Spongebob Squarepants and his trusty friend Patrick Starfish must leave their beloved Bikini Bottom to find King Neptune’s crown after Spongebob’s boss Mr Krabs is framed for stealing it by the evil Plankton. And they only have ten days before Neptune finishes off the owner of the Krusty Krab. Can he and Patrick make it in time, especially when everyone thinks they’re just kids?

“The Spongebob Squarepants Movie” combines traditional two-dimensional animation (rendered on computers of course) with brief live-action interludes and occasional amalgamations of both. The style of animation is simple and cartoonish, with no attempt at realism. Why else would the sponge hero look more like a kitchen sponge than a naturally occurring one? The backgrounds are kitsch, murky watercolours that rely heavily on stippling and spattering for texture and the characters are almost crude in their construction. There is no regard for believable musculature or any of that malarkey but with these characters that’s not an issue. Real sponges don’t have eyes or mouths and as far as I’m aware there are any sea creatures that wear clothes or drive cars either. The simplicity of their design, if anything, makes them more endearing and reflects their nature. Combining them with live-action sequences may seem and odd idea but is inspired lunacy that makes for great hilarity as Spongebob and friends come in contact with the real world (represented by David Hasselhoff). Where else are you going to find such oddity?

The voice talent engaged in making this film is superb and though you may not recognise the names, you’ll no doubt have heard their voices as many cartoon characters. Tom Kenny provides the voices for both Spongebob and the strangely accented narrator. He gives the sponge a marvellous enthusiasm and excitability that are endearing without being too irritating and his timing is wonderful. Bill Fagerbakke is the voice of Spongebob’s constant companion Patrick. Just listening to his slow, nasal voice you can tell he’s not the sharpest starfish in the ocean, even before you see him flying through the air with a flag wedged in his butt. Clancy Brown (probably best known as the Kurgen in “Highlander”) lends his vocals to Spongebob’s boss Mr Krabs. He’s got the ideal tone for a salty seadog lobster, who wants to make as much money as possible. The villain of the piece is voiced by the formal-sounding Mr Lawrence, who has a surprisingly deep and resonant voice for a tiny creature hell-bent on taking over the world. His maniacal monologuing is on a par with Kelsey Grammer doing his Sideshow Bob on “The Simpsons” for sheer eeevil. It’s unclear why the producers felt the need to have star names attached to the voice-overs, but that’s why Alec Baldwin and Scarlett Johansson are there. Baldwin, on one hand has a suitably gravely voice for Dennis, the menacing mercenary following the two main characters, but Johansson’s scratchy and slightly adenoidal vocals leave a lot to be desired as Neptune’s mermaid daughter Mindy.

The film is no great shakes in the animation stakes, eschewing technological advances in favour of good old-fashioned laughs. It’s the sort of film that won’t initially appeal to many people, but if you’re forced to watch it with a group of kids you’ll probably end up laughing like a drain. I know I did. It will appeal to your sense of the absurd and there are enough different types of humour on display (from the sublime to the downright stupid) that there’s bound to be something to make you chuckle. Unless of course you have no sense of humour, then I suggest you go and see something else. It’s silly and stupid, but has a warm heart and a strong moral about believing in yourself and so is the perfect Sunday afternoon kids’ film. But do be warned that after seeing it your little people will be referring to each other as Goofy Goobers and knucklehead spazmatrons for weeks to come.