The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020) User Reviews

Disappointing

[jack-39973 · 6/10 · 5 November 2020]

The second Spongebob movie was not that good and this movie is even worse.

Bad story, filler and promotion for the new series Kamp Koral.

I don't like the animation and the soundtrack is solid at best.

There were plotholes like the origin of Sandy. She met Spongebob first as a grown up and not in Kamp Koral.

The guest stars Keanu Reeves, Danny Trejo and Snoop Dogg did a solid job.

All in all a disappointing third movie and definitely not a must-see.

Enjoyable and boring

[pronitmallick · 5/10 · 7 November 2020]

The SpongeBob movie: Sponge on the Run starts with a punch that gives you a complete vibe of nostalgia. The film progresses through the first arc introducing the characters and current situation and so on. Throughout the film the presentation makes you laugh and feel bored at the same time. The screenplay creates an atmosphere that makes the movie feels like an episode of SpongeBob but doesn't add much to the table. The ending is kinda ok. In the end, the movie joins the so-called one time watch club.

Good for kids

[jellopuke · 6/10 · 31 August 2020]

Occasionally funny, trying at times to be heartwarming, this is an okay diversion that is well suited to kids. It's not trying to be hip, just silly and works at that.

The Flintstone Kids

[DanyDanyShopper · 9 November 2020]

If you're old enough, remember The Flintstone Kids, was cute for a moment, then you get over it from the bad writing.

Great movie

[Walter_McGregor · 6/10 · 14 August 2020]

Very simple plot but is a lot of fun with some fun cameos as well as many funny jokes. Didn't get boring at any times. I think that it was definitely better than the previous movie.

The Weakest of the Spongebob Movies

[TheMysteriousReviewer · 6/10 · 11 March 2021]

Sponge on the Run feels more like I was watching an episode than watching a movie. I can't say it's a bad movie since there are some redeemable things about it. The animation is great and has given the upgrade for the movie. In fact, much better quality than Kamp Koral. And it does have some decent charm from the show. The problem with this is the story often recycles elements from Spongebob episodes. Gary goes missing is already done. Spongebob and Patrick going on a road trip and have to face some challenges is already done. Plankton's worked plan to steal the formula is already done. And Spongebob's other friends on their way to get him is already done. Plus the fact instead of making this as a follow up to the original series, it often wants to be the introduction to Camp Koral. I see it wants to change a little bit from the series for Camp Koral. But when we gotten to the final act, it talks down to the audience with each backstory Spongebob's friends say when they were on Camp Koral with some morals and get on the nose about them. That and the characters don't really offer new for the movie. Now, you must keep in mind this is the kind of movie that's just an introduction to Camp Koral. If this is something that you would be interested in, this can be for you. If not (even as a Spongebob fan), then you won't really miss much. The movie isn't really that bad, but I feel this is the weakest of the Spongebob movies.

Disgusting spinoff ad

[fredseada · 4/10 · 5 November 2020]

Stephen Hillenburg was heavily against a spinoff of any kind. This movie is just an introduction to the spinoff that will be called 'Camp Coral'. While it's not prevelant at first, during the closing scenes it shifts from an animation movie to an ad. Most of the cast will be given a short clip of how they 'met' spongebob through a flashback to the soon to be made spinoff, even though there are entire episodes dedicated on how spongebob meets certain cast members. Continuity has never been a strong suit to the show but downright ignoring all character history is a disgrace.

The movie has some moments that you can enjoy. With my mind on the whole 'camp coral' it did make me laugh less than the average watcher. There isn't enough scenes that are downright funny. And lastly this didn't feel like an actual spongebob movie. This comes closer to a movie like Trolls than Spongebob with how many celebrities they actively show, the songs they sing and the story they tell. They chose popculture over entertainment.

Beautiful message bad storyline

[arthurllano · 7/10 · 10 November 2020]

This review will be divided into 2 parts with the first part talking a little about the message and the essence of the film and then a more critical part about the technical details. This film shows us a very interesting aspect of SpongeBob that has always been present in the work of Stephen Hillenburg, the fact that SpongeBob is himself and manages to captivate people and change their lives, both characters in the plot and the people who grew up watching the drawing; The film takes this more emotional side and shows how SpongeBob changed the lives of characters all thanks to his charisma, his kindness and his joy. All this positive energy is easily transmitted through the big screen becoming a pleasant film to see. Proving to everyone once again that the happiness and purity of a person who is simply himself can change the world around him.

Going into the technical details we can't help saying that no matter how much the cast tries and the writers try, SpongeBob and the incredible rescue still lacks the charm of the original 2004 film: Recycled jokes, useless side missions, Same goals, overall a lot of recycling of the original film. Although the film has some funny and entertaining moments the plot does not have the same fire and the same originality as the predecessors and this makes the film drag on. The 3D animation is fantastic, innovative, elegant and manages to create an atmosphere that fits perfectly with the theme of the film. SpongeBob and the Incredible Rescue It should have deserved a good plot to accompany its beautiful animation but we received an Incredible animation an incredible lesson and a terrible Rescue 7/10.

Hello, I like money.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 4/10 · 15 November 2020]

I'm a huge fan of 'SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-)'; I absolutely love the first three seasons of the show and the first movie. That's why it's so hard for me to say that 'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run (2020)', well, sucks. The movie has maybe one proper laugh in it, with only a few half-chuckles along the way, and its plot feels like a rehash of past narratives that's padded with unnecessary scenes - such as an absolutely pointless, painfully extended stint in live-action land that seems to only have been included so that the director could smoke weed with Snoop Dogg - and often stops dead in its tracks to cram in some continuity-crunching advertisements for the upcoming 'Kamp Koral' spin-off show. It's a huge disappointment, to say the least. Even an extended Keanu Reeves cameo can't elevate the affair - though his appearances are certainly some of the flick's highlights. There are some visually distinct sequences (its 3D animation is generally well-achieved) and, as I mentioned, a few half-chuckles here and there, but the feature just isn't all that enjoyable overall. It also lacks any real messaging or narrative satisfaction. Ultimately, it's a shadow of its former self. The difference in quality between this and the first flick is almost inconceivable. 4/10

Random, but enjoyable

[kjavery-24321 · 8/10 · 20 August 2020]

I loved this movie, but it isn't for everyone. It's got a nonsensical plot and the humour is so random that not everyone is going to like it. It seems to be made more so for people who watched the series when they were kids and are now grown up than for kids now, many of the jokes didn't have much that a kid could grasp on to compared to the series and original movie (I haven't seen the second movie as of writing this review).

That said I had so much fun watching it, probably the most joyous time I've spent watching something this year, and fun is really what watching a Spongebob movie is all about.

It was ok

[reneeb-29971 · 7/10 · 5 November 2020]

I liked the overal movie, but I just wanted to say. WHY THE FLASHBACKS? I mean they were nice. But super random, and I think the only reason they put them in is to promote the kamp coral series it just pissed me off a little.

The graphics were kinda nice but a little messy sometimes. The characters look good but obviously fake, but then the crabby patties look super realistic? It just felt weird to watch sometimes.

The overall storyline was doable and I had a good watch.

Any single episode of the TV series is better than that

[in-imdb-1 · 3/10 · 22 November 2020]

What is wrong with film producers? I love the show Sponge Bob, so I am basically an easy customer here. Yet, it seems they cannot add live action and money to make Sponge Bob even better. Quite the opposite actually. Story is lame, poor character development, ending is pathetic, 3D animation is unremarkable. On top of that, they changed the back stories of how Sponge Bob met the other guys. High treason!

Just about absorbant

[coreyjdenford · 6/10 · 5 November 2020]

2004, yes 16 years ago, a 16 year old's entire lifetime. That's how long ago Nickelodeon's aquatic yellow none vertebrae and his pink starry friend and his crew first graced the big screen. And it's not often that an animated TV series goes onto the big screen and gets huge success but with Spongebob Squarepants The Movie it did and with that success it gained not one but two sequels the middling Sponge Out of Water and this. Sponge On the Run features the same voice cast from Tom Kenny to Clancy Brown and features Danny Trejo and even Keanu Reeves as a wise Sage who leads our misfits on an adventure to the lost city of Atlantic City. And as much as the cast try and the writers try Sponge on the Run still lacks the charm of the 2004 original film, though the animated standards are pretty relying massively on 3D animation. But there's still that lack of charm, and although Sponge on the Run has some funny moments has some entertaining moments but sadly our favourite under-water creatures don't have the same fire. Which is a shame because Netflix have brought this out at the right time, but it also seems a bit too late too. Which sometimes isn't a bad thing. 3/5. Good but not great.

Animation style enjoyable, everything else not

[DrDarkness · 3/10 · 7 November 2020]

Well, I did have certain expectations for this one hence the previous sequels. And, sadly, I was right. This is a SpongeBob movie that should've deserved a good plot accompanying the nice animation, but it's just a long, long disappointment.

Recycled jokes, check. Too slow reactions, check. Pointless side quests, check. Pointless cameos, check. Pointless hit music, check. Forcing the story forward without a smooth transition, check. Dragging ending with a weird unfolding, check.

Did not pay money for this, otherwise would want a refund.

It's Regular

[mcpelissa · 6/10 · 6 March 2021]

The animation is excellent and it handles a humor similar to that of the show but it is simply a huge commercial for Kamp Koral. Although the kids will love this movie

A long big Ad for the Spinoff

[webermarius · 3/10 · 6 November 2020]

It was funny and now and then interesting, but then it started to become a big long commercial for the new spinoff. Keanu Reeves was great, but they did almost nothing with him, it felt like his role and the wild West were forced into the Story to give him screen time. The Movie was okay but nothing special.

🤦🏾

[toqwannlightbourne · 1 March 2021]

The animation was good but the plot was terrible. The Spongebob Squarepants Movie Plot Go an crazy adventure to get King Neptune's crown from Shell City. The Spongebob Movie Sponge on the water Plot Go on an adventure to get back the krabby patty secret formula. The Spongebob Movie Sponge on the run. Go on a road trip to get back a snail. Really Nickelodeon ? Really ?

Stunning, gorgeous-looking animation, but thin on substance

[Sir_AmirSyarif · 6/10 · 7 November 2020]

'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run' has stunning, gorgeous-looking animation, but thin on substance. Most of the time its script feels like a rehash of the animated/movie series' plot elements that have been done before and much better. There are some funny moments, but nowhere near as many as in the first two films. Still, the movie manages to have some fun and cute qualities as well as touching and heartfelt moments throughout.

A Prime Example of How to Not Write a Screenplay

[dammdatfiles · 2/10 · 9 November 2020]

Shame. There is no plot, no story, no content. A disrespect on the creators name, where in the end they say "In memory of Stephen Hillenburg" as if trying to curse.

The first 10 minutes are actually enjoyable but after that... I wish I had quit at that moment but just hoped that it would get back on track.

Always will love SB

[lbmb-02058 · 10/10 · 7 March 2021]

I've watched spongebob since I was a little kid and I'm 30. I always loved sb movies and shows and this was super cute too. Just everything about SB makes you feel warm and bubbly! An I thought this was a great movie to show how to accept yourself no matter what and how to be a true friend. My own 9 year old daughter loves sb and laughed the whole movie!

Fun movie with dazzling visuals

[Abdulxoxo · 6/10 · 5 January 2021]

The animation is quite nice to look at, it's vibrantly displayed and easy on the eyes. The characters are good and fun to watch, but I'm not a fan of the cameos, it kinda takes out of the movie for a while. The story isn't that quite strong and it's slow down with superfluous and filler scenes. It sets up a series of predictable conflicts and even more predictable life lessons that you'll not only know before you get to the end, but will have learned from watching any number of other films just like this. The gags are too silly, repetitive ("you're fired") and falls flat but there are few that actually made me chuckled. But most of the movie is wildly entertaining and charming. The soundtrack is very good and fitting with the atmosphere of the film. Voice acting is good and the overall world and environments it creates are pretty remarkable

SpongeBob Re-written

[officialmenzeta · 6/10 · 4 March 2021]

The attempt to rewrite the origins of SpongeBob isn't something I'm a fan, the overall story is okay and the animation is actually really good and wouldn't mind seeing more of this style. Unfortunately I think what nickelodeon is doing is creating/rewriting SpongeBob for a new generation and we're all just going to have to accept that.

A huge journey to find a tiny friend

[MB-reviewer185 · 6/10 · 22 May 2023]

The Nickelodeon series SpongeBob SquarePants is a great animated show on Nickelodeon, starting in 1999 and still going to this day. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2021) is just as enjoyable as the show, but not as good as the earlier two movies. SpongeBob fans would like it if they liked the earlier two movies.

Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, Rodger Bumpass as Squidward, Clancy Brown as Mr. Krabs, Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy, and Mr. Lawrence as Plankton are still fantastic as these characters. They are funny, entertaining, and fun to watch, even if the plot is remarkably familiar for the voice actors and the characters.

The 3D animation is particularly good, being visually pretty and fun to watch. The characters look good, the locations look nice, and there is one sequence on land that worked well with the 3D animation. Also, the person who took Gary was fine, but could have been a better antagonist in a way and could have been memorable as the earlier two antagonists from the other two movies.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2021) has a familiar plot that has been done in an episode of the show, incredibly good animation, good characters, and the movie can be funny to watch. The movie is the weakest out of the three movies, but it is still entertaining and fun to watch like the others.

A poor shadow of Spongebob of the past

[cbirty · 4/10 · 6 November 2020]

This just doesn't have the same humour and wit it used to. The characters are there but they seem to be 2d versions and don't heat the same beats they used too. My kids liked it but it just felt slightly off the whole way through for me. The flashbacks were weird too

Not as bad as people make it out to be

[joeyheath · 7/10 · 14 September 2021]

Pretty much every complaint I hear about Sponge on the Run at this point is that the entire movie is an ad for the spin-off show, Camp Coral, and I went into this movie assuming the entire film was going to be based around camp coral, but the fact of the matter is it's not.

Don't get me wrong Sponge on the run has its problems, the plot is very weirdly structured, the scene is the desert is mostly POINTLESS and Keanu reeves character is WAY TOO IMPORTANT, and of course there are the two scenes that have anything to do with camp coral. But overall, when I watch sponge on the run all it does is remind me of seasons 1-3 and the original movie.

To start off, the comedic timing in this movie is GREAT, especially in the dynamic between spongebob and Patrick. I hate to admit that spongebob was my entire childhood, but I eventually started to avoid due to the fact that it just wasn't funny anymore. Every character was flanderized, especially after season 4. Spongebob was just annoying, Patrick was just stupid, squidward was just irritable, and Mr. Krabs was just greedy. My fear was that they would keep these versions of the characters in the movie, but unlike the later version of the show they actually had emotions. Not great emotional development I might say, but emotions nonetheless. In the end the characters were really what brought the nostalgia of original spongebob back and reminded me of what I experienced as a child.

And as weird as the plot is to this film, all it does is remind me of an old episode, especially in the way they ended the movie where all the snails from the place come to bikini bottom and get adopted by people. This reminds me of certain endings of original episodes where nothing is really canon or has lasting effects. Take the episode shanghaied, in the end a vegetarian Flying Dutchman turns spongebob, Patrick, and squidward into fruits and tries while they run away inside a blender (might I add on top of a hippie van in an acid trip dimension). It had no effect on the rest of the series and focused on ending in a way that was wacky and fun just the way that this movie did.

All in all, this movie has its problems, but I think we can all confidently say that it was a lot better than sponge out of water, what an awful film.