“Spongebob Squarepants” is a beloved cartoon series adored by millions of people around the world. Throughout the years, the cartoon series has produced four full-length feature films with a fifth and sixth on the way later this year.
The first movie on the list, and the worst one by far, is “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie.” The movie is about Sandy Cheeks’s heartfelt effort to save Bikini Bottom from an evil CEO from Texas. This movie was very bad. It had little to no advertisement and premiered first on Netflix on Aug. 2, 2024. The film reached the top of Netflix’s family chart after its first week. Although this seems impressive, the film landed mediocre scores with critics and fans alike. According to IMDB the movie received a whopping 3.7 stars out of 10.
Next up is “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.” The plot centers around Spongebob and the gang trying to find Gary, who has gone missing. The movie is alright. It focuses heavily on its new animation style, which I do not like. It feels very corporate and the whole film feels soulless. The movie released in theaters on Aug. 7, 2020, and was met with a 5.9 out of 10 stars on IMDB.
The second place spot on the list is “The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 2: Sponge Out of Water.” This film is actually quite good. The plot is all over the place and is never boring. It really feels like an episode from the show. It focuses on an unlikely team up with Spongebob and Plankton trying to find the missing Secret Formula. Coming out on June 2, 2015, the film pleased audiences and critics alike. It rightfully deserves its second place spot.
The obvious winner of the best “Spongebob” movie goes to “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie.” This is a great film that perfectly ended Stephen Hillenburg’s run on the “Spongebob Squarepants” team. It has a great plot of Spongebob and Patrick saving Bikini Bottom from Plankton’s nefarious “Plan Z.” The film released on Nov 19, 2004, and cemented itself in the hearts of the audience and film critics around the world. This film is definitely in the GOAT conversation for cartoon movies.
“Spongebob Squarepants” is a series that has lasted throughout the ages. After 20 years the show is still running and the series has two movies coming out this year at an unspecified time, “The Plankton Movie” and “Search For Square Pants.” Will these next additions to the franchise change this list? Who knows, only time will tell.