"SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: TO SQUAREPANTS OR NOT TO SQUAREPANTS"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Tom Kenny as SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Bill Fagerbakke as PATRICK STAR Rodger Bumpass as SQUIDWARD TENTACLES Clancy Brown as MR. EUGENE H. KRABS Mr. Lawrence as PLANKTON Not Rated Studio: Nickelodeon Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
“To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants” is the anchor episode to this single-disc release of eight episodes from the wildly popular Nickelodeon television show. This installment finds SpongeBob having shrunk his last pair of square pants, and he can’t find a replacement anywhere. Without his signature clothing item, he runs the risk of losing his identity.
Additional episodes of “SpongeBob SquarePants” included on this disc are “Squid’s Visit,” “The Splinter,” “Slide Whistle Stooges,” “Boating Buddies,” “The Krabby Kronicle,” “The Slumber Party” and “Grooming Gary.”
WHAT I LIKED
When it comes to the slate of Nickelodeon cartoon videos, you can’t go wrong with “SpongeBob SquarePants,” at least from a kids’ perspective. Sure, my wife may hate the series and pulls her hair out at the very sound of the old pirate captain yelling, “Are ye ready kids?!” But my boys – ages six and eight – love the show.
While this DVD does not include a massive sampling of guest appearances, which helped put the recently released “The Big One” to celebrity status with the voice of Johnny Depp, “To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants” is just a sampling of the show’s episodes.
What makes these episodes work well is the fact that they spread out the characters well. It’s not all SpongeBob and Patrick, which can get annoying. And while Squidward gets a spotlight in an episode or two (including “Squid’s Visit” and “Boating Buddies”), it’s not all about him, either. This helps make the DVD less tedious, letting everyone from Mr. Krabs (in “The Krabby Kronicle”) to Gary (in “Grooming Gary”) take center stage.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
The complaints that anyone is going to have about this or any other “SpongeBob SquarePants” video is going to be inherent in the show. My wife, whom I mentioned a few paragraphs earlier, can go on for hours about what she doesn’t like about this cartoon. It’s loud. It’s obnoxious. It’s grotesque. And the list goes on.
But If you’re picking up this DVD, you’ll know what to expect from SpongeBob and his cronies, so any complaints you have will fall on deaf ears.
What makes these releases nice, however, is they are affordable and bite-sized. You only have to shell out ten or fifteen bucks, and you only have to sit through eight episodes with the kids. That’s better than $35 for a full season of shows.
DVD FEATURES
Unlike some previous releases, “To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants” runs really thin on special features. There’s two art galleries: Storyboard Panels and Character Art, and that’s about it.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
SpongeBob fans, most of which haven’t even gone through puberty yet.
