It’s hard to believe that SpongeBob has been going on for over 25 years. The show has crossed all sorts of cultural boundaries and has deeply impacted the minds and humor of the generations that have watched it. The fact that many can still connect over quotes from the show highlights how influential it has been throughout its run. There isn’t much left to say about it at this point. There is the fact, however, that as a show goes on for so long, there are peaks and valleys you tend to notice with its lifespan. Alongside the show’s milestone anniversary this year, we also see the 20th anniversary of what was considered the end of the golden period of the show: the release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

The movie was famously the last project in the series creator Stephen Hillenburg had complete involvement with. He didn’t want the series to overstay its welcome and passed the baton when Nick wanted more seasons. While I can argue that the show has maintained a decent track record and improved in a few ways from its worst stretch over the past decade with new blood coming in, the movie is a major endpoint for the series’s original and most beloved era. The fact that it’s almost as old as the show itself speaks to how much Nickelodeon has milked this cash cow since then. Even so, this film is arguably one of the best things that the series has ever produced and is as iconic as many classic episodes of the show. The fact that a video of people quoting it at a live screening trended recently means that it still has a huge influence on many.

Looking at the film from a broad perspective, it’s honestly impressive in the sense that it might be the perfect film translation of the series. It takes the best strengths of the show and applies them to a larger-scale story. The film, first and foremost, is immensely funny. From the dozens of quotable lines to the iconic expressions to the bizarre moments such as the Hasselhoff cameo and the rock song ending, it’s so genuinely memorable to the point of automatic recitation. I would discuss the comedy in greater detail, but it’s harder to discuss why a joke works than saying that almost all of the ones in the movie work extremely well. Speaking of expressions, the film is well-animated. Not to the level of a Disney film per-say, but the increase in polish is noticeable and you could tell that the storyboarders had a lot of freedom in breaking model and having fun with how the characters moved and emoted.

In terms of the story, the focus being on SpongeBob and Patrick for the most part also helps make the film feel more focused. It would be very easy to have it be an ensemble piece given that the show has a large cast of fun and interesting characters. However, putting some to the sideline to make sure it doesn’t feel bloated helps with the story and character progression better since it only focuses on what’s important and necessary. The story itself is also simple being a journey to get King Neptune’s crown alongside having to stop Plankton when he takes over Bikini Bottom. Like the character focus, just having one major plot element to focus on alongside a few minor tangential elements helps keep things clean. It’s honestly impressive how tight the entire thing is since nothing feels like filler or pandering. Even the live-action opening with the pirates, despite being disconnected from the film itself, helps establish the tone of the film and gives a fun turn of expectations.

What makes the SpongeBob movie soar, from a thematic perspective, is that it balances its bizarre and nonsensical comedy with genuine pathos and emotion. SpongeBob’s character journey drills deep into the appeal of the show and why so many have continued to love it after so many years. He is a child at heart, but that isn’t a detriment and many relate to his mindset and perspective on things. Many feel that having to grow up means that leaving behind their childish tendencies is necessary. But SpongeBob accepts that he’s still a kid deep down, but proves that he is as capable as any adult by saving everyone from Plankton. When he and Patrick realize that they managed to get to Shell City despite every preconception they and everyone else had about them, it hits hard to the point that the fake-out death trope works without issue. It’s both emotionally moving and hits to the core of the character and might be the best story in terms of focusing on SpongeBob, in general, the show has ever done.

I feel that it’s a film that might be perfect in the sense that it isn’t deep, but it gets everything it should be right and above all else, feels like a film that was made from the heart by cartoonists rather than micromanaged studio notes. A large issue with a lot of cartoon adaptations is that they tend to trend chase or water down their strengths to appeal to a mass market. The 3rd SpongeBob movie, Sponge on the Run, is a good example of this where the film acts as a stealth pilot for the unpopular CGI spinoff, Camp Coral, out of nowhere and randomly places cameos and recycled ideas at the expense of something more authentic. This film, however, feels more organic to the sensibilities of the show and speaks more to its humor and character than most adaptations do. Even smaller details like classic comic panels, including one from Popeye, being in the background of the Goofy Goobers scene tells me that this was made by people with a deep love and passion for the medium of animation. The film might be the last of its kind as well since there haven’t been many hand-drawn films out of America since this one and very few feel this authentic and free in their approach.

I have always had a large attachment to SpongeBob. From a young age to even now as I have gotten older, I have consistently had an appreciation for the humor and characters. I was born months after the show first premiered, so in a way, it’s been around me for my entire life in more ways than one. It’s easy to get cynical at how the show became a cash cow to the detriment of Nickelodeon and the show as a whole. Almost every other Nickelodeon cartoon has been cut off in favor of more SpongeBob reruns and the show has had a rocky lifetime in terms of consistent quality. Even so, the fact that the current episodes have managed to find more of a cartoonist-driven edge in an age where cartoon studios are in a downturn, tells me that this show will always bring something positive and interesting even after all these years. The movie being such as passionate and well-made film on its own and still being fondly remembered all these years later is a testament to how impactful and well-crafted SpongeBob can be at its best. I doubt any future film project can match or top it, but I still feel that the fact that it exists is wonderful and I hope we can still appreciate it 20 years from now.