Will Fans Find SpongeBob Movie Absorbing?
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Pop culture phenomenon SpongeBob SquarePants, which began life as a humble 11-minute cartoon and went on to become a television sensation and ubiquitous merchandising image, is expanding his universe.
He is about to become a Hollywood star, not bad for a buck-toothed, google-eyed sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea.
A movie starring the irrepressible yellow sea sponge opens nationally on Friday and is expected to further derail the poorly received “Polar Express” and challenge mega-hit “The Incredibles.”
It is rare to have three major animated films fighting for the top spot at the American box office. Outgoing Paramount Pictures chief Sherry Lansing recently told Reuters she was counting on the underwater comedy to counter the impression her studio was in the doldrums.
So far, Pixar’s “The Incredibles” has pulled in more than $143 million in just over two weeks. Warner Bros.’ “Polar Express,” which opened last week, made $30 million, in what many have labeled a dismal showing for a film that cost $170 million to make.
While “Polar Express” has been lambasted for landing with what the Los Angeles Times called an “Edsel-like thud,” most experts think SpongeBob will soak up cash at the box office.
“The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie” is the latest incarnation of a once-humble TV show that has attracted about $4 billion in merchandising revenue since its launch five years ago and drawn 60 million viewers a month to cable network Nickelodeon.
SpongeBob’s first feature film has the same mixture of innocent optimism and grown-up wit that has made the cartoon series a hit with adults and children.
The familiar denizens of Bikini Bottom, including Patrick Star, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and tiny villain Plankton, are joined by star vocal talent Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson and Jeffrey Tambor, while David Hasselhoff plays himself.
A hip soundtrack with contributions from Avril Lavigne, The Flaming Lips, Wilco and Motorhead also keeps the underwater tale rocking.
Young SpongeBob, the spatula-wielding short order cook for the Krusty Krab restaurant, sets out with dimwitted buddy Patrick to foil another plot by Plankton to steal the secret Krabby Patty recipe for his rival eatery, the Chum Bucket.
For the past two years, SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenberg, who co-wrote and directed the movie, has been working to expand the sponge’s universe over the course of 75 minutes.
Tom Kenny, who does the voice and maniacal, high-pitched laugh of SpongeBob, told Reuters: “It’s still character-driven, but big, more of a quest. It’s a bigger canvas with the challenge of not losing those subtle little character touches in the bombast. I thought they did a great job.”
Friday marks a big day for SpongeBob fanatics for two reasons — the opening of the film and Hillenberg’s revival of the TV series.
“He put the show on the back burner for nearly two years,” according to Kenny, who said they would begin working on a new season of episodes after the New Year. “He didn’t think he could do both at the same time without losing his mind.”
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