The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run parents guide

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run Parent Guide

Life in Bikini Bottoms doesn't change much...and neither do the SpongeBob Square Pants movies. If you're a fan, that's a good thing.

Overall A

Digital on Demand: SpongeBob's beloved pet snail, Gary, has been snailnapped! The culprit appears to be none other than King Poseidon, and SpongeBob and Patrick head off to rescue their pal.

Release date March 4, 2021

Violence B
Sexual Content B
Profanity A
Substance Use A-

Why is The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run rated PG? The MPAA rated The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run PG for rude humor, some thematic elements, and mild language.

Run Time: 91 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Life in Bikini Bottom doesn’t change much, but when SpongeBob’s (Tom Kenny) beloved pet snail Gary (Tom Kenny) goes missing, things come to a halt. SpongeBob takes off in search of his friend with Patrick the starfish (Bill Fagerbakke). The trail leads them to the Lost City of Atlantic City, and King Poseidon, a dangerous tyrant who has kidnapped Gary for the skin-care qualities of his snail secretions. But SpongeBob’s absence throws life in Bikini Bottom out of balance. Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob’s longtime boss at “The Krusty Krab” finds that without his devoted fry cook to keep things going, even the hoarding of wealth has lost its appeal for him. With the help of Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence), and even the nefarious Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), Mr. Krabs sets out to help his favorite employee.

This movie is obviously geared at kids and doesn’t make much of an effort to crack jokes in their parents’ direction. Don’t go into this expecting Shrek’s double entendres or The Incredibles dry humor for the adults in the room. The characters are self-admitted idiots, and the sooner you come to terms with the fact that their idiocy is central to the charm of the piece, the sooner you’ll settle into it. As far as content is concerned, you won’t see anything here you didn’t see in the SpongeBob Square Pants TV show. Probably the crudest thing on display are one or two butt cheek jokes – both very comfortably in the realm of SpongeBob’s juvenile humor. There are some depictions of gambling (The Lost City of Atlantic City very much lives up to its namesake), but these are largely negative and end with SpongeBob and Patrick flat broke.

Where the adults in the room might have a little more fun is with the guest stars – and this little cartoon nailed some impressive Hollywood talent. Keanu Reeves is a wise tumbleweed named Sage, who becomes a spirit guide for SpongeBob and Patrick on their quest. Snoop Dogg turns up to perform a Thriller-style rap about some zombie-pirate-cowboys (don’t ask), who are led by the nefarious El Diablo the Evil, played by Danny Trejo. Reggie Watts and Awkwafina also have voice roles as some of the subaquatic denizens of The Lost City of Atlantic City.

SpongeBob isn’t for everyone – my own mother confessed she’d rather play in traffic than watch an episode, let alone a feature-length production. But if you are one of the show’s many fans, out of nostalgia or genuine appreciation for the Kafkaesque antics of the marine life, this movie seems as likely to hit the spot as any of the series’ other offerings.

Directed by Tim Hill. Starring Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, and Rodger Bumpass. Running time: 91 minutes. Theatrical release March 4, 2021. Updated

Watch the trailer for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run
Rating & Content Info

Why is The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run rated PG? The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run is rated PG by the MPAA for rude humor, some thematic elements, and mild language.

Violence: There are frequent incidents of slapstick violence which never results in lasting injury or discomfort, including individuals being set on fire, hit with swords, and deep fried.
Sexual Content: There are several depictions of buttocks in a comedic context.
Profanity: None.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Individuals are shown with pipes, but no one is shown smoking them.

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The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run Parents' Guide

SpongeBob has a knack for making friends with people who really need a friend. How does he do that? What could you do to be a friend for people who need one?

Sandy isn’t impressed with Mr. Krab’s or Squidward’s lackadaisical approach to finding SpongeBob – what does being a good friend mean to Sandy? How can we show our friends how much we care about them?

King Poseidon is very preoccupied with his own appearance, to the exclusion of almost everything else. What does he learn about his appearance? What has the cost been of his pursuit of beauty?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

There are scores of books featuring SpongeBob Squarepants. For another tale centered on SpongeBob’s relationship with Gary the snail, young readers can head for David Lewman’s Where’s Gary?

Preschoolers who are fascinated by the marine environment will love Lois Ehlert’s counting book, Fish Eyes. With its vibrant illustrations and spare text, this is a book little ones will return to over and over again. Also geared at young readers is Eric Carle’s Mister Seahorse, a picture book that features aquatic fathers caring for their offspring. In Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea, Steve Jenkins takes readers through the levels of the ocean to learn more about the creatures that live in the depths.

Early readers will enjoy an underwater adventure in Mary Pope Osborne’s chapter book, Summer of the Sea Serpent. Jack and Annie also have another watery mission in Shadow of the Shark. Older elementary school aged readers will have fun with Willard Price’s action-based stories: Underwater Adventure and Whale Adventure.

Kids who have lots of questions about the ocean will enjoy The Big Book of the Blue. Written by Yuval Zommer, this book provides elementary school aged scholars with accessible information about the watery world around us. Another non-fiction suggestion for young readers is The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs. Written by Kate Messner, this book will take children into current efforts to save this critical part of the ocean’s environment.

Home Video

The most recent home video release of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run movie is August 14, 2020. Here are some details…

Related home video titles:

Previous SpongeBob movies include SpongeBob: Sponge Out Of Water and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

More undersea drama, this time mixed with magic and fairy tale romance, is found in Disney’s classic The Little Mermaid.

Kids looking for a more perilous adventure might enjoy Disney/Pixar’s Onward, which features a fantastical journey about the importance of family.

Director Tim Hill has made other family films, including Muppets From Space and Alvin and the Chipmunks.