听 Having amassed a worldwide TV audience, it was only a matter of time before cartoon hero SpongeBob SquarePants got his own movie. Stephen Hillenburg is the brain behind this "bizarre but absorbing" sub-aquatic adventure that finds the titular squeegee (voiced by Tom Kenny) driving across the seabed to save his hometown of Bikini Bottom from the nefarious Plankton (Mr Lawrence). Kids loved it and grownups were baffled by it, but isn't that always the way?
Making A Splash
Hillenburg offers an explanation of the SpongeBob concept in The Absorbing Tale Behind The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie featurette. "It's based on some of the classics like Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy," he says, "It just dawned on me that a sea sponge is a really odd animal and would make a strange, oddball centre of the universe." Coming pretty close in the oddball stakes is David Hasselhoff in a cameo role, but even weirder is the 13ft dummy that was used to portray him in the splashy finale - "It's made with hair from a yak!" boasts the Baywatcher. You can also hear from stars Scarlett Johansson and Alec Baldwin on doing their bit "for the kids", but try not to snigger as Squidward voice artist Rodger Bumpass reflects on how peculiar his character's name is.
For educational value there's The Case Of The Sponge "Bob" featurette, a light-hearted but intriguing undersea exploration. Crusty oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau guides you through the depths and reveals the true nature of the marine life depicted in the movie. For example, did you know that the sea star ("It's not a fish!") is able to expel its stomach through its mouth and digest food on the outside of its body? Perhaps you'd rather not know, but this is just the sort of gross trivia that kids will lap up.
Drying Up
Apart from a few animated storyboards that allow a fleeting glimpse into the development stages, there's virtually nothing on the animation process. In the aforementioned behind-the-scenes featurette, Hillenburg mentions that his decision to include live action was "a technically ambitious move", which only highlights the lack of animation info on this DVD. He doesn't offer an audio commentary either and while that mightn't be a great loss, some sort of character track with the likes of Tom Kenney and that Bumpass guy would've been a fun addition. A games and activities section for the kids is also lacking.
An appeal by the eco-conscious Saving The Surf organisation and a teaser trailer wraps up this package of extras. Like the eponymous hero, this DVD is fun for a while but it's full of holes.
EXTRA FEATURES
