Over the Shoulder was lucky to go to an advanced screening in the West End of the worldwide hit that is SpongeBob a few weeks ago on a cold Sunday morning, and it was a blast!
Food and drinks were provided and Spongebob himself was there to welcome us and provide us with a photo opportunity with him. There were kids everywhere, which added to the atmosphere of fun and made me realise how popular the cartoon is with young and old.
So, photo taken it was time to head to my seat where a drink and popcorn was waiting and the festivities already under way with a teenage dance troupe who took to the stage to get us all in the mood.
The lights then went down and the movie got under way.
The question then, was it any good?
Well, yes and no.
The visuals were bright and the dialogue snappy and funny, especially SpongeBob’s sidekick and best friend Patrick who is gloriously dumb but always upbeat and strangely life-affirming.
The story is really beside the point, as the enjoyment is revelling in the gags and visual pratfalls as our hero faces off against the evil Flying Dutchman’s ghost in the depths of the ocean. Why he does this doesn’t matter, its a set up for silliness and joy.
For half an hour it works and the action is fun and furious but, the problem with the movie becomes apparent. The whole premise and success of SpongeBob is the 20 minute format as it is aimed at kids with short attention spans.
As the movie entered the 40 minute mark much of the audience were getting restless and the children started running around and losing interest. This won’t stop the movie becoming a world-wide hit, especially given its release date during school holidays.
All in all a fun movie watched on a fun Sunday morning among laughing kids.
Doesn’t get much better than that.