If only I could be seven again. Or even 11 - I'd take that. It's hard to argue against eternal childhood when you come out of a cinema feeling as full of the joys as I did after this hugely entertaining sequel.
It certainly helped that I'd gone into the cinema thinking that a second SpongeBob movie, more than a decade after the first one, seemed a bit of a cynical exercise. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!
If anything, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is better than the original 2004 release, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. Sure, that was good fun and an ideal companion to what's one of the truly great children's animated TV shows, but this latest incarnation sees co-directors Paul Tibbitt and Mike Mitchell in cracking form, with SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg co-writing the clever screenplay with Tibbitt.
In typical SpongeBob style, we've got a surreal story here. A pirate and his band of seagulls travel to an island to obtain a magical book that tells the story of SpongeBob SquarePants, a childlike sea sponge who loves his job in Bikini Bottom as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab fast food restaurant. He zealously guards the precious secret formula for Krabby Patty burgers from Plankton, owner of the Chum Bucket and rival to SpongeBob's boss, Mr Krabs.
After a big battle between the two sides, Plankton surrenders, but only to gain access to Krabs' vault. Plankton steals the Patty formula but, just before he escapes, SpongeBob catches him. They have a tug of war over the formula, but then it mysteriously vanishes.
The unlikely duo agree to form an alliance to seek out the formula and what follows is a series of animated and CGI adventures that rubbishes any notions of a mere cash-in. It's fun all the way and almost as impressive as the Shaun the Sheep Movie.
John Byrne
