting a lot of new and exciting content to enjoy. You got some new quality games such as Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Superstars, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Dream Team, and Sonic X Shadow Generations, you got some new tv/streaming series with Sonic Prime and Knuckles, and of course, you got the two new Sonic movies with the third one coming out very soon with an insane amount of hype from Sonic fans and even common moviegoers alike. That’s not to say that ALL of the content I’ve mentioned have been successful or critically acclaimed (Sonic Superstars suffered from abysmal boss fights, Knuckles turned into the Wade Whipple Show once the actual plot got going, and just imagine how much of a drop in quality Sonic Prime would have suffered from if Shadow was NOT in it) but for the most part, there has been more good to come from Sonic than bad for the majority of the 2020s.

It’s all of this and more as to why I believe that Sonic is about to achieve a new level of peak with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The kind of peak that this franchise was able to achieve during the Genesis and Dreamcast days. The kind of peak that would put Sonic on the roadmap as an IP that demands to be taken seriously in any form of media. The kind of peak that I thought we were getting with the franchise in the early 2010s after Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations. Lastly, the kind of peak that will see the 2020s as being a new renaissance of Sonic the Hedgehog and make the Blue Blur more popular than ever.

This all started with the release of the original Sonic the Hedgehog movie back in 2020. It was a movie that was met with initial controversy due to many fans not taken too kindly to Sonic’s movie design. About a week after the backlash against the movie ensued, director Jeff Fowler announced that they would go back and fix the design of Sonic into a brand new one that would look more faithful to the character. Although this caused the movie to be delayed three months from it’s original release slate of November 2019, it all turned out to be for the better as the movie turned out to be a solid hit at the box office and the casual audience alike. Although it likely would’ve done better in theaters had it not come out before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, it was still enough of a success to greenlight a sequel. It was from that moment where the Sonic brand would transform himself into a multimedia movie franchise.

This led to Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which was considered to be even better than it’s predecessor and the most successful video game movie that does NOT involve a certain plumber with a red hat. It received praised from fans for incorporating many elements from the video games such as the addition of Tails and Knuckles, the Master Emerald, more set pieces that mirror levels from the games, and who could forget the birth of SUPER SONIC!!!! Perhaps the big cherry on top included a post-credit scene that teased the next movie would be focused on introducing the fan-favorite character known as Shadow the Hedgehog, set to be played by the legendary Keanu Reeves.

When it comes to the games themselves, the two main ones that have come out this decade include Sonic Frontiers and this year’s Sonic X Shadow Generations. With Sonic Frontiers, while the initial critical reviews were quite mixed, the fan response was much more positive. The majority of the praise went into the open zones, giving Sonic more freedom to control than ever, the boss fights, the soundtrack, and containing some of the best writing that this series has had in ages, particularly involving the characterization of the main cast of characters we’ve all come to known and love over the past few decades. It definitely had it’s flaws, particularly the unpolished cyberspace levels and a handful of unnecessary elements added to the gameplay (*cough* Pinball level *cough*), but even the more mixed reviews agreed that it was a step in the right direction compared to the last few main Sonic games and set the future of Sonic with a really solid foundation to build upon with upcoming games.

With Sonic X Shadow Generations, it made for perhaps the most well received Sonic game that the series has had in a very LONG time. It gained a reception that it has perhaps not been seen since the days of Sonic Adventure or the Gameboy/DS adventures with Sonic Advance and Sonic Rush. Not even the original Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations got this amount of praise attached to it at the time which both games came out. A 2024 remaster of Sonic Generations updated to modern consoles/PC would have been satisfying enough to longtime fans of the series but what makes this one stand out stronger than most is it’s inclusion to a brand new story mode involving fan-favorite Shadow the Hedgehog. It’s able to do Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury even better than the actual Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. With incredibly unique level designs, crazy and out-of-this-world set pieces, masterfully done remixes, a gameplay style that manages to combine the best elements of Generations and Frontiers respectively, and even quite a touching story about Shadow and the two people he cares about the most in Maria and Gerald Robotnik. This even manages to make Black Doom less lame. That’s how good this game is!

When it comes to the other games that have come out in the past four years, they were mostly a mixed bag but nothing that indicated a complete and total failure. Sonic Superstars could have been a solid and newly original 2D Sonic game but suffered big time from the inclusion of it’s new mechanics and horrible boss fights, Sonic Dream Team made for an enjoyable mobile game but could have fared much better as an actual console game, and The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is about as good of an April Fools Joke as one could hope and made for one unique love letter to the fans. Even so, there has yet to be a single Sonic game to come out in this decade that gained as much of a universally negative reaction on the levels of Sonic 06 and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. If that alone is not a step up from the past two decades, then I don’t know what is.

And now we are about to have Sonic the Hedgehog 3 arrive worldwide in theaters! Not only is this meant to cap off to what SEGA originally dubber 2024 as the “Year of Shadow”, but it might just be the thing that expand Sonic’s popularity even further than ever before. Just imagine the numerous amounts of possibilities that can come from the Sonic franchise if Sonic 3 is a hit!

We’ll have more film installments and tv/streaming series that could expand upon the cinematic universe of Sonic even further, we’ll have upcoming that will receive more hype and anticipation than before because of newer fans that will be getting into the series, and we’ll see a new appreciation for Sonic that we perhaps have not seen throughout the entire 21st century. If Sonic 3 delivers, I would not be surprised if any if not all of these outcomes are possible.

Even so, there is more reason to be optimistic about the future of Sonic the Hedgehog than ever before. And I imagine that optimism will only grow once Sonic 3 is released to the general public and we get updated on what future Sonic games, movies, and shows is set for the future.

Why SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout Should Have Been The Finale of SpongeBob SquarePants

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And here’s another piece of the marathon talking about an important specific episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. This time around, it’s for the episode that was designed to celebrate 20 years of the yellow sponge we all know and love called SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout. While it didn’t necessarily act as the finale of Season 12 nor the show as a whole, it’s executed in a way that this could have been the very last episode of SpongeBob and it would be extremely satisfying. To discuss exactly why, let’s dive right into SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout.

The special sees the citizens of Bikini Bottom and all of SpongeBob’s friends and loved ones coming together to plan a surprise birthday party for SpongeBob himself. While the likes of Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, Mrs. Puffs and…….Bubble Bass of all people prepare for a fiesta in SpongeBob’s own pineapple home, Patrick takes SpongeBob on a tour of the surface world to buy enough time for everyone to get the party ready. It’s when touring the surface world where the two BFFs come across their real-life selves, seeing how the OG cast would operate if the show took place out of water and were all playing completely human characters. Also, we see Patchy the Pirate who once again attempts to get to Bikini Bottom to meet his #1 idol and give him a special birthday president.

The ingredients for SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout can be seen from the initial premise right there. This is an episode that is clearly hear to celebrate and homage 20 years of SpongeBob SquarePants. You have all of the side characters from the show coming together to recognize the importance of SpongeBob’s role in Bikini Bottom, you have live-action cameos from not just the OG cast but also many notable celebrities such as Kel Mitchell, Jack Griffo, Daniella Perkins, and even David Hasselhoff that add to the gags and humor of the episode, you have SpongeBob and Patrick going on an adventure that they haven’t really gone on before, and it even gives an actual arc to Patchy the Pirate that makes the character feel like he’s come full circle. And the best part is that, it’s pretty much able to deliver on all of those fronts.

Of course, it’s pretty difficult to talk about SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout without drawing comparisons to SpongeBob’s last anniversary episode, A.K.A. the controversial Truth or Square, the episode that was designed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants. For the most part, Big Birthday Blowout able to do nearly everything that loathed special did wrong. It has the right mix of live action and animated bits without one end overshadowing the other, the majority of the focus goes to the actual SpongeBob characters, it has a plot that has actual momentum, it has gags that are actually quite funny, there’s celebrity cameos that are used sparingly, and Patchy the Pirate has the right amount of screentime and isn’t around long enough for us to get sick of him. It also helps that there was no ads that promised so much reveals and answers to certain questions that the actual finished episode never really had. Whatever Truth or Square was trying to do, Big Birthday Blowout is actually able to do it.

Going back to the title of this article of the marathon as to why I believe this should have been the final episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, it’s mostly because this feels like an actual definite endpoint for the series, arguably even more so than the first movie itself. Heck, had SpongeBob ended after the first movie like originally attended, this special could have still worked as a suitable epilogue 15 years later. This would’ve worked perfectly as being a special “revival” movie for Nickelodeon, similar to what they did with Hey Arnold! and Rocko’s Modern Life recently. It just has that sense of history and passion that everyone remembers about SpongeBob’s glory day while also realizing how far the character himself has come.

And by the end of SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout, SpongeBob has done a lot for himself. He got to tour the surface world with his best friend that he had never been able to before, he got to see how human versions of himself would have played out in that surface world, you got to see the importance that SpongeBob has had on Bikini Bottom and himself throughout 20 years, and perhaps the most unique of all, Patchy the Pirate had finally got to meet his hero in a way that felt sweet and genuine instead of creepy. He even gets one last song to himself, a bunch of well-known celebrities congratulating SpongeBob and wishing him a happy birthday, and best of all, it gave a very special dedication card to the late great Stephen Hillenburg, which I imagine this was one of the last episodes he produced before his unfortunate passing.

I honestly believed had SpongeBob ended after this episode, people would have looked more fondly on the series as a whole rather than just the first three seasons and the original movie. It’s then that more and more people would have discovered some of the latter seasons, particularly Seasons 9, 10, 11, and parts of 12 and see that the series still did have some life left in it. And just before it was about to run out of live once again (the other parts of Season 12-onwards), it was able to end the series on it’s own high, unique note before wearing out it’s welcome once again. It unfortunately didn’t do that but it’s nice to think about it if that was the case.

That’s not to say the episode is perfect by any means. There are certain jokes that get quite old and aren’t very funny, the final song itself is quite…..bleh and not very memorable, and the animation can get WAY too over-the-top and expressive for my likings, something which can be an issue for me throughout a good chunk of the newer episodes coming out. Also, how is it you bring Mindy the Mermaid back but NOT have her have a speaking line or two. I mean you could get all of these other celebrities for a cameo but you could NOT grab Scarlett Johansson for a day or two?

Even so, the heart and passion behind Big Birthday Blowout is clearly on screen for everyone involved. This really felt like an anniversary special that felt like there was time, effort, and care to it that wasn’t present in Truth or Square. Whether that’s because Nick actually didn’t rush and crunch the cast and crew this time around or not, I’m glad that time, effort, and care was able to be felt throughout SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout.

Although Big Birthday Blowout wasn’t the technical end of SpongeBob SquarePants, I think it represented the end of the show for a lot of people. Similar to how I believed that Hello Bikini Bottom! represented an end to Gen Z’s era of the show and Nickelodeon as a whole, I feel like Big Birthday Blowout represented the end of Stephen Hillenburg’s run of SpongeBob SquarePants. This was that one last special episode where you can feel the dedication, inspiration, and just pure finger prints that Hillenburg brought to this series. After all, he was the man that created SpongeBob SquarePants in the first place. Now that he’s gone, SpongeBob will never be the same again.

While some good things have come from SpongeBob in the past five years since Hillenburg’s passing such as The Cosmic Shake video game and (if the leaked version I watched online months ago is any indication) Plankton: The Movie, Big Birthday Blowout still feels like the true definite ending/epilogue of the series. No matter when you stopped watching the show or what era of SpongeBob you preferred, this 20th anniversary special feels like the best love letter possible to SpongeBob SquarePants. While there is still one more era of SpongeBob to talk about for next month, I can’t help but feel Big Birthday Blowout is where the series’ train should have had a definite stop.

Thank you Stephen Hillenburg and I hope you are resting peacefully in heaven right now!

Next Month: Seasons 14 & 15

Top 12 Best Video Game Shows

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With the recent releases of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, now is a good time to talk about what I consider to be the best video game shows ever made. Despite all the constant negative reputation surrounding films that acts as adaption of well-known gaming franchises, I think most would agree that there has been an enormous quality leap for those in recent years. Perhaps it has to do with more cast and crew involved with these projects nowadays that actually have a knowledge and respect towards the property it’s based on but, it’s definitely nice and refreshing to see better video game adaptions come out as of late, especially after several years of folks claiming that video game just can’t work in movie or show form whatsoever.

12.) The Cuphead Show

While the Cuphead games contained the most Walt Disney-like animation that work for a show, I believe very little actually assumed that it would have enough substance to carry an entire show. However, this adaption helmed by Netflix was able to surprise die-hard fans and even newcomers alike.

Granted, it resembles very little of the actual story or gameplay of the games. Instead, it operates as a throwback to that traditional hand drawn animation which it’s own style is clearly based upon. It’s all about Cuphead and Mugman going on adventures together and getting themselves into trouble alogn the way. That allows for all the traditional boss fights from the games to appear along with a handful of new characters thrown into the mix. While it acts more as trying to capture the medium than the story and gameplay of the games, The Cuphead Show is still able to keep that cheerful and uplifting feel of the games.

11.) Sonic Boom

Sonic the Hedgehog has had quite a bit of shows to come out throughout his history. There are those 90s kids that grew up with Sonic Satam and Sonic Underground, there’s the 2000s kids that had Sonic X, and we also now have the 2020s kids that have Sonic Prime and recently Knuckles as their generational Sonic shows. However, it might just be the 2010s kids that have been the luckiest as Sonic Boom is the one cartoon that got the most right about the Blue Blur and his friends.

Even though the games which the shows was based upon ranged from underwhelming to just plain awful, the show contains some of the best and wittiest writing the franchise has ever seen. Putting the spotlight on Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Eggman, and a new character named Sticks, it was able to be the best kind of Saturday morning cartoon, using the smart humor, beautiful animation and non-stop action to show the best of are colorful cast of characters. Oh, and there’s even a sequence where Knuckles talks about the importance of gender equality, bringing out the feminist side of him! If that right there is not enough to impress you, then what is wrong with you?!

10.) Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

The newest adaption of our beloved Tomb Raider see the character transiting between the Survivor trilogy and the original series of games. This is able to deliver entertaining globe-trooping adventures with Lara Croft and her friends/allies, looking for whatever treasure and resource might be valuable to them or to keep out of the hands of trinity. Hayley Atwell is as pitch-perfect as the character as you would expect (which will make you wonder why she was never casted in this role before and/or in live-action) and there are plenty of fun easter eggs and nods for fans of old and new of the series.

It may not be the very best from the library of video game adaptions from Netflix and certainly doesn’t have the most unique animation out there but for what it’s worth, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft gives Lara Croft the justice she deserves. Fingers crossed for a Season Two!

9.) Gangs of London

Far from the most famous video game out there, this British crime drama is actually an adaption of a PlayStation Portable exclusive that came out in 2006, the third installment in the Getaway series. Even if you take that out of the way, it works well as it’s own interesting crime drama.

Gangs of London follows the trouble that has emerges among the streets of the capital city of England, following the assassination of an influential mob boss. The search to uncover the mystery of this murder might be pretty bloody and violent along the way but plenty of focus is presenting shady deals, tense atmosphere, and street-level politics. If crime dramas are your jam, this will definitely suit your cravings.

8.) Carmen Sandiego

Here’s a video game adaption that has perhaps slipped under the radar to many folks out there. After all, I don’t think anyone would expect that a show adaption based off of educational series of video games could make much for it’s own show. However, this Netflix exclusives series was able to work quite well as that.

Featuring a very recognizable cast with the likes of Gina Rodriguez, Finn Wolfhard, and Dawnn Lewis, Carmen Sandiego is able to provided a nice Indiana Jones-like spin, where it’s about the protagonist searching for certain McGuffins along with learning a valuable lesson or two along the way. This might be a very kid friendly show but there is definitely something in here that adults can get into as well. There’s not many folks out there that are aware of this show’s and even games’ existence. But now that you know, check out Carmen Sandiego whenever you can and I believe you won’t regret it.

7.) Twisted Metal

With an adaption of a series of games that is as crazy and wild as it comes, you would expect a show to be able to live up to that feel with not much difficulty. And you would be right entirely!

Twisted Metal is a video game show that was able to breath new life to it’s 1995 gaming counterpart. Aided by an engaging lead with Anthony Mackie, it’s able to successfully translate the dark humor and explosive action that had become a staple of the franchise while giving itself it’s own unique personality and feel to the whole thing. If you are burned out by cheesy, over-the-top action movies, this might not be for you. For everyone else, this will you give your cheesy, over-the-top action movie fix. And it’s all the better for it!

6.) Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Yes, Cyberpunk 2077, the game which this was based on, was quite polarizing at it’s 2020 launch due to it’s infamous glitches and technical problems, only recently becoming a respected title after the majority of those problems got fixed. That doesn’t change the fact that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was able to be a big success right out of the gate in 2022.

Whatever missed potential the original game may have had is greatly fixed here. Fully utilizing a techno megacity that is run by crime and corruption, what is able to carry the series the most is it’s unique visual style, standout action sequences, and a frenzied narrative that is easy to get hook by. Regardless how you feel about the game to this day, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is able to work for fans that stuck along with the game since launch and those that love a good sci-fi anime.

5.) Pokémon

When compared to other video game adaptions out there, this can be seen as The Simpsons or SpongeBob SquarePants of video games shows. A long running animated series, expanding upon multiple generations of fans but still has sustained enough popularity and success to warrant going on for as long as it has had.

Released just one year after it’s very first gaming installment, this animated video game adaption was able to expand upon the characters, world, and lore of Pokémon in ways that the games could never do. The colorful creatures of any kind get their time to shine, there’s more humor and comedy throw in, the battles are more of a visual treat for the eyes, and the world has never been better expanded upon than it has been here in regards to Pokémon. Despite the humongous success of the video games, I’m willing to bet Pokémon wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it was today if it weren’t for this show.

4.) Castlevania

After a handful of decades since the franchise first actual game, the animated adaption came around and was able to be the best possible version of itself. Even with it’s animation style clearly being inspired by anime, it is different just enough from traditional Japanese animes that it doesn’t quite qualify as that. None of that changes the fact that Castlevania works very well as it’s own animated series.

As it’s best, the show’s biggest strength is the ability to balance horror, mystery, and action without losing it’s cohesion. Complimented by stellar fight scenes and well-done character development throughout, it at times feels like watching cutscenes from one of the games in the BEST way possible. By being able to capture the game’s most important elements and fitting it all to a compelling narrative, Castlevania works wonders as it’s own show. It may not be quite an anime, but I bet even the folks in Japan were very happy with this series.

3.) Fallout

The recent smash hit of a video game show that just began streaming on Amazon has been one of the most delightful surprises of 2024 thus far in terms of entertainment. Fallout was able to work greatly as an adaption that honored the source material is was based on (despite some potential retcons here and there) while expanding the overall world to new audience members all around the world.

Aided by an INCREDIBLY likable and talented cast with Ella Purnell’s Lucy, Walton Goggin’s Cooper Howard, and Aaron Clifton Moten’s Maximus, this series puts the focus on a handful of scrappy survivors fighting their way through a nuclear apocalypse in different parts of a retro-futuristic America. Even with it’s rather serious stakes throughout, the show never forgets to be lighthearted and fun when the moments require it. With a perfectly balanced tone, engaging protagonists, and top notch production values, Fallout earns itself a spot as a new gold standard for video game adaptions and shows.

2.) The Last of Us

Despite it being based on a video game series, it was a no brainer that The Last of Us could perfectly work as a it’s own show. After all, the games themselves aren’t so much driven by the gameplay but by the deep narrative and resonate themes that has made fans attached to the franchise. And it’s those reasons and more why this HBO Max series is able to work as well as it did.

While it does stay as close to the source material as possible, enough changes are made that are justified and contribute greatly to what the series has always stood for. Joel and Ellie are arguably a more likable pairing here than they were in their own respective games, portrayed wonderfully by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, as the series allows for their relationship to be more fleshed out along with the other characters of old and new we meet as the show goes on. If there was somehow any doubt that The Last of Us could NOT work as it’s own show, this adaption could not have prove those doubters more wrong if it tried.

1.) Arcane

I will say straight up front. I have never played a single League of Legends game nor do I recall watching a single gameplay video of any game from that franchise. None of that changes the fact that Arcane is not only the best adapted video game show of all time, it’s legit one of the best animated series that I have ever seen. That is no exaggeration in the slightest! It’s is simply THAT good!

If it’s not the wonderfully realized worldbuilding and animation that is enough to draw you in, it’s the tremendous voice cast and compelling characters that is able to back that up perfectly. Presenting the best sister conflict in recent memory, Arcane follows Vi and Jinx, once sisters, that find themselves at odds with one another with tragedy and conflict erupts in their city. There is not a single beat that misses here and completely works no matter if you played the games or you are completely blind to any LoL lore. Even if I’ve never played a game, I can just tell by how much love and care when into making this show that it does its source material great justice. If there is only one show on this list that you are able to watch, please make it Arcane! It’s simply PHENOMENAL!

And here’s my list of the top 15 video game movies!

SpongeBob SquarePants (Seasons 6-8) Retrospective: The “Bad” Era

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Oh boy, what in the world did I get myself into?

Yeah, you all knew this was coming!

This was when SpongeBob SquarePants got truly as bad as folks claimed the show got after the first movie. While I still stand by my opinion that Seasons 4 and 5 weren’t the worst things in the world, these next three seasons I’m about to talk about is MORE than deserving a seat at the table. Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. It’s not the worst thing ever but it’s undoubtedly SpongeBob’s roughest time throughout his history up to this point.

There are multiple different factors that played into the poor quality of these three seasons I’m about to talk about. Part of it is because most of the writers from the original three seasons were no longer present. Another part of it is because the writers of these three seasons likely tried to add their own style of humor and slapstick to the show that just fell flat. And of course, there’s that part that might be how the show has gone on for way too long and basically ran out of ideas. However, I do think the one main factor in all of this has to do with Nickelodeon and them relying SpongeBob SquarePants WAY too much to keep their network afloat!

Nickelodeon has been a controversial network for quite some time, ESPECIALLY in recent events (Dan Schneider is going straight to hell!). A big part of that has to do with their habit of expecting a new show to be a big grand hit RIGHT out of the gate and never looking back. When a new show doesn’t meet anything near those criteria, they tend to disregard it quite quickly.

So much so that they won’t even have the decency to air the rest of the episodes of a season but just dump it on their “back-up” network and letting that show go out with an absolute whimper. Or in the case of The Legend of Korra, they’ll just stop airing new episodes halfway through a season on TV and dump the rest of the show on their website. Yes, that really happened!

However, when a show does in fact become as big of a hit as they want, they go too far in the other direction and milk it until that cow is dry. And even then, they’ll just find another cow to milk.

There has been two shows throughout their history that has been the direct result of that: The Fairly Oddparents and SpongeBob SquarePants. With Nickelodeon constantly cranking out new episodes and content for these long lasting franchises like crazy, it played a significant role in their inevitable decline in quality.

It was by the points of Seasons 6, 7, and 8 that Nick was relying HEAVILY on the SpongeBob brand to keep the network at a steady heart rate. They would constantly demand for new episodes to be made as fast as humanly possible. Don’t worry about the overall quality. All that matters is that they get a ton of episodes released so they can be covered for the next two to three years before having to worry about anything beyond that timeline.

When watching Seasons 6 through 8, you can definitely tell that Nick was rushing production for new episodes of SpongeBob that the writers never had time to sit down and figure out what the hell they were even doing. It was that bad!

The end results of that leads to an era of very ill-fated and mean spirited episodes that goes against everything that the show has been up to this point. You have characters acting constantly out of characters, the same repetitive “torture porn” jokes, inconsistent animation with unintentional creepy imagery, messed up morals that aren’t well thought out in the slightest, and episodes that lack any sort of substance whatsoever. If there was ever a time where the post-movie haters got to gloat how right they were with SpongeBob losing his way after the first three seasons, this was it.

Let’s dive a little deeper as to why this era of SpongeBob SquarePants has been the show’s most infamous.

Seasons 6 & 7

You might be wondering why I’m going to be talking about Seasons 6 and 7 at the same time? Well, that’s because they both have the exact same kind of problems that I just mentioned. So much so that it’s pretty hard to tell which season that each episode belongs to. Not only because Nickelodeon aired episodes in between both seasons before either one was officially complete (This would not be the only time they would do that in this show before and after!) but because the majority of the episodes gave that exact sense of ill-conceived, poorly thought out gags and storytelling.

First off, you have the infamous episodes that lacked any sort of substance. These were mainly ones that take the most paper-thin premise imaginable and filled 90% of the runtime with filler. You have Penny Foolish which is about Mr. Krabs trying so hard to get just a little penny from SpongeBob. You have The Card which is about SpongeBob trying to protect a special Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy card from Patrick. You have A Day Without Tears which SpongeBob makes a bet with Squidward that can he go a whole day without crying. There’s also Gone, which is about everyone but SpongeBob disappearing from Bikini Bottom, only to find out they left because it was National No SpongeBob Day! They are about as dull, one-note, and shallow as the premise of each episode makes it out to be.

You have the infamous episodes that show of the lackluster animation and gross out images. There’s The Splinter that shows the most disgusting looking splinter that you will likely ever see on your life. There’s House Fancy that shows Squidward’s entire toenail coming off in rather painful fashion. There’s Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful where we see Squidward eating, bathing, and sleeping in complete garbage. While the earlier SpongeBob seasons weren’t necessarily a stranger to gross out humor, these seasons take it way too far to the point where these episodes might make you legit nauseous.

You have the infamous episodes that completely butchers the characters beyond repair. You have Boating Buddies, Choir Boys, and Squid’s Visit which makes SpongeBob come across as a complete stalker with the way he refuses to let Squidward have his space and knows his home and lifestyle near perfectly. You have A Pal for Gary that makes SpongeBob look like an arrogant and illogical jerk to Gary, who is literally getting TORMENTED by the other pet in this house. You have Yours Mine and Mine and Stuck in the Wringer which takes Patrick’s stupidity to ridiculous level and making him look like a selfish a-hole. There’s even One Course Meal, which makes Mr. Krabs look like the most soulless crab in the ocean by trying to drive Plankton into committing suicide (an episode which even Clancy Brown admitted he was very uncomfortable doing voice work for). These episodes were so bad that I wouldn’t blame anyone if it made fans not look at certain characters the same way again.

You also have the infamous special episodes, especially one in particular, that were so overhyped and underwhelming that it made people lose interest in the show completely. While SpongeBob vs The Big One was pretty good, just about every other one in Seasons 6 and 7 were about as lackluster as the majority of special SpongeBob episodes. The Clash of Triton was mediocre at best that made you want to sympathize with King Neptune’s whiny and annoying son but failed spectacularly. SpongeBob’s Last Stand was a bold attempt on making commentary on environmental awareness that mostly fell flat and was ultimately forgettable. And do I even need to mention the dull, obnoxious, poorly directed, visually ugly, non-existential story driven, and disappointing as hell special that was Truth or Square. The 10th anniversary special that was nothing but false advertising and empty promises, the worst possible celebration for ten years of SpongeBob SquarePants that you could imagine. That one special alone was so bad that it made plenty of folks drop the show completely, such as yours truly.

That’s not to say there were ZERO good episodes of any kind to be found in Seasons 6 and 7 such as Sand Castles in the Sand and The Bad Guy Club for Villains. It’s just that you would have to dig HARD to find those hidden gems buried within such garbage. Anything else you would find is nothing but trashy, greasy nonsense. A sign that Nickelodeon no longer valued the quality of SpongeBob SquarePants but more saw it for it’s name and brand alone. There’s plenty of fingers to be pointed around here but this was the show at it’s absolute lowest point.

However, why didn’t I lump Season 8 into this as well?! Well, it’s complicated!

Season 8

To be clear, Season 8 was also not a good overall season whatsoever. There were plenty of episodes of the dire examples that I just mentioned to be found here. You have Face Freeze! which showed off the creepiest and most horrifying face expressions that has ever been seen on this show. You have Pet Sitter Pat which made Patrick more unlikable and insufferable than he always has been, allowing poor Gary to be beaten up the whole way through. And it’s better not mentioning Demolition Doofus, the episode where Mrs. Puffs is trying to get SpongeBob literally MURDERED! This was a bad season by all accounts, but it did have it’s moments!

As much as there were plenty of bad things about Season 8, it also had a handful of good things about it. The good things that not only help make it more salvageable compared to Seasons 6 and 7 but also it helped plant the seeds for the inevitable resurrection seasons for the coming years. These were good episodes that helped made Season 8 not just the best out of a bad bunch but also the best possible conclusion to the worst era of SpongeBob’s history.

A handful of fan favorite episodes this season include the likes of Frozen Face Off, Planet of the Jellyfish, Super Villain Aquatic Villain Team Up Is Go!, Chum Fricassee, the Vacation episodes, and The Krabby Patty That Ate Bikini Bottom. However, there were two special episodes that I believed helped evaluate this seasons quite a bit. Those two special episodes were It’s A SpongeBob Christmas! and the Season 8 finale, Hello Bikini Bottom!

While the Vacation episodes with the main characters going on vacations were light and enjoyable enough on their own merits (even if most of them probably could have just been shorts instead of 11 to 22-minute long episodes), these two special episodes were able to capture a certain spark that the majority of this era couldn’t come close to achieving. It showed that not only is it possible for there to be new SpongeBob episodes that were good but that this show did in fact have some creative energy left within itself.

It’s A SpongeBob Christmas! was the first major SpongeBob episode to be strictly in stop motion animation. It also officially premiered on CBS during November 2012 before airing on Nickelodeon a month later. And believe it or not, it was very, very good. It managed to be funny, charming, moving, and just put you right into the Christmas spirit! For as good as the original Christmas Who? special was, It’s A SpongeBob Christmas managed to be just as good if not better than that already classic Christmas animated tale.

I would also go into deep details into how important Hello, Bikini Bottom! was to this season and the whole show in general but I actually have a special piece of that coming next month. And yes, that will be the monthly piece for this yearly SpongeBob retrospective! There’s just so much to talk about that episode and the multiple meanings that it has. Needless to say, it’s a very special episode and one that I feel should be even more appreciated than it already is.

Overall, I guess you can look at Season 8 compared to Seasons 6 and 7 the same way that folks look at Revenge of the Sith compared to the rest of the Star Wars prequel trilogy. It may not be particularly good but it’s definitely the least bad of the three with some redeemable values to it. However, the redeemable values are definitely worth bringing up as it would eventually build up towards another golden era of the yellow sponge quite later on in the future. This is something that I will be tackling in my next piece of the yearly SpongeBob marathon with talking about why Hello, Bikini Bottom! might be the most important episode of SpongeBob SquarePants.

In Conclusion

I’m not sure what more I can say that hasn’t been said about everyone else on the planet to how bad this era of SpongeBob SquarePants truly was. It’s the era which saw SpongeBob at his absolute lowest point. Due to Nickelodeon’s constant micro management and time constraints along with writers that might have been over their heads, Seasons 6-8, even with the last season’s good elements to it, is what sank SpongeBob’s reputation so hard. It was so bad that it killed any good will that most folks had left in this series. It did so much damage to SpongeBob that it made folks not want to acknowledge the legit good episodes that are a part of it because of how bad the majority of the episodes were. Whenever I feel the urge to claim that post-movie SpongeBob was no where near as bad as many have led you to believe, it’s these three seasons that respond back with an enthusiastic, “Yes, it is!”. And it’s then I would lose this fight completely.

I feel sad that the episode I will be talking about next month had to be a part of this era. In some ways, it basically had to die for this era’s sins to push towards the brighter next era that would come along. And it’s that episode of Hello, Bikini Bottom! that I will be covering in May!

Next Month: Why Hello, Bikini Bottom Is The Most Important Episode of SpongeBob SquarePants

SpongeBob SquarePants (Seasons 4-5) Retrospective: The “Awkward” Era

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Now, here’s where things start to get quite interesting with SpongeBob SquarePants! As everyone knows by now, the Sponge we all know and love have a very successful run with the first three seasons and a nice movie. With the way the latter played out at the end, that would give you the indication that would act as the conclusion to the series as a whole. Although that was the intention by design by creator Stephen Hillenberg, Nickelodeon demanded for more SpongeBob episodes after the film’s release due to how insanely popular the brand has become. Because of that, Hillenberg resigned as showrunner and a handful of creatives and writers left the show while new creatives and writers stepped in with the new showrunner being Paul Tibbitt and Vincent Waller acting as creative director until 2015.

As you would expect with the way Nickelodeon has been milking SpongeBob content dry throughout the past two decades now, the reason why SpongeBob SquarePants is still around today is because of profits. Not just with the ratings of the show itself but the profit it’s made with the branding and merchandise sales since the show’s inception. If it was up to Hillenberg himself, he would have likely ended the show when he initially did after the third season and first movie. However, because Nickelodeon bought the IP that he pitched, the company has a say for how long SpongeBob goes and when he stops. There is PLENTY to talk about in the post-first movie era of SpongeBob SquarePants, starting off with what is likely considered the most “awkward” era of SpongeBob. That era being Seasons 4 and 5!

Seasons 4 and 5 is interesting to talk about among the fanbase and mainstream media. At the time, this was seen as the period where SpongeBob jumped the shark completely and became bad. However, as times goes on, there has been some reappraisal towards this era of Mr. SquarePants, especially in regards to Season 4. So much so, that not only were these two seasons not bad at all but they were the last remains of the “good” era of SpongeBob or at least the last until MUCH later on.

It’s not that those that praise one or two of this seasons are in deniable of its flaws or it compares to the very best of the first three seasons. It’s just that there are a handful of genuine SpongeBob classics from this era that often get overlooked because of the bad press surrounding these two seasons. And these episodes are good enough to warrant this era of SpongeBob has not completely bad and in some regards good. It’s only once we head into the next era we will be discussing between Seasons 6-8 where the show did indeed get REALLY bad.

However, what is it exactly that has made these two seasons so divisive?! What is it that made it become so hated when they first released and only in recent memory getting reappraisal? Is it strictly nostalgia? Is it because of how bad the series would get later on? Let’s find out by discussing Season 4 and 5 directly!

Season 4

About six months after the original run of SpongeBob SquarePants ended, we got our first taste of this new era of SpongeBob on May 6th, 2005 with Fear of a Krabby Patty. That episode right there would set the tone perfectly for the rest of this season. It made perfectly clear that a new voice has been added to SpongeBob SquarePants.

The animation is more over the top and wacky, the characters have more movement and expressions to them, the episodes moves at a much quicker pace, the jokes become thicker and faster, and it overall just has a much different vibe compared to the first three seasons. Even for kids such as me that grew up with the first three seasons and headed into this one, this had to be quite jarring. All these changes and more are what likely led Season 4 getting a more mixed response compared to the first three seasons.

It is also believed that Season 4 was the start of many infamous trends that later and worse seasons would follow. Trends such as the animation being way too wacky and over the top, the plot and morals feeling half baked and not well thought out, the characters acting more out of character, and treating their one defining trait of each character as absolute jokes every chance they got. Two of the more disliked episodes of Season 4 such as Good Neighbors and The Gift of Gum are severe victims of that.

When looking at it through those lenses, it’s easy to see why Season 4 was quite controversial among the fanbase and media. The changes in terms of tone, animation, and feel to it was certainly a turn-off for many people. It was likely the first sign of the show existing just for the business side of things and not for an artistic side of thing. However, as I said before, there are plenty that look back at Season 4 more fondly. Why is that?

There is always some form of perspective when talking about SpongeBob SquarePants and it largely depends on when you watched each season of the show that it reflected your overall feelings to it. To many fans, they watched Season 4 when they were young kids and likely haven’t develop the critical mindset for themselves just yet. Because of that, they likely looked at Season 4 much more fondly because of the episodes that they do remember being among their favorite episodes of the show. Whether it’s that or how much better Season 4 looks compared to what came after, there are actual episodes for this season that are fondly remembered.

Episodes such as Krusty Towers, Skill Crane, Selling Out, New Leaf, Ghost Host, and Wishing You Well are ones that certain fans would put alongside the best of the original three season era. There are even a handful of “special” episodes that were able to exceed expectations where the ones in the first three seasons felt flat such as Dunces and Dragons and Have You Seen This Snail?, the latter of which might be the most emotional impactful SpongeBob episode ever made. The flaws in terms of the new style and episodes were still present but the good episodes of this series were good enough to where it was able to out weight the negatives of the series.

In hindsight, I really wouldn’t consider Season 4 to be that bad. Heck, I may even go as far to call it quite good. Was it as consistently great as the first three seasons? No but then again, I don’t think any version of Season 4 was ever going to do that. The bad episodes are still there but even the worst episodes of this season would likely not being among the top 10 worst episodes of the show.

With a season that had this amount of good in it, what was it that made it so hated at the time? I do think I have one big answer for that but I feel it’s worth saving that for the very end and go over Season 5 first.

Season 5

Now, Season 5 is a bit harder to defend than Season 4. While there are plenty of good episodes that are presented throughout, the bad episodes were really quite bad. So bad that it basically hurts the reputation of Season 5 and is the reason for many that this was around the time where SpongeBob got bad, even from those that defended Season 4.

I will say if we go back strictly the first half of Season 5, I would think you have a good argument that it’s on par with Season 4. Flawed but still plenty of good episodes here and there to balance out all of the bad ones. You have fan favorites such as The Original Fry Cook, Friend or Foe, Rollar Cowards, Krabs à la Mode, Spy Buddies, and SpongeBob vs. The Patty Gadget. Heck, you even have a handful of episodes in the second half that most fans wouldn’t want to discredit such as The Inmates of Summer, 20,000 Patties Under the Sea, and Pest of the West. However, Season 5 is also the one that would introduce some of the most infamous episodes of the entire series.

Episodes such as Fungus Among Us, Waiting, To Love a Patty, Pat No Pay, and SpongeHenge, played a big factor into supporting the negative narrative surrounding Season 5. It also wasn’t help by the “special” and highest rated episodes such as Atlantis Squarepantis and WhoBob WhatPants?, which were just as ill-fated and poorly received as they come. While there was definitely some gold buried within to find, there was plenty of filth covered in them to be able to find them.

The biggest flaws with most of Season 5 are largely the ones that people always bring up when bringing up everything wrong with modern SpongeBob. The humor is way too grossed out, the characters are thoroughly unlikable and make baffling decisions, the plot and morals are complete rubbish, the logic of each episode is thrown out the window, and way too much of the jokes either center around a character getting hurt repeatedly, doing something stupid/insulting, or just beating you over the head with each individual trait of the characters. While there were certainly a few episodes you could describe that with Season 4, there were WAY too many examples of that in Season 5 that made it defending MUCH more difficult and nearly impossible.

Season 5 has to be the most frustrating season of SpongeBob SquarePants! There are definitely good episodes to be found in this season that rank among the best of the post-classic era and the first half of the season was able to deliver mostly on that. However, it’s around the second half where too many flawed and ill-conceived episodes got released that hinder the overall experience of Season 5. Like Season 4, it gets points for experimenting and finding it’s own identity outside of Stephen Hillenberg, including bringing back the shorts which was used only once in Season 1. However, it loses points for doubling down on the fatal flaws of the bad episodes of Season 4 and making them even worse.

Just like Season 4, Season 5 has seen some appraisal over the years and I think that’s largely because of the amount of good episodes that I mention earlier. Unfortunately, the bad episodes are present and stand out like a plague whenever they appear. There’s too much that’s good to consider it bad but also too much bad to consider good either. Which is honestly why I can’t consider this part of the bad era of SpongeBob SquarePants but more of the “awkward” era of it.

The Not So Best Day Ever

I don’t think you can discuss this era of SpongeBob SquarePants without addressing the elephant in the room. The elephant that pretty much exposed Nickelodeon’s cynicism for the show’s continuation throughout the years along with the cynical practices of hyping up certain main SpongeBob “events”. While it’s easy to see why Season 5 is hated, it’s difficult to understand the bad rep that Season 4 got. That is until you talk about…..The Best Day Ever marathon.

For anyone that is unaware, back in November of 2006, Nickelodeon hosted a SpongeBob-themed marathon titled The Best Day Ever. It was a 24-hour long marathon where the network would air the top 100 episodes of the sponge’s history, which all would be voted by fans. This would also include the premiere of the The Best Day Ever special episode along with the first ever TV airing of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. This was hands down the biggest event ever for SpongeBob SquarePants and perhaps even Nickelodeon. While the ratings were clearly high, the reception from fans was ANYTHING but.

This event could not have been more disastrous if it tried. You had episodes in the top 10 that didn’t even remotely feel like they belonged in the top 10, you had actual fan favorite episodes that were either very low on that top 100 list or not there at all, and you had this whole marathon capped out in the most underwhelmingly way possible. You had The Best Day Ever episode, which is probably the most average SpongeBob episode that’s ever been made, and it’s revealed that the episode that got the most votes as the best episode of SpongeBob SquarePants to that point was no other than…..Karate Island. I’m not even kidding about any of that!

This was an event that just had the word “rigged” written all over it. All that hype for the past 23 hours and 30 minutes just for one new episode that has SpongeBob doing all the things we have seen him do a million times before and for one episode that isn’t that well regarded that we were all suppose to accept was the best SpongeBob SquarePants episode ever. This was a ratings trapped at it’s finest and unfortunately would be the very for many more to come from Nickelodeon in regards to SpongeBob SquarePants.

It was basically this event that seemed to open the floodgates of criticism surrounding Season 4 and onwards of SpongeBob. Not just in terms of it’s overall quality but Nickelodeon’s treatment of the show itself. This is when they were clearly trying to take advantage of audiences and using the SpongeBob name itself in the hopes it would boast ratings and viewership for the show. This was the moment that Nick exposed themselves of using SpongeBob as a cash cow. And I likely tend to think this is when folks came to the realization of the post-movie era’s shortcomings. A realization that is still being talked about to this very day.

In Conclusion

Even speaking as someone that always likes to play both sides, I can totally understand each different viewpoints in regards to Seasons 4 and 5. There is plenty about both seasons that don’t work and largely led to the mindset that SpongeBob as a whole should have stopped after the original run. However, there is also plenty that does work and it’s those diamonds in the rough that make both seasons at least salvageable compared to some of the other very worst to come from the franchise.

If you want my opinion, I don’t hate either one of these seasons but I don’t quite love them either. There’s plenty I do hate and plenty I do love but it’s not consistent enough on either ends to where I can say this is up there with the first three seasons or down there with the next three seasons. It exists simply in that middle awkward spot within the history of SpongeBob SquarePants.

Following up the first three seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants was always going to be a difficult task. Without most of the creative folks that made the first three seasons as great and memorable as they are along with plenty of new blood involved, it was always destined to be a challenge for everyone involved. I hold no ill will to the creative team behind these two seasons as they had to have know they were going to face harsh criticism and be unfairly compared to the first three seasons.

Even speaking as someone that has grown tired of reappraisals of previously hated media and contrarian takes just for the sake of being contrarian, I’m totally cool with Season 4 and 5 being viewed in a much better light today. The good episodes in those seasons shouldn’t be discredited because of all the bad episodes that surround it. They were all the saving graces of otherwise inferior seasons of a television show. I don’t know if I would go as far to call these two seasons great but I I would also not go as far as to call them terrible either. That’s for the next era we will be discussing!

Next Month: The “Bad” Era (Seasons 6-8)

Also, Happy Easter Weekend!

Dune: Part Two (2024) Early Movie Review: Denis Villeneuve To The Rescue

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There are times to where being a fan of cinema is difficult! There are times to where there are so many duds and whimpers that get released simultaneously that you wonder how much more you can take! How much time and money are you willing to spend to watch a motion picture that’s not even good enough to be a simple three out of four star flick! In the case of films kicking off in the first two months of 2024, I don’t think I can recall a year that has gotten off to such a worst start, so much so that the only film that I would give a solid three out of four star recommendation to is….Lisa Frankenstein of all things.

Night Swim started off 2024 with the exact OPPOSITE feeling I had walking out of 2023 with M3GAN, Mean Girls was a painfully mediocre musical that didn’t do it’s source material justice, Bob Marley One Love was a safe, disposable, by-the-numbers bio pic, The Beekeeper and Argylle had their moments but they got way more overly complicated than they had any right to be, and everyone knows how much of a trainwreck Madame Web was. There is also one movie that hurt me dearly that I can’t post my review of yet because I’m not sure I’m allow to because there’s been no review embargo for it thus far.

Suffice to say, movies quite suck right now, even for someone that tries to be as optimistic about them as possible. Thankfully, we have the great Denis Villeneuve here to safe us all with his outstanding follow-up to the very good Dune: Part One with Dune: Part Two, a film which by the way wasn’t even suppose to come out last year but got pushed back due to the strikes. Regardless of the timing of it’s release, Dune: Part Two is exactly what fans hoped it would be and so much more!

If Dune: Part One acted as Villeneuve setting the training wheels on his bike in motion, Dune: Part Two sees him being able to successfully take those training wheels off and pushed that bike down the hill with good graces. Nearly all that set up that amounted in Part One has immensely satisfying pay offs in Part Two, the action and set pieces are taking to a whole new level, every single member of it’s stacked cast get their moment to shine, and I can’t recall a film in recent memory that such stellar cinematography that it 100% makes the whole experience worth seeing in IMAX. This is an instant sci-fi classic that will likely go down as one of the best cinematic experiences that I along with others will have all throughout 2024.

Premise: Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

What is made the most apparent about Dune: Part Two is how much Denis Villeneuve clearly understood the assignment with his second trip in the world of Dune. He knew exactly the plot threads that he had established in Part One that needed to have immense payoff in Part Two. With the first film taking the majority of it’s runtime to establish the lore, world building, and who these characters are, the second film shows you manages to deepen all of that and show you just everything that the world of Dune is capable off. That’s not to say that everything is tied up into a complete bow exactly by the time two and a half hours has flown by, but it’s clear the kind of story that Villeneuve left hanging in the last one is able to be continue and reached a definite conclusion in this one. This definitely makes for a perfect case as to why not only splitting Dune into two movies was actually justified but it also acted as a necessary evil.

I’m sure there will be plenty of folks claiming that Dune: Part Two is to Dune: Part One what The Empire Strikes Back was to the original Star Wars. While that is an 100% accurate comparison, it’s able to learn the “right” lessons from that game changing sci-fi masterpiece that came out in 1980. It’s not only bigger, better, and bolder than it’s predecessor because of how “dark” it is, but because it’s able to use an unconventional structure of storytelling to push all the right buttons on making a perfect sequel. Dune: Part Two is able to challenge it’s characters, expand upon the mythos and lore, and deliver the kind of visuals and set pieces in all the ways that the first one was unable to provide, while making for a completely mesmerizing and memorable theater experience in it’s own rights. It’s not trying to be overly dark for the sake of it, it’s just trying to stand out by pushing measures in filmmaking that only Dune: Part Two could ever provide.

Of course, we once again follow Paul Atreides, played perfectly by Timothée Chalamet, right where we left off in his journey from Part One. Still carried by all that burden from trying to avenge his father’s death and his family’s legacy from the Harkonnen, we see Paul being pushed beyond his measures to stop the conspirators from messing up his life and future even further. While he now has new allies with his new love in Chani and the Fremen, it’s ultimately himself that has to make the tough decisions throughout. Tough decisions that might put an end to the terrible future he constantly sees in his dreams but might come at the expense of those he loves and the overall fate of the universe.

It’s the type of conflict that Paul and the other characters have that makes each choice they make all the more intriguing. Similar to The Empire Strikes Back (I promise this is the last comparisons I will make with that), Dune: Part Two knows the best way to make the stakes more personal is to constantly put it’s own characters in constant peril throughout it’s entire runtime. After all, during a time of war, desperate times call for desperate measures. What you do in the short run could absolutely impact you in the best and worst ways in the long run.

Much like last year’s Oppenheimer, it’s incredible just how much the effort of the entire cast and crew working through the picture is clearly shown on the big screen. Once again, letting every single penny of it’s 100 million plus budget feel properly used on the big screen. This has easily one of the best, most talented, and quite frankly hottest talented ensembles for a film that I’ve ever seen. Regardless, of how big or small their roles are, they are all able to stand out in their own way.

While Timothée Chalamet was solid in Part One, he’s on a completely different level here, feeling much more free willing and unhinged in his performance. His screen presence is felt every single time he steps in front of the camera, giving the perfect kind of energy and depth needed to carry a picture with some of the best and most acclaimed actors surrounding him. A lot of that has to do with Part Two being able to explore that darker side with Paul as he is forced to make decisions as he takes his big steps into becoming a war leader, the decisions that he seemed unwilling to make in the first one. As much as Chalament nailed playing the typical pretty white boy role in the past, he is able to come to his own here as being an absolute movie star that can carry his own presence and even be great in action sequences. Between the commercial success of Wonka and the likely success of this, I would expect his agent’s phones are gonna be ringing like crazy come next Monday.

Making for the perfect equal to Chalamet’s Paul is Zendaya’s Chani. There’s a strong argument to make that she is basically the beating heart of the story. She not only has a role that feels much more expanded this time around but the arc that Chani goes through is the direct reflection of what Paul has, being put in a difficult place during war that may cost those they love for victory. She shares perfect chemistry with Chalamet and makes for one of the most compelling on-screen romances in recent memory. It honestly made me realize just how much I miss these kind of romance stories that don’t resonate much in most mainstream franchises today.

The rest of the returning cast of the first one are just as great to see again as before. Rebecca Ferguson continues to be a force to be reckoning with as she always is in every movie that she is in, Josh Brolin as Gurney takes a while to come into the picture but that energy that Brolin brings is still present, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban is giving more screen time than before, and Javier Bardem not only seems like he’s having the most fun out of everyone but he has surprisingly great comedic timing throughout the film. I could have used a bit more of Stellan Skarsgard as The Baron though.

In terms of the new players, they all own their own weight completely and fits perfectly along with the rest of the cast. Christopher Walken is completely buyable as the great Emperor of the film, being able to make the role more of his own than I imagine the character was in the books. Florence Pugh is equally great as the Emperor’s daughter, at times feeling like the narrator or guiding viewpoint of the antagonists of the film. Lea Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, and Anya Taylor-Joy might not get as much screentime as some might expect but they absolutely sell their roles with the limited screen time they are given. The biggest stand out of the newcomer is Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha. Butler kills every moment that he is given throughout the film, perfectly combing the mix of being charismatic, menacing, and an absolute blast to watch whenever he is on screen. As a matter of fact, there’s about a 15 to 20 minute period where the film focuses perfectly on him and took time away from the main character and I did not care one bit. That right there should tell you all you need to know about how awesome Butler is as a main bad guy of Feyd-Rautha.

From a technical component, words are not enough to describe how much of a beautifully crafted and well made film this is. There is not a single categories of filmmaking on display that is not worth a nomination for next year’s Oscars. The visuals are absolutely breathtaking with not a single flat shot to be found here, the sound design is impeccable and first perfectly with each individual scene, the editing is the exact definition of Oscar-calibar, each action set piece is treated with incredibly impressive fight choreography and jaw dropping sequences (the biggest stand outs being the first sequence in the desert, Feyd-Rautha’s ceremony introduction, and the final 45 minutes in general), and Hans Zimmer is even able to outdo himself with a score that is as captivating and chill-inducing as before.

While everyone on the creative team deserves all the credit in the world, a special shout-out has to be given to cinematographer Greig Fraser. Fraser has already done amazing work from behind the camera with the likes of Zero Dark Thirty, Rogue One, and The Batman but it’s his work in both of these two Dune movies that have stood out the most for me. These films would not be as good as they were if they were unable to let it’s visuals and imagery do the majority of the talking (and that’s not just because of Villeneuve’s recent “anti-dialogue” comments). After all, it’s the overall look and feel of the world of Dune itself that helps differentiate it from the rest of the sci-fi genre out there. Take that a way and these new Dune films would not be what they are. I know it’s early in 2024 but I would be shocked if I see a film that is as beautiful to look at as Dune: Part Two, which should make that Oscar a slam dunk for Mr. Fraser.

Dune: Part Two is just about as good as it could be regardless of any way you look at it. If you look at it as being the right follow-up to Part One that leaves seasonings for a possible third film with Dune: Messiah, you will get that. If you look at it as being the saving grace of 2024 in cinema thus far, you will get that. Heck, if you are just looking for a great sci-fi flick regardless of how it compares to other sci-fi flicks of it’s kind, you will get that as well.

There are certainly nits you can pick such as the first 15 minutes being a tad slow, some actors not getting as much time as you expect, and a wrap-up that doesn’t so much act as a definite end and more leaves an opening to Dune: Messiah. Even so, this is the cinema experience as it’s finest. The kind of experience that is fading away by each passing day. I don’t know if Dune: Part Two will act as the beginning of the end of cinema as we know it or the start of something more hopeful and uplifting for the future but no doubt, those that are excited for this upcoming picture will surely get their money’s worth.

Rock on, Denis Villeneuve! Just please provide less controversial takes for the near future, please!

Other comments:

  • Yeah, I don’t agree with Villeneuve’s comments on dialogue but I’m not gonna destroy him for it either. He just needs to be like Christopher Nolan and not let his ego get the better of him.

  • Austin Butler as sure come a long way from being that boyfriend character in Zoey 101 that no one liked to playing an antagonist that forces Drax the Destroyer to kiss his feet.

  • It really is impressive how more organic the pacing feels here compared to Part One. Even the slow moments didn’t feel as outrageously slow to me as they did in Part One.

  • And btw, I’m not joking about that prior point. Austin Butler literally forces Dave Bautista to kiss his feet and that is so satisfying to see. No offense to Drax!

  • I’m definitely curious to watching these two films back-to-back the way they were initially intended and see if the five and a half hour complete experience makes it all for the better.

  • And for those wondering, yes, Dune: Part One would have found a spot on my Best Movies of 2021 list from either the honorable mentions category or my main top 10. I still have my issues with the pacing but no doubt, it’s a great cinematic achievement with the kind of visuals and world building I always love for my sci-fi. Rock on again, Denis!

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004) Retrospective

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Everybody’s favorite sponge arrived on the big screen for the first time ever on November 19th, 2004. It was directed by the creator of SpongeBob Squarepants himself, Stephen Hillenburg, who crafted the story alongside Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, Kent Osborne, Aaron Springer, and Paul Tibbitt. They decided to structure the story as a mythical hero’s journey that would put SpongeBob and Patrick front and center. The film was originally meant to serve as the series finale, as Hillenberg wanted to end the series on a high note and not have it wear out it’s welcome. However, because the series had become increasingly profitable and still having an insane amount of popularity, Nickelodeon ordered for more episodes after the film’s release and is still ordering them to this very day. As a result, Hillenburg resigned as the showrunner, with Tibbitt taking his place until 2015.

The movie received generally positive reviews from critics and is generally beloved by fans, many of whom found it to be a satisfying conclusion to the original run of SpongeBob Squarepants. It grossed 141 million dollars worldwide, becoming the seventh highest grossing animated film of 2004. There were two follow-ups to this film with Sponge Out of Water releasing in 2015 and Sponge on the Run in 2020 along with a fourth film that is in the works subtitled, Search for Squarepants, that is set for a release on December 19. 2025.

I’m not gonna lie, I can’t recall a film that I have had more nostalgia for in my ENTIRE life than The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie. This was the very first movie I remember ever seeing in a theater. I have watched this so many times as a kid and have nearly every single scene and line of dialogue memorized in my head. To tell you the truth, this might be one of my personal favorite movies. I’m not joking.

There is something about The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie that just feels so right, so earnest, so joyful, and so emotionally satisfying every single time that I watch it. It’s a movie that just works no matter which way you look at it. Not only does it make for a perfectly satisfying epilogue for fans of the series but it even works as a nice hero’s journey with a great, heartful message for kids, telling them that there’s nothing wrong with being who you are and never doubt yourself because of it. If you’re a kid, be a kid. Because at the end of the day, not only are we all a kid inside, we are also a goofy goober!

What makes this movie stand out bigger than not just the other SpongeBob movies but also other SpongeBob medium is the definite sense that this is the endgame. This seems like the one that has the desire to change up the status quo by the end and have all things come full circle for the characters and the franchise. The three main components in particular being about how a second Krusty Krab restaurant now exists, SpongeBob gaining a new promotion as manager, and of course, Plankton is FINALLY able to steal the Krabby Patty formula for once and fulfill his destiny to rule all of Bikini Bottom with everyone as his slaves. These were all major events that had never happened before in prior SpongeBob material and really feels like it could only happen in movie form. Even with the knowledge that this was not the fact where the series ended and is still going all these years later, you can’t help but think of this movie being the true finale to the story and that everything that has come after it is a prequel at best to this.

While the SpongeBob Squarepants series hasn’t necessarily been known for having the strongest storytelling and character development out there, this movie manages to make both measures better than it ever has been before with the series. Sure, the message that the film is trying to get across is an obvious one and there will likely be contrivances and deviance of logic to the plot if you were to dissect the film Cinema Sins-style but that’s all find and dandy because of how well executed SpongeBob and Patrick’s journey is but it’s also has a message that anyone of any age can relate to.

We have always had a moment in our lives where we doubt ourselves. Whether it’s due to our age, race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc., there will also be someone out there that will judge strictly based on simple, trivial merits such as the ones mentioned. Instead of letting others put you down for it, embrace it. Embrace who you are, inspire yourself to be the best version of yourself you can be, and be the first person to prove your doubters wrong. Use it as strength, not as a weakness. It’s only then where you will find yourself to not only be a kid inside as well, but also a goofy goober as well. Just like what SpongeBob and Patrick discover about themselves throughout their adventure.

Not only are SpongeBob and Patrick going on this journey to get King Neptune’s crown back to save the town and Mr. Krabs but also to discover who they truly are. They keep thinking they must be something they are not instead of being that something they really are deep inside. They insist they need to be the manliest of men with facial hair and a load of GRIT to get the job done. But that’s just not who they are. They are just a couple of goofballs who are only going on this adventure because they are the only ones in the sea that can possibly save the day. And you know what, they are all the better for it. It’s only at that moment where they embrace the fact that they are kids that they have 100% confidence in the world to get the job done.

Choosing to go with the mystical hero’s journey was a GENIUS move by the writing crew. They knew that in order for SpongeBob to work as a movie, there would need to be a fully layered plot that had a big increase on stakes, arcs, emotion, and a hard-earned message at it’s core. Is it the most complex story ever told? No! Does the arcs that SpongeBob and Patrick go through are quite predictable? Sure! Is the overall message a bit cheesy? Absolutely! But you know what, for SpongeBob Squarepants, that is literally all you need to make it all work perfectly. Even if that doesn’t make for a perfect film overall, it makes for a perfect SpongeBob film.

To be sure, while there is definitely more effort put into its plot and character development than most Spongebob media, it never forgets the elements that makes the series as great as it is. It’s still an EXTEREMELY funny movie with the same style of humor, gags, and amusing visuals that the series has always been known for. It’s able to expand upon the world of undersea than ever before, it moves at a solid, breakneck pace, the new characters are great and iconic in their own right, the music is still soothing, the voice acting is perhaps at it’s most energetic, and it never once forget the overall charm of what the show has stood for. Hillenburg and friends could not have done a better job for adaptation SpongeBob onto the big screen if they tried.

Were there some missed opportunities here? Perhaps! As much as I love the focus on strictly Spongebob and Patrick, it does feel unfortunate that other characters don’t seem to get much of the spotlight, most notably fan favorites such as Gary, Squidward and Sandy Cheeks. Considering the fact this movie was originally structured as the series finale, it does seem odd that these characters didn’t get a special moment to themselves or be able to share their thoughts one last time about SpongeBob at the very end.

I also find it jarring how the movie seems to forget about Patrick once we get to the climax where SpongeBob goes full DEUS EX GOOFY GOOBER mode! The movie puts so much focus on the starfish, practically making him the co-lead of the picture, and then it like…forgets he exists by the very end. The very last scene we get of Patrick is him with his long sneezy legs getting SpongeBob down from the ceiling.

Do these flaws hinder my enjoyment or has me thinking this isn’t a perfect four out of four star movie for me? Not at all! But I would imagine that there would at least be one hardcore fan that would have wished a bit more love was given to some of the other characters here! I guess they would have to wait for the next movie for them to get their time in the spotlight.

The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie still remains an all-time classic in my eyes. Regardless of whether you view this as an adaption of the show, the epilogue of a beloved franchise, or even just a standard kids film, it all works in every way it possibly can. Even if the clear target audience is for kids, I do think there is something for adults to get something out of this as well. The message of the film is just that resonating. Beautifully animated, perfectly written, immensely funny, and emotional beats that all feel earned (You are a robot sent from Skyler if you didn’t cry at SpongeBob and Patrick’s “death scene”!), I could not ask for a better SpongeBob movie than this.

Even as someone that’s about to turn 27 this year, I can’t help but have a strong attachment to this film as I get older. When rewatching it for this marathon, I was legit worried that I wasn’t going to feel that same fondness when watching this film as a kid, that it was just nostalgia that clouded my judgement and it was time to take the rose-colored glasses off with the acceptance that this movie simply wasn’t as good as I thought it was. However, watching it again, I was wrong to ever doubt it. Because in the end, we are all goofy goobers. No matter what age I am, I will always feel proud to call myself a goofy goober!

Even though this did not end up being the very last of the series like it was originally intended to, this still works perfectly as a definite end to the franchise. Despite the fact that multiple seasons and films involving Spongebob have come along since 2004, it doesn’t change the fact that the timeless nature of it makes this feel like the main stopping point and everything that came after basically just what came before chronologically. It’s the way that Stephen Hillenburg always intended and quite frankly, it works all the better for it.

Tune in next month as to when things start getting “interesting” as we will take a look at what can be considered the “awkward” era of Spongebob Squarepants, with Seasons 4 and 5 respectively!

Other thoughts:

  • I still find it hard to believe that Black Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson, did the voice of Mindy. It’s no wonder Patrick had a big crush on her.

  • It’s sad we never got to see Mindy in a big role throughout the rest of the series.

  • I also remember playing the movie tie-in video game a lot as a kid. Boy, do I have complicated feelings about that game.

  • It’s only until now that I realized that Best Day Ever song was originally a part of this movie’s soundtrack and NOT for the Best Day Ever episode.

  • Now, That We’re Men is gonna be playing in my head rent free for the next month.

  • The guy that played Patchy the Pirate in this movie was great btw.

  • I do wonder who voiced Dennis though. Surely, it’s just some no name actor that disappeared off the face of the earth because he decided acting wasn’t his thing and didn’t do something utterly terrible that destroyed his life. I will still stick by the fact that Dennis is voiced by “He who shall NOT be named!”

  • Lastly, David Hasselhoff, BEST CELEBRITY CAMEO EVER!

Next Month: The “Awkward” Era (Seasons 4 and 5)