'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run' Should Leave OG Fans Very, Very Happy

Nickelodeon is still riding our society's current obsession with the '90s. But honestly, the network's best cartoon only caught the tail-end of the decade. I'm talking about a little nerd who lives in a pineapple under the sea, who's always up to some kind of nautical nonsense or another: Mr. SpongeBob SquarePants. And longtime fans of the series have been asking: When is his new movie coming out?

This doofus has given us so much: boundless seasons of stellar entertainment for adults and kids, many quality memes, and two feature films! When word first broke out about Sponge on the Run, folks were stoked to check out the new, CGI animated feature in theaters for some time now, but the movie kept on getting pushed back, and it wasn't just because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If it feels like you've been waiting for this flick to arrive since forever, that's because it was first slated for a wide theatrical release on Feb. 9, 2019, which is over two full years ago as of this writing. So why wasn't the flick released then? While no official reason has been given, when this occurs, studios usually don't want to go up against competing flicks at the box office.

This might have been the reason Sponge on the Run was then set for an August 2, 2019 debut but pushed yet again to a much later date: July 31, 2020. Then, it was then moved up a couple of weeks to July 17 of the same year, and then moved up a few more weeks to May 22.

But then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and most major picture releases were put on hold, including Sponge on the Run.

While Sponge out of Water blended live-action segments with 3D animation, Sponge on the Run is entirely comprised of CGI sequences. It's directed by Tim Hill, who is a former writer for the series. He collaborated with Michael Kvamme, Jonathan Aibel, and Glenn Berger to write the screenplay for it.

Financially speaking, making a third movie just made sense.

Sponge out of Water didn't just enjoy a great reception from critics, but its box office numbers were pretty good too, which prompted Megan Colligan from Paramount Pictures to say that a third entry was "a good bet."

Judging from the trailer, the film looks like it managed to capture the same 2D animation aesthetic in its new, slick 3D animated style. So SpongeBob fans fret not — it still feels like the same show. Just on a big screen.

And critics have said as much from their reviews of the flick. Even though the animation style has been completely updated to a medium that fans of the cartoon haven't seen before, it still manages to retain its original charm and general Bikini Bottom-ness.

If you're hoping to watch the movie then you'll need to sign up for yet another streaming service, that is, if you're not already a subscriber to Paramount Plus. The movie's being offered exclusively on the streaming platform (previously known as CBS All Access), and subscription plans range from $5.99 a month (limited ads) and $9.99 a month (no ads). Or you can purchase for the entire year for $60 or $100 a year respectively.

Yes. The good news is that it's available for Video on Demand with the rental price of $19.99 on most major platforms (Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, iTunes, etc.).

If you aren't aware, SpongeBob 3 rocks a few surprising cameos, namely the internet's boyfriend Keanu Reeves. He plays a sage that's actually just a floating head in a ball of sage (amazing, we know). Oceans 8 star Awkwafina and Reggie Watts lend their voices to the production as well.

How do you plan on watching Sponge on the Run? Or are you still deciding whether or not it's worth the viewing? If you're still on the fence, let this J. Balvin music video that features a song off the flick's soundtrack to sway you.