Some of the best television shows ever made have only been able to exist in a singular capacity: on the small screen. Every now and then, however, there is a property that makes the jump to a film franchise and knocks it out of the park. cartoon.
The original Nickelodeon television show was hilarious in its own right, but the first movie, in 2004, was a seminal moment in cinematic history. A sequel came about in 2015, and a third film is scheduled for an imminent release. In the world of SpongeBob, though, does the advantage go to the movies or to the series?
Movies: Ambitious Storytelling
In the two movies that fans have seen so far, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, the stories have been absolute epics of animated film-making. Not that some of the episodes of the show were not ambitious, but the movies definitely go to the next level.
Massive road trips and adventurous undertakings are given the space to breathe in a ninety-minute (as opposed to eleven-minute) run time. It makes for the storytelling efforts of SpongeBob to seem much grander and loftier.
Series: Efficient Storytelling
While the SpongeBob movies might reach greater heights in their storytelling, nothing can compare to the efficient storytelling of the television series. With most episodes clocking in at eleven minutes, complete stories had to be told with a great many constraints. Yet, this is where the best stories came out of SpongeBob. Stories about Santa Claus and the hash-slinging slasher could never translate to the big screen because the joke cannot be stretched past one-sixth of an hour, never mind to an hour and a half.
Movies: Celebrity Cameos
The SpongeBob movies have developed a reputation over the years for nailing the best and most meme-able talent to come along for the journey. Look back to 2004 when Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson, and David Hasselhoff got in on the fun.
Since then, celebrity appearances have only expanded. Antonio Banderas turned up for the 2015 sequel. The Keanu Reeves!
Series: Recurring Characters
The SpongeBob series had plenty of cameos, too, however. (David Bowie, anyone?) But the show's best characters came courtesy of the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom.
On the show, fans can spend plenty of time with ing characters like Sandy and Mr. Krabs, as well as recurring characters like Mermaid Man, Barnacle Boy, Mrs. Puff, Larry the Lobster, and more. In the movies, however, there is just never enough time to give everyone an arc when the focus has to be on SpongeBob.
Movies: Experimental Animation
Every now and then, the SpongeBob series has a fun, must-see episode, but most of the experimentation with animation comes during the films. Sponge Out of Water dabbles with live-action and animation hybrids even more than the 2004 film did. As for the third film, Sponge on the Run, computer animation will be king with a brand new style for the characters. For the most part, these styles always do justice to the feel of the series.
Series: Iconic Moments
Different animation styles can be fun, but nothing compares to a solid scene and a hilarious joke. For a long run of episodes, SpongeBob had both of these in spades. Few shows were as consistently funny as SpongeBob was in its early goings, after all.
While the 2004 movie has some legacy scenes, the first three seasons have moments that have received memes and references for decades since they originally aired. The best of SpongeBob almost certainly came from the television show.
Movies: Humor Reinvigorated
After the first movie was released, most fans would it that the show entered into a bit of a swoon. The episodes that followed the 2004 film were not as high quality as those that preceded it.
However, many were also quick to acknowledge that the 2015 film resembled something of a return to form. The storytelling was believable and the jokes were rip-roaring, and it felt like SpongeBob was back, and a movie with enough effort put into it can do that.
Series: SpongeBob In His Prime
While the 2015 sequel was needed to breathe new life into the franchise, the series, in its initial run, never had to do that. The prime stories and comedy of SpongeBob SquarePants are present solely in the television series.
After all, any show that has an episode like "Pizza Delivery" would never be able to have a movie improve on the quality of the show. The show was already pitch-perfect when it was back in its prime. The same is true of many shows that had films, like Deadwood.
Movies: Knockout Soundtracks
Some of the most iconic SpongeBob songs come from the television show, for sure. ("This Grill Is Not a Home," anyone?) But the best songs come from the movies. "Now That We're Men" and "Goofy Goober Rock" are iconic jams that are among the best in the history of SpongeBob music. However, the end credits are also buoyed by Ween's top-notch banger, "Ocean Man." The show could never take credit for that.
Series: Original Talent
No matter what, SpongeBob will never be the same without Stephen Hillenburg. It just won't. But, it also won't be the same without all of the original talents who helped make the initial seasons of the show as high quality as they were.
From behind the scenes writers like Hillenburg and Paul Tibbitt to voice talent in their primes like Tom Kenny, everything clicked on all cylinders like lightning in a bottle at the turn of the century. The movies will never quite be able to recapture the magic of the show.
