The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

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2:18

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

PG

2004

1h 23m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Adventure

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

124 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

In this lively animated adventure, undersea oddball SpongeBob SquarePants and his starfish friend, Patrick, embark on a quest to clear the name of Mr. Krabs, the owner of the Krusty Krab restaurant, who has been framed for stealing the crown of ocean deity King Neptune. Leaving the familiar confines of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob and Patrick venture out towards Shell City, where they hope to find Neptune's crown, but numerous obstacles stand (or float) in their way.

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Critics Consensus

Surreally goofy and entertaining for both children and their parents.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/29/2010

3/5

Very similar to the edgy animated TV show.

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Todd McCarthy

Variety

12/01/2008

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie takes on rather too much water during its extended feature-length submersion.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

05/20/2008

The Nickelodeon cartoon series about an oceanic sponge and his starfish sidekick washes onto the big screen with a tide of weak one-liners, exaggerated reactions, and vaguely nauseating gags.

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Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

11/18/2019

C

As a TV series, Spongebob has proven to be quite entertaining in 30-minute doses. Stretching the running time to 90 minutes doesnt help raise the level of appreciation, though.

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Dorothy Woodend

The Tyee (British Columbia)

08/24/2017

As much as I resisted the Bob, I have to admit this is actually a pretty funny film.

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

01/10/2011

F

The questions that the religious right needs to ask are how and why they ever confused homosexuality with pedophilia. Not only does blurring this issue do gays a disservice, it lets SpongeBob get away with murder.

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Leon O

@Gr00mer 2d

Absolute cinema! This is peak and whoever thinks otherwise probably lives in there mom's basement and is on the Little Saint James Files

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Leo M

@Itzleohere Feb 26

Absolute cinema, I just love spongebob, I don't know why it's amazing! Steven Hillenburg did a great job! Even though I miss him, but not to mention it's very amazing!

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George H

@ogusername Feb 14

The movie captures SpongeBob and Patrick at their most iconic: pure-hearted, optimistic, and hopelessly goofy. Yet the script gives them just enough emotional depth to make their arc satisfying. SpongeBob’s "I’m just a kid" crisis is genuinely affecting, and the way the film resolves it, leaning into the value of childlike enthusiasm rather than abandoning it. The 2004 SpongeBob movie isn’t just a good adaptation, it's one of the strongest animated comedies of its era. It’s heartfelt without being sentimental, chaotic without being sloppy, and endlessly rewatchable. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or someone returning to the film as an adult, it stands as a masterclass in balancing humor, narrative clarity, and emotional payoff.

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Carlos Samuel E

@Carlos360 Feb 5

Podríamos decir que la primera película de Bob esponja es la mejor de todas pero no es una magia encantadora, prefiero ver otras películas live action diferentes a estas. Para niños pues se divirtieron un poco pero yo no la disfrute.

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Madam D

@Madam1948 Feb 1

Eh, totally for children. Only a few scenes were actually funny.

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Jaxson D.

@JaxsonTheCritic Jan 21

The plot is absolutely awesome and way ahead of its time it deserves the 5 stars

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Stephen Hillenburg

Director

Mark Osborne

Director

Tom Kenny

SpongeBob

Bill Fagerbakke

Patrick Star

Clancy Brown

Mr. Krabs

Rodger Bumpass

Squidward

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The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Trailer 1

2:18

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Synopsis

In this lively animated adventure, undersea oddball SpongeBob SquarePants and his starfish friend, Patrick, embark on a quest to clear the name of Mr. Krabs, the owner of the Krusty Krab restaurant, who has been framed for stealing the crown of ocean deity King Neptune. Leaving the familiar confines of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob and Patrick venture out towards Shell City, where they hope to find Neptune's crown, but numerous obstacles stand (or float) in their way.

Director: Stephen Hillenburg, Mark Osborne
Producer: Stephen Hillenburg, Julia Pistor
Screenwriter: Derek Drymon, Stephen Hillenburg, Kent Osborne, Aaron Springer, Tim Hill, Paul Tibbitt
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Pictures International, United Plankton Pictures
Rating: PG (Some Mild Crude Humor)
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $85.4M
Runtime: 1h 23m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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