The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: November 19, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
9
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
The central theme of the movie is the pure joy the cartoon takes in childishness. Read full review
100
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The delights of the movie lie in its zany characters, its goofy settings, and above all its surrealistic visual style. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
The result is an animated adventure that's funnier than "Shark Tale" and more charming than "The Polar Express." Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
The movie is driven almost entirely by its exhilaratingly subversive characters. Read full review
80
The New York TimesDana Stevens
The movie itself triumphs by similar means; it is a marvel of unleashed childishness, like a birthday party on the edge of spinning out of control. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Its instinctive, unstoppable cheerfulness can be, as all those millions of viewers have found, something of a tonic if you're in the mood. Read full review
80
SalonStephanie Zacharek
The brilliance of The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie -- as well as the show -- is that it's cognizant without being self-consciously knowing. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
The trippy creation of onetime marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob is a cockeyed optimist toiling at the bottom of the fast-food chain. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
Full of action and silliness that will delight rug rats, but it's still hip and absurd enough to entertain grown-ups, too. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
The film, which is as economically made as it is primitively animated, ambles from adventure to adventure, taking nothing seriously, not even itself. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Assuming that few members of SpongeBob's primary audience are reading this (or can read), all I can tell you is, the movie is likely to be more fun than you expect. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
It won't cure the ills of the world, but it doesn't need to. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is adorable in its own spongy way. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleCarla Meyer
Delightful. Read full review
70
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Possesses charm, as well as visual and musical appeal, on the bigscreen. But as with many short-form TV entities when sextupled in length, "SpongeBob" proves more palatable as scrumptious fast food than full-scale repast. Read full review
70
SlateDavid Edelstein
I like my SpongeBob a little less lumbering, a little more free-associational, without that big, heavy anchor of a story structure to weigh him down. Read full review
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Throws humorous fish bones to the older crowd, too. Read full review
70
Washington PostJennifer Frey
An amusing enough romp through his familiar undersea universe. Read full review
70
Village VoiceEd Park
An unstoppable good-mood generator, the resolutely 2-D SpongeBob SquarePants Movie has more yuks than "Shark Tale" and enough soul to swallow "The Polar Express" whole. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
The best moments in his first movie outing are those that feel most TV-like, just another day in the eternally optimistic undersea society. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Spins a complete, thoroughly satisfying yarn from a short-form series. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Truth be told, the full 99-minute movie does not entirely hold water; it feels like three or four good episodes connected with plot padding. Aesop probably wasn't too hot at long-form fiction, either. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
If nothing else, it may make one appreciate the cartoon even more. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
It's all innocuous, forgettable fun, but it's firmly aimed at those who find underwear endlessly funny. Read full review
60
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
The movie is much too long, but mostly, and sometimes very, entertaining.
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Works best when it devotes itself to the small group of main characters featured on the show. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneScott L. Powers
If your kid has SpongeBob SquarePants underwear, it's a good bet she or he will relish The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldPeter Debruge
Rarely delivers anything above and beyond the scope of the series. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Washes onto the big screen with a tide of weak one-liners, exaggerated reactions, and vaguely nauseating gags. Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
SpongeBob barely rates as OK when compared with "The Incredibles." Read full review
50
PremiereAngel Cohen
Those who have never seen the series should either swim rapidly in the other direction or be willing to dive right in and suspend disbelief about the multitude of things that just don't make sense. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
Once again the title pretty much says it all. Read full review
38
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Everything about the film seems to have been done on the cheap. The music sounds like it came from a high school band. Read full review
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