There’s a reason why a typical SpongeBob Squarepants narrative — be it moderately silly or completely bonkers — runs about 10-15 minutes long, max. For all the goofy joy it brings, there’s only so much that’s sustainable in one SpongeBob story before the stems break and it’s time either to go to the second story or stop for the evening.

This is one of the reasons why 2004’s The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie and now The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water don’t work. For the creativity and passion enthused into each project, there’s not enough sustainable derision that can be picked from either plot, and after a while it become more and more apparent that things need to wrap up, and wrap up quick.

SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny) is as loyal as ever to his position as fry cook at The Krusty Krab. But when the recipe to the Krabby Patty disappears and the restaurant’s arch nemesis Plankton (voiced by Mr. Lawrence) is — for once — not directly to blame, he must learn to side with the Krusty Krab’s enemy to stop Bikini Bottom from descending into further apocalyptic anarchy.

Through various methods of science and extremity, the newfound team works their way towards restored balance to their town, and ultimately locates themselves and fellow citizens Patrick (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke), Mr. Krabs (voiced by Clancy Brown), Sandy (voiced by Carolyn Lawrence) and Squidward (voiced by Rodger Bumpass) on none other than the surface.

Sponge Out of Water, for all its blowout jokes and pandering lowbrow humor, is rarely ever boring. The quick-paced editing, by David Ian Salter, and joke-a-minute screenplay by Glenn Berger and Jonathan Aibel (Kung Fu Panda) — from a story by director Paul Tibbitt and showcreator Stephen Hillenburg — keeps the movie progressing at an agreeable pace. Even the filmmakers are aware, to the point where they joke about it in the film, that this sequel needs to get in and get out with a respectable running time.

By for all its tomfoolery and sugared-up adrenaline, there’s little about this movie that’s continuously funny or even remarkable, except for its top-tier animation, which seamlessly blends traditional 2-D drawings with stop-motion and CG. Its likable spontaneity rarely obtains its full potential, and, for a film with a big budget and lots of room for extremities, Sponge Out of Water feels oddly cheap when it comes to crafting puns and plot progression.

At best, Tibbitt’s film plays like an overextended sub-par episode of the series. Which some will likely enjoy and feel satisfied with, but harkens back — just like the first movie — to wanting to relive and enjoy the original episodes instead of reminiscing about the actual film at hand. The approach is appropriately cinematic, with inspired set pieces, strong art direction and some new, fun character designs — not to mention Antonio Banderas in live-action form as Burger Beard, a pirate Banderas’ hams up to seem like either a parody of Captain Jack Sparrow or his audition to play him in the new Pirates of the Caribbean sequel — but its lackluster gags drowns this movie from capturing its intended level of engagement.

Certainly, there are aspects to like about this new feature. Bubbles — an omnipresent dolphin character voiced by Matt Berry — is a fantastic new addition, and is realized beautifully through stop-motion animation. Multiple sight and background puns throughout the film also work effectively, and are often better than the film’s main jokes.

Also likeable is the movie’s respect for its elders, found from its homages to older SpongeBob episodes and film references to Mad Max, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly and The Shining, just to name a few. Ultimately, however, this Nickelodeon sequel doesn’t hold much water, and its mostly forgettable outcome means it’ll likely just float away from consistent thought.

Image courtesy of Roger Wong/INFGoff.com