SPONGEBOB
SQUAREPANTS: BIKINI BOTTOM BASH (2020)
Featuring
Tom Kenny, Roger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Mr.
Lawrence, Carolyn Lawrence, Jill Talley, P!nk, Lux Interior, David
Hasselhoff, CeeLo Green. Various directors. (134 min)
ON DVD FROM PARAMOUNT
Review
by Stinky the Destroyerđ¸
Both
of my kids grew up on SpongeBob Squarepants. One
is now in college, the other halfway through high school, but they
still tune-in on occasion because it’s still shown on Nickelodeon –
like, all the time – and sometimes they’re in a nostalgic
mood (I always thought you had to be over 30 to feel that way).
So as a father, I ended up watching a lot of SpongeBob whether I
wanted to or not. But unlike other torturous examples of children’s
entertainment I’ve been forced to endure over the years in the name
of love, SpongeBob Squarepants was
funny, clever and just a bit subversive, particularly during the
earlier seasons. Being a seven-year-old wasn’t necessarily a requirement to
enjoy it.
Like
other long-running shows past their prime, SpongeBob’s
glory days are in the rearview mirror, but it still manages manage
to knock one out of the park on occasion, such as the centerpiece of
this party-themed collection, “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout.”
Running 45 minutes, it originally aired on Nick as a special to
celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary. The story has
Patrick taking SpongeBob on a guided tour of “Surface World” to
keep him out of the house while his other friends set-up a surprise
party. Part animation, part live-action, the episode is full of
congenial silliness, including one wonderful scene where the main voice
actors appear onscreen as their characters’ landlubbing
counterparts.
 |
| Directed by Salvador Dali. |
Padding-out the disc are “Party Pooper
Pants” (an extended episode listed as “SpongeBob’s House Party”), two shorts “Sun
Bleached” & “The Slumber Party,” and “Truth of Square,”
which is an hour-long special celebrating the show’s 10th anniversary. There are some amusing cameos here and there, including
Lux Interior from The Cramps (RIP), Keanu Reeves, P!nk and CeeLo Green. However,
“Truth of Square” feels unnecessarily padded-out by idiotic
live-action segments featuring Patchy the Pirate (Tom Kenny). Sorry,
kids, but that character was never funny.
While
there’s certainly no shortage of SpongeBob Squarepants
compilations on DVD, Bikini Bottom Bash is worth picking up
for the 20th anniversary special alone, which is
frequently as funny as anything from the series’ early years. The other episodes are decent enough filler, though I suspect hardcore fans either
already have them on disc or know 'em by heart.
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.
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