Summary
- Saving Bikini Bottom
fails to live up to its potential, leaving fans disappointed with poor execution. - Sandy Cheeks doesn’t shine in this humorless
SpongeBob
spin-off that misses comedic opportunities. - Fans consider
Saving Bikini Bottom
one of the worst releases in the franchise, a letdown for
SpongeBob
lovers.
As someone who grew up with SpongeBob SquarePants and fondly remembers the hilarious antics of the characters, I must admit that watching Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie was a disappointing experience. Coming from a long line of Texas expats, I found it disheartening to see Sandy’s family reduced to mere stereotypes, and the lackluster animation didn’t help matters either. It felt like a missed opportunity to delve deeper into Sandy’s background and explore her Texan roots in a more meaningful way.
The beloved sea sponge character, who’s now a ripe 25 years old, recently received a cinematic tribute with a fresh new movie on Netflix – “Saving Bikini Bottom: A Sandy Cheeks Movie”. This time around, a lively squirrel girl from Texas embarks on an exciting journey of her own. Given that previous spin-offs featuring the SpongeBob universe have had varying degrees of success, the idea of a movie focusing on Sandy seems particularly appealing. After all, Sandy has often been overlooked in past productions, and the possibility of a brief sojourn to her Texas roots is intriguing.
Regrettably, the production of “Saving Bikini Bottom” falls short in many aspects. A wave of negative criticism arose when an early leak of the film surfaced on Twitter earlier this year, and those concerns appear to be validated. The movie is a humorless spin-off that fails to leverage its potential and seems more like an attempt to exploit a tired intellectual property rather than offering anything fresh. Compared to “Sponge on the Run,” the third SpongeBob movie, “Saving Bikini Bottom” has generated even more controversy among fans.
Should SpongeBob Even Have Spin-Offs?
Read Our Review
As a die-hard cinema enthusiast and a dedicated SpongeBob SquarePants fan, it’s crucial to acknowledge an ongoing debate among us: the potential for any spin-offs from the beloved series has sparked intense discussions. This became even more heated following the passing of our beloved creator, Stephen Hillenburg, in 2018 due to ALS. Just under a year later, Nickelodeon announced a spin-off titled “Kamp Koral”, focusing on younger versions of our cherished characters as they enjoy their summer camp days.
Previously, this announcement sparked discontent among many, since the creator of SpongeBob, Steve Hillenburg, had consistently refused to endorse any spin-offs for the series. As Paul Tibbit, a longtime writer for the show (via LongReads), put it, “When you’re out of fresh ideas, you resort to something like Muppet Babies.” Hillenburg often warned him, “One day, they’ll want to create SpongeBob Babies. That will be when I leave.”
It raised suspicions when Nickelodeon announced a spin-off so soon after the creator’s demise, followed by another one titled “The Patrick Star Show” merely two years later. This news didn’t sit well with Tibbit, who in 2019, not long after “Kamp Koral” was given the green light, tweeted: “I don’t intend to belittle my colleagues working on this show. They are skilled professionals. However, this reeks of greedy and lazy decision-making by executives, and they all know full well that Steve would have strongly disliked it.”
It’s uncertain how accurate these stories are, given that Kamp Koral received approval a month before Hillenburg’s passing (and some sources claim he endorsed it), and he has been credited in all the show’s sequels so far. Despite this, the topic remains divisive among fans, especially after the third SpongeBob movie, Sponge On the Run, incorporated flashbacks to promote Kamp Koral (the controversial scenes significantly altered the characters’ original backgrounds). This was further fueled by the mixed reviews for both Kamp Koral and The Patrick Star Show. Another spin-off film, regardless of its quality, seemed likely to reinforce fans’ concerns that Nickelodeon is overexploiting its most profitable franchise, given these previous responses.
Sandy Cheeks Misses Her Chance to Shine
Regardless of opinions on a SpongeBob spin-off, the main issue with Saving Bikini Bottom is that it lacks humor. Unfortunately, it seems like a missed opportunity; Sandy Cheeks, who has often been overlooked in the show’s cast, could have benefited from more screen time. In theory, having her revisit Texas and introduce her family to viewers could be amusing. The first season episode, “Texas,” hinted at her homesickness, making it intriguing to delve deeper into how her relationships with her family have evolved since she moved to Bikini Bottom.
Yet, none of her family members are particularly engaging; they seem to embody Texan stereotypes rather than unique individuals, and most appear briefly before vanishing without much development. Given that Sandy’s mother appears to be pushing for a permanent move back to Texas, it’s all the more aggravating when she abruptly changes her mind offscreen, only two scenes later, and assures her daughter that she is free to visit whenever she pleases.
Regrettably, it’s true that many of the series’ main characters are sidelined in the storyline. The plot primarily focuses on SpongeBob and Sandy rescuing Bikini Bottom inhabitants (who end up in a scientific aquarium as a clear imitation of Finding Nemo), which leaves characters like Patrick, Mr. Krabs, and Squidward with significantly less screen time. Even Gary, the pet snail, appears only sporadically before disappearing, while Plankton abruptly departs from the story around three-quarters of the way through.
Instead, what was originally there is an awkwardly unhumorous live-action segment, featuring Wanda Sykes as the malevolent CEO of the aquarium, Sue Nahmee (the pun intended), who intends to replicate the marine life and market them as pets. Despite Sykes’ dedicated performance, the poorly crafted script doesn’t allow for salvation, and her scenes appear distressingly low-budget, giving the impression they were filmed in a high school classroom.
Interestingly enough, what stands out most about Saving Bikini Bottom is the apparent low-budget feel of the entire production. Despite the fact that subsequent productions following the first SpongeBob movie didn’t quite match the quality of the original three seasons, the show was consistently praised for its top-notch animation and strong voice acting. However, in this latest installment, the animation seems to be on par with the graphics from the 2003 SpongeBob video game Battle for Bikini Bottom, and the integration of characters into live-action segments appears worse than any of the previous three films. To make matters worse, the movie portrays Sue Nahmee in flashbacks as a child by superimposing Sykes’ head onto a young girl’s body, which is just as uncomfortable as it sounds.
Fans Hate Saving Bikini Bottom, and for Good Reason
A week after its debut, it’s clear that fans are already labeling Saving Bikini Bottom as one of the weakest entries in the entire SpongeBob series. This assessment is not without merit; it’s disappointing to witness a show known for its eccentric and casual strangeness being transformed into something so generic and unengaging.
Reflecting on their abundant resources yet minimal use, it’s evident that Sandy Cheeks deserved a more fulfilling storyline. Fingers crossed for an improved SpongeBob movie next year. By the way, “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie” is currently available on Netflix for streaming.
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2024-08-11 03:31