A Fantastic, Silly, Creative and Surreal Cartoon that Adults will Appreciate Too!
Written: Mar 18 '04 (Updated Mar 25 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The Best Animation Talent is at Work for Great, Silly Surrealism! Not Just for Kids!
Cons: Not Much Educational Value (but who cares?)
The Bottom Line: I recommend SpongeBob Squarepants for kids and adult cartoon fans alike. The kids will love the silliness and and the adults will love the surrealism and subtextual gags.
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| aeantiques's Full Review: SpongeBob SquarePants |
SpongeBob SquarePants, a relatively new cartoon from the Nickleodeon animation masters and created by the wonderful new talent Stephen Hillenberg, is a wonderfully silly and surreal cartoon that will be enjoyed (shamelessly) by adults and kids alike.
As a 33-year old fan with no kids (but with good objectivity about parental responsibility), I love the obvious influences of Bob Camp and some of the ex-Ren and Stimpy crew on this cartoon. Yet, unlike its predecessor, SpongeBob has less "gross-out" comedy, relying far more on clever characters and good scripts. The premise is simple: Spongebob Squarepants, a happy little sea sponge shaped like a kitchen scrubber who wears a little square-shaped suit and has an almost-annoying but charming optimism about life, is the main character. He lives in a pineapple-shaped house (don't try to look for much logic here, just a lot of creativity) in the undersea world of Bikini Bottom (who can't love a name like that?).
SpongeBob co-exists with his best friend, Patrick (a slow-witted but good-natured starfish) and his next-door neighbor, Squidward (a persnickity squid). He has a terrarium-dwelling squirrel adventuress, Sandy Cheeks, as a good friend. His pet snail, Gary, meows like a cat -- clearly snails are the cats of Bikini Bottom!
Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs are the three other "pop-out" characters here. Patrick is Spongebob's best pal, and Squidward (my personal favorite) is a cynical, eye-rolling, cranky squid with a superiority complex (he thinks SpongeBob, who insists on being his friend, is an idiot. . . but he is clearly the smartest character of the three -- perhaps because he is more highly evolved). Patrick lives under a big rock, and Squidward lives in a really wonderful house shaped like a Tiki idol. Squidward's main goals in life seem to be playing the clarinet, painting self-portraits, and being left alone. But with Spongebob and Patrick as his next-door neighbors, he usually gets pulled into thier adventures and mishaps.
BTW, If you have read anywhere about the alleged "sexually ambiguous" relationship between Sponge Bob and Patrick, ignore this nonsense. They're relationship is clearly Platonic, even though they sometimes squabble like a married couple and slow-witted Patrick gets jealous of SpongeBob's other freinds. If there is a "gay" character on this show (and this is a sign of diversity in my eyes, not a drawback), it has to be Squidward. Squidward has a super voice (supplied by the under-recognized cartoon talent Roger Bumpass) that sounds like Paul Lynde (you can tell the attraction to adults here). He is whiny, vain, quite effeminiate, and put-upon at work and at home. Can't help but love him! In his own words, "Oh, Pul-eeze!"
SpongeBob and Squidward also work side by side at Mr. Krab's restaurant, the Krusty Krab, where Krabby Patties are the house speciality. Spongebob is the fry cook and Squidward is the cashier, so to his disgust, Squidward has to supervise Spongebob when the owner, Mr. Krabs, is not around. Mr. Krabs is a greedy but fatherly crab with a Scottish accent (I find this stereotype a little disappointing) who loves money, as well as his teenage daughter, Pearl, who is a whale.
Again, don't look for logical explainations here; just go with the ocean flow and enjoy this show -- SpongeBob has a wonderful group of writers, animators and vocal talent behind it. Look for cast members from cartoons as diverse as Ren and Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, and other past popular Nicktoons. I would highly recommend this show for kids -- it has nothing in it that I wouldn't let a small child watch. In fact, it is far more childlike in its nature than most cartoons out currently, and children will not understand or care about the references and allusions meant for adults. It is colourful, goofy, and entertaining, and children of all ages love it. They should!
As for the adult fans of contemporary cartoons, DO NOT miss SpongeBob! You will see a lot of familiar names in the credits and these guys are working on a show worthy of their talent. SpongeBob is less subversive than Ren and Stimpy (making it better for kids' viewing), but the surrealism makes up for it. I have read reviews where people refer to this cartoon as "stupid" or "inane." Far from true. That is part of the joke -- either you will get it or you won't. There is actually a lot of intelligent gags and clever writing in SpongeBob. There is also great use of multi-media here as well. And that theme song, with the Captain with the creepy Clutch Cargo mouth -- SO CATCHY! As a 33-year old professional (and Ph.D. Candidate), I think settling down with SpongeBob at the end of a tough day is just what every adult with a slightly odd sense of humor could use to destress and laugh out loud!
Recommended:
Yes
Type of Program: Cartoon or Animated
Program Quality: Entertaining, but not intellectually or emotionally engaging
Best Suited For: Whole Family
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Epinions.com ID:
aeantiques
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Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Help! I'm a Renaissance Woman Lost in the 21st Century!
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