When I saw that Nickelodeon was releasing a new “SpongeBob” film, I shrieked out of pure excitement. Okay, maybe I didn’t shriek, but you get the point. I was excited. Fun fact: This is the only Nickelodeon series other than “Rugrats” to get a sequel to its first movie.

This next adventure for the gang from Bikini Bottom centers on the Krabby Patty secret formula. Sponge Out of Water begins with a rather odd sequence involving a pirate, Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas) and his quest for what we believe to be buried treasure. No shock there. He finds a magical book and a weird skeleton figure sends him flying back to his ship.

The film continues with a story about how Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) is up to his evil plans yet again to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula from Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) and the Krusty Krab. After a pretty long action sequence, a war-like scene complete with the firing of burger condiments, Plankton makes his way into a safe where the formula is located. This time, he’s caught by SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) but something very different happens. As the two fight over the formula, it vanishes in to thin – ahem – air. At the same time, the Krusty Krab runs out of Krabby Patties, turning Bikini Bottom upside down. This prompts SpongeBob and his friends to find the secret formula and return it to where it belongs.

Overall, Sponge Out of Water was pretty good. It had a lighthearted feel while also providing a strong and positive message about teamwork. It allowed audiences to escape from the depressing world for a while and sit back and enjoy.

I had two main problems with the film. First, it really felt like I paid $8 for a ticket to see an hour and a half long episode of the TV series, with several scenes that were just too long. My second problem was the pretty blatant false advertising for this film. I’m sure in the days and weeks leading up to the film’s release, you saw previews showing the characters literally out of water “saving the world.”  I was really excited about this because it was something new for the SpongeBob franchise. However, the out of water scenes made up only about 20 percent of the entire film. The other 80 percent of the scenes were just like the series’ usual episodes.

All in all, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is a good film for both children and adults alike. It was weird – especially the trippy time travel sequences. But, hey that’s what makes SpongeBob so – special.

I Give It A: B-

Check Out The Trailer Here