The world of SpongeBob SquarePants has expanded beyond the main TV show, with its most notable branch being a movie series that, so far, has five movies between SpongeBob SquarePants movies and spinoffs. Created by Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999 and became an immediate success. At the time of writing, SpongeBob SquarePants has 15 seasons and shows no signs of stopping soon, and keeps breaking records as one of the longest-running animated TV shows for children.
The adventures of SpongeBob, his friends Patrick and Sandy, his eternally annoyed neighbor Squidward, and his greedy boss Mr. Krabs have kept generations of viewers entertained for 26 years, and the movies have taken them beyond ʙικιɴι Bottom. At the time of writing, there’s one more SpongeBob SquarePants movie to be released in 2025, тιтled The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, and an unтιтled spinoff with no projected release date, but the five movies released so far have been quite entertaining, though at different levels.
Saving ʙικιɴι Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
Saving ʙικιɴι Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie Was Released In 2024
The first of the SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff movies is Saving ʙικιɴι Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie. It follows Sandy (voiced by Carolyn Lawrence) and SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) as they venture to Texas, Sandy’s home state, to save ʙικιɴι Bottom when it’s taken by the Bureau of Official Texas Science (B.O.O.T.S). Because of this, Saving ʙικιɴι Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie combines CGI animation with live-action.
Sadly, Sandy isn’t a character strong enough to be the focus of a movie.
While the animation of Saving ʙικιɴι Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie is definitely one of its biggest appeals, as is the exploration of Sandy’s backstory and family, there’s a lot of awkwardness in this movie. The human characters interacting with the animated ones feel off (unlike in other movies), the plot is messy, and, sadly, Sandy isn’t a character strong enough to be the focus of a movie, even though she had SpongeBob by her side.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run Was Released In 2020
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is the third movie in the SpongeBob SquarePants movie series. It follows SpongeBob and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), who go on a journey to rescue SpongeBob’s pet and friend, Gary, after he’s kidnapped by Plankton (Mr. Lawrence). The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run gained a lot of attention for the cameo appearance of Keanu Reeves as Sage, a tumbleweed spirit.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run has the silliness and jokes that have made the show so beloved, and Patrick and SpongeBob’s adventures in Atlantic City are quite entertaining (and visually fun), but the story ultimately didn’t seize its adventurous potential and felt messy. Still, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run achieves its goal of being entertaining.
Plankton: The Movie
Plankton: The Movie Was Released In 2025
Plankton: The Movie is the second spinoff in the SpongeBob SquarePants movie series, and as the тιтle says, its focus is on Plankton. When his computer wife Karen goes rogue as they design their new plan to steal the Krabby Patty’s secret formula, Plankton teams up with SpongeBob to stop Karen, but he learns some much-needed valuable lessons in the process.
Plankton: The Movie is surprisingly deep in the topics it addresses, mostly those between Plankton and Karen.
Unlike most SpongeBob SquarePants movies, Plankton: The Movie doesn’t rely on celebrity cameos and guest stars, instead fully focusing on its characters, their past, and their dynamic with other well-known characters from the show. Plankton: The Movie is surprisingly deep in the topics it addresses, mostly those between Plankton and Karen, and Karen and her friends, making it one of the best SpongeBob SquarePants movies in recent years.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Was Released In 2004
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is the first movie in the series, and as such, it’s the one closest to the style and vibe of the TV show. The story revolves around one of Plankton’s plans to steal the Krabby Patty’s secret formula, but he also steals King Neptune’s crown and frames Mr. Krabs. It’s up to SpongeBob and Patrick to get the crown from Shell City, clear Mr. Krabs’ name, and save the underwater world from Plankton’s takeover.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was made in the show’s traditional animation style, which helps it feel like an extension of the show rather than a branch of it. The story is also one the audience is familiar with, but with enough additions (like the stealing of Neptune’s crown) to make it feel new. Surely, it doesn’t add much to the world of SpongeBob SquarePants, but it has a very catchy musical number.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Was Released In 2015
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is the second movie in the SpongeBob SquarePants movie series. It follows Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas), a pirate who does what Plankton could never do: steal the Krabby Patty’s secret formula thanks to a magical book. SpongeBob and his friends team up to travel to the surface, confront Burger Beard, and get the formula back.
The essence of SpongeBob SquarePants is harmless silliness, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water had that very clear.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water has been praised for its pace, jokes, animation, sense of humor, and story (which, although it feels surreal, works because of how funny it is), though the change from CGI to live-action ended up being divisive. The essence of SpongeBob SquarePants is harmless silliness, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water had that very clear, appealing to both children and adults.
SpongeBob SquarePants
- Created by
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Stephen Hillenburg
- First Film
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The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
- Latest Film
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The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run
- Upcoming Films
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Saving ʙικιɴι Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, Plankton: The Movie (2025), The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants
- First TV Show
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SpongeBob SquarePants
Summary
“SpongeBob SquarePants” is a multimedia franchise centered around the adventures of SpongeBob, an optimistic sea sponge, and his friends in the underwater city of ʙικιɴι Bottom. Created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, the franchise includes the original TV series, spin-off shows, movies, video games, comic books, and various merchandise. Since its premiere in 1999, it has become one of the most successful and enduring animated franchises, known for its humor, unique characters, and cultural impact.
