With almost 200 episodes airing to date, Stephen Hillenburg’s lovable yellow and porous* character has reportedly generated some US$8 billion in merchandising* incomes for Nickelodeon since first emerging in 1999.

    In the second Sponge Bob movie — which comes nearly 11 years after the first, 2004’s “The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie” — things are not much different in SpongeBob’s hometown of Bikini Bottom. That is, until Plankton’s plan to steal the formula for Mr. Krabs’ Krabby Patties* goes wrong!

    The formula doesn’t just disappear — Krusty Krab runs out of Krabby Patty burgers, and in Bikini Bottom, Krabby Patties are important. It’s a lot like coffee, and when the patties run out, it brings on Bikini Bottom’s version of the apocalypse*. Mr. Krabs believes SpongeBob was in cahoots* with his enemy, Plankton, and asks all of Bikini Bottom to turn on SpongeBob.

    Plankton and Bob become a team — or as Plankton calls it, a “TEE-am.” They even invent a time machine to try to get the formula back. What follows is a run-in with a dolphin from the future, and a pirate played by Antonio Banderas, who has clearly seen too many “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.

    SpongeBob and friends realize they need to go to the surface to get the formula back. This is when the plot becomes all wet. The surreal silliness that takes place in Bikini Bottom doesn’t translate well to the surface, when SpongeBob and friends are rendered* with a mix of CGI animation and live action.

    The movie is entertaining for children, and maybe even some people who aren’t familiar with SpongeBob. The problem is, this sponge’s adventure isn’t absorbing* for the duration of the film. Even so, SpongeBob fans — children and adults alike — will be singing the theme song together by the movie’s end. (SD-Agencies)