Line #67 WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOnTheRun


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sponge_on_the_run.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:[[TagLine A huge journey to find a tiny friend.]]]]
3	->'''Patrick:''' This is gonna be like... a buddy movie!\
4	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Oh, I ''love'' your sense of irony, Patrick.\
5	''[Cue Patrick ironing a sweater]''\
6	'''Patrick:''' Thank you, haha. I love my sense of ironing, too.
7
8	''The [=SpongeBob=] Movie: Sponge on the Run'' is a CGI-animated comedy movie, and the third movie based on the series ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. It is the first movie in the ''[=SpongeBob=]'' series to be entirely CGI-animated (unlike the series itself and the [[WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie prior two]] [[WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater movies]] which utilized primarily traditional 2D animation). Following this movie, Nickelodeon launched a CGI spin-off named ''WesternAnimation/KampKoral'' where [=SpongeBob=] is still the main character but with a younger voice.
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10	[=SpongeBob=]'s pet snail Gary is "snailnapped" by Poseidon, so he has to journey to Atlantic City with his best friend Patrick in tow to get him back. The movie also tells the story of how [=SpongeBob=] and Gary first met.
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12	This movie was originally scheduled to release in the summer of 2020, but as with a number of film and TV productions, the 2020 UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic put a stop to that, and was released to streaming on Creator/ParamountPlus (formerly named CBS All Access prior to its relaunch) in the US on March 4th, 2021, although it was [[ShortRunInPeru released exclusively in Canadian theatres very briefly]] on August 14, 2020. On November 5, 2020, it was made available to watch on Creator/{{Netflix}} internationally, and is considered a "Netflix Original" film in most regions.
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14	'''Previews:''' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfiH_526qhY Trailer]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYFM9HABfFo Super Bowl TV spot]].
15	----
16	!!''The [=SpongeBob=] Movie: Sponge on the Run'' contains examples of:
17	* AbortedArc: After years and years of trying, Plankton finally succeeds in acquiring the Krabby Patty formula roughly halfway through the movie. The consequences of this are never shown and it is never brought up again.
18	* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the TV series, [=SpongeBob=] knew Patrick since they were babies, met Squidward when he first moved into the neighborhood, Mr. Krabs when applying for a job, Sandy when she was fighting against a clam, and Mrs. Puff when she first opened her boating school, and found Gary in a pound. In this film, he met them all in Camp Coral when he was a kid.
19	* AIIsACrapshoot: Otto, Sandy's robot. But it’s not evil, it's more like jerkassy, ArtificialStupidity and sometimes Otto does what the protagonists command a little bit too fast.
20	* ArmorPiercingResponse: [[spoiler:[=SpongeBob=] to Poseidon, "I'm sure you would understand if you had friends like these."]]
21	* ArtShiftedSequel: A weird variation. While the first two movies were primarily 2D-animated by Creator/RoughDraftStudios (though the first sequel had a CG-animated climax), this film is almost completely animated with CG animation done by Mikros Image but retains the 2D style on backgrounds and set-pieces, with the CGI characters standing out more by way of looking more [=3D.=]
22	* AsHimself: ''Music/SnoopDogg of all people'' appears in this film, and plays himself in live-action form.
23	* AscendedExtra: After having minor appearances in the previous two films, Gary becomes a LivingMacGuffin here.
24	* AssumedWin: At the Camp Coral talent show in the flashback, Squidward was more than ready to take the Campy Award before Mrs. Puff gave it to [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick.
25	* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: When [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick arrive at Atlantic City, Sage warns them not to lose focus on the mission at hand, to which [[TemptingFate SpongeBob highly doubts they will]]. Moments later, both their eyes glaze over at the sight of all the glittering lights and food vendors selling ice cream, cotton candy, and churros.
26	* BaitAndSwitchAccusation:
27	->'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' ''[barges into the Krusty Krab kitchen just as Plankton got the formula]'' I knew it!\
28	''[Plankton gets scared and falls from the grill]''\
29	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' I knew I left my keys in here. Silly me!
30	* BeleagueredAssistant: Poseidon overworks his chancellor and doesn't really appreciate him whatsoever.
31	* BigBad: Poseidon, who is behind Gary's disappearance.
32	* BigGood: Sage, who is smarter and wiser than [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick and works to help them recoup Gary.
33	* BiggerOnTheInside: The main characters all manage to hide from the anchovy guards inside a suit of armor.
34	* BuddyPicture: Patrick helps [=SpongeBob=] track down Gary because "Friends don't let friends go on dangerous quests alone!" Patrick also [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this trope at the end of the trailer (see the quote at the top of the page).
35	* TheBusCameBack: Literally. The Patty Wagon from [[WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie the first movie]] returns, but [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick are using a generic boatmobile instead. Rather, Sandy is driving it (taking Krabs, Plankton and Squidward with her). The Patty Wagon gets redesigned to resemble a submarine sandwich and can go at hyper speed.
36	* CardboardPrison: Poseidon's dungeon. After getting angry with [=SpongeBob=], Patrick opens the door to their cell and walks out so he can stay in another cell.
37	* CheerfulChild: [=SpongeBob=] is shown to have been as exuberant as a little boy as he is today as the {{keet}}y {{manchild}}.
38	* ContinuityNod:
39	** The robot body Plankton put [=SpongeBob=]'s brain in from the episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E14WelcomeToTheChumBucketFrankendoodle Welcome to the Chum Bucket]]", and the robot customer from the episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E18MissingIdentityPlanktonsArmy Plankton's Army]]" can be seen lying in the background of Plankton's lab.
40	*** Similarly, pieces of the Mr. Krabs robot from [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E4DyingForPieImitationKrabs Imitation Krabs]] can be seen lying next to the Chum Bucket's dumpster.
41	** In the first movie, the gas station employees joked that the Patty Wagon must run on mustard and ketchup. This movie proves that this really is the case when Sandy drives it.
42	** Some of the pictures on Plankton's "Wall of Failure" depict schemes from specific episodes of the show. One even shows a fish wearing one of the mind-controlling bucket helmets from the [[WesternAnimation/TheSpongebobSquarepantsMovie first movie.]]
43	** When Sandy barges into the Krusty Krab, demanding to know where [=SpongeBob=] is, Squidward and Mr. Krabs visibly panic. They both remember all too well what happened [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E7PrehibernationWeekLifeOfCrime the last time Sandy got worked up about [=SpongeBob=] going missing]].
44	*** Sandy especially interrogates Mr. Krabs, jumping to the conclusion that he’s keeping [=SpongeBob=] prisoner. [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS11E17MustardOMineShoppingList This wouldn’t be the first time she’s attacked Krabs for taking advantage of [=SpongeBob=]]].
45	** [=SpongeBob=] brings home a lot of snails again. This happened previously in the season 9 episode "Sanctuary!".
46	** The Window of Meanwhile that Sage shows functions like the magic clam that Mindy shows to [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick in the first film, with the ability to show other events at different locations, giving the duo an insight on what's happening to Bikini Bottom and Gary in the first film and this film respectively.
47	* TheDeadCanDance: The song that introduces El Diablo has the zombies performing a number with Snoop Dogg rapping.
48	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: The Lost '''City of''' Atlantic '''City'''.
49	** There's also Keanu Reeves as [[RuleOfThree Sage, a sage made out of sage.]]
50	* FreezeFrameBonus: When Plankton shows his "wall of failures", pause and you'll notice that a lot of them are based on scenes from previous episodes.
51	* FriendlessnessInsult: An unintentional example occurs during the climax when [[spoiler:[=SpongeBob=] accidentally implies that the tyrannical King Poseidon doesn't have friends while standing up to him. The king becomes defensive and confers with his chancellor who confirms that he indeed does not have friends.]]
52	* GoodTimesMontage: The opening of the movie features a montage of [=SpongeBob=] and Gary having fun. Additionally, the movie ends with another montage, this time showing [[spoiler:everyone in Bikini Bottom with their own snails after they have been saved from Poseidon]], set to a cover of "[[Music/{{Aha}} Take On Me]]".
53	* JerkassGods: King Poseidon is unconcerned with running his ocean kingdom and more preoccupied in preserving his good looks, being entertained, and punishing anyone that disrupts either.
54	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Squidward stands up for [=SpongeBob=], and says that, despite him being "super-freaking-annoying," he's Squidward's friend.
55	* LampshadeHanging: Patrick asks why is Atlantic City even called a lost city if it's exuberantly high-profile and filled with tourist destinations à la Las Vegas consisting of casinos, hotels, entertainment shows and eye-catching foods.
56	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Patrick says that the duo's adventure will be a [[BuddyPicture buddy film]], describing how they usually play out.
57	* LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn: While locked in the dungeon, a long ominous music sting is playing. It turns out to be Patrick playing an electronic keyboard.
58	* LiteralMinded: When [=SpongeBob=] says how he loves Patrick's sense of irony, Patrick is shown ironing a piece of clothing, this being [[TheDitz Patrick]], unsurprisingly.
59	* MagicFeather: The Challenge Coin is stated to be this, as Sage explains that it was meant to help [=SpongeBob=] find the courage he had inside him all along.
60	* MeaninglessVillainVictory: Plankton joins the quest to save [=SpongeBob=] merely because he finds it too easy to get the Krusty Krab and inherit its secret recipes and riches.
61	* MythologyGag: In one scene at Atlantic City, Patrick thinks '7' starts with an 'L'. In the show's episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E11PartyPooperPants Party Pooper Pants]]", the opposite happens.
62	* NeverASelfMadeWoman: In the flashback at Camp Coral, [=SpongeBob=] was the one who encouraged Sandy to become a scientist.
63	* NeverMyFault: After learning that Patrick gambled away their challenge coin, [=SpongeBob=] blames him for everything that happened even after learning that it was him who encouraged Patrick to do so. Patrick is quick to call him out on this.
64	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: In their shared dream/vision, [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick are given the challenge of putting the souls of cowboy pirate zombies to rest.
65	* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: When Plankton asks the sad Mr. Krabs to hand over the Krabby Patty Secret Formula, he does so with no hesitation, causing Plankton to become angry that he's just giving up. As Krabs explains, nothing makes sense without [=SpongeBob=] around. This prompts Plankton to go with and assist him and the others later on when they travel to Atlantic City.
66	* OcularGushers: Occurs any time someone cries.
67	* OffWithHisHead: Poisedon sentences [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick to the guillotine for trying to take away Gary.
68	* OnlyOneFindsItFun: One of the Camp Coral flashbacks shows Squidward playing a song on his clarinet for a talent show. As usual, nobody finds it pleasant... except for [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick, who stand there wide-eyed for the entire performance and give him a Campy trophy anyway after he finds out he lost the talent show.
69	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Squidward hates [=SpongeBob=] and has even wished for his death multiple times ("Broken Alarm", "Gary's Got Legs"), but when [=SpongeBob=] is about to be executed by Poseidon, even Squidward goes up to defend him. In [=SpongeBob's=] absence, Mr. Krabs is so depressed that he willingly gives up the secret formula to Plankton, saying that even having the formula doesn't make sense anymore without him.
70	* OverlyLongGag: [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick greeting each other from their houses: "GOOD MORNING, PATRICK!!" "GOOD MORNING [=SPONGEBOB=]!!!"
71	* PaintedCGI: The movie's CGI is in a frame rate where everything is animated every two or so frames in most places to mimic how the 2D ''[=SpongeBob SquarePants=]'' show is animated.
72	* PleaseSpareHimMyLiege: Sandy, while speaking in defence of [=SpongeBob=] at the trial, begs with Poseidon not to kill him. The audience is moved by this.
73	* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: While describing the premise of a Buddy Picture, Patrick also [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this trope. This is followed by [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick having an argument for no reason before resuming their journey like nothing happened, just because it's what you do in a buddy comedy. It's later played straight in the third act when the two are locked in Poseidon's dungeon and realize they lost the coin Sage gave them.
74	--> '''Patrick:''' We're two buddies setting out with a common goal. We'll argue about something dumb, fight and breakup, only to come back when we realize neither could do it without the other. It's simple yet magical.
75	* PoorlyDisguisedPilot: This serves as the backdoor pilot for ''WesternAnimation/KampKoral''.
76	* RashomonStyle: While locked in Poseidon's dungeon, [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick find that they have lost the challenge coin. [=SpongeBob=] recalls that Patrick gambled it away, while Patrick says that [=SpongeBob=] encouraged him to do so. It's never revealed which story turned out to be correct.
77	* ReflectiveEyes: When [=SpongeBob=] comes back to the pineapple after not finding Gary anywhere and looks at a picture of himself and Gary at Camp Coral, the picture reflects into his teary eyes.
78	* RetCon: The movie shows that [=SpongeBob=] first met Gary, Sandy, Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs at Camp Coral in his childhood. In the series episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS8E22TreatsForHereOrToGo Treats!]]" however, [=SpongeBob=] says he got Gary from a pound, and he was the same age as he appears now; he met Sandy in [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS1E1HelpWantedReefBlowerTeaAtTheTreedome "Tea at the Treedome"]]; it was shown in "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E15TheSecretBoxBandGeeks The Secret Box]]" that he's known Patrick since they were babies; and "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS6E2324TruthOrSquare Truth or Square]]" showed [=SpongeBob=] meeting Squidward when he moved into the neighborhood as an adult. Additionally it is shown that [=SpongeBob=] had known Mrs. Puff since he was a child, though the episode [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E5MermaidManAndBarnacleBoyIVDoingTime "Doing Time"]] shows that [=SpongeBob=] met Mrs. Puff when she opened her boating school.
79	* ReverseTelescopicVision: In the poster, [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick are looking through binoculars. Patrick, [[TheDitz naturally]], is holding his backwards.
80	* RuderAndCruder: This movie actually features the characters saying mild swear words ([=SpongeBob=] clearly says the word "crappy" twice instead of "crabby", while Squidward says "freaking" at one point), and to add up, they weren't [[CensoredForComedy censored by dolphin chirps.]]
81	* SayMyName: "GARY!!"
82	* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness:
83	-->'''Patrick:''' Tartar sauce! What's the next best thing to courage?\
84	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Resolve?...\
85	'''Patrick:''' No.\
86	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Fortitude?\
87	'''Patrick:''' Uh-uh.\
88	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Commitment?\
89	'''Patrick:''' Nope.\
90	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Wherewithal?\
91	'''Patrick:''' Mh-hm.\
92	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Bravery?\
93	'''Patrick:''' No.\
94	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Valor?\
95	'''Patrick:''' What?\
96	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Grit?\
97	'''Patrick:''' No.\
98	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Heroism?\
99	'''Patrick:''' Uh-uh.\
100	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Gallantry?\
101	'''Patrick:''' Eh...\
102	'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Moxie.
103	* ShiftedToCGI: The first two movies were traditionally animated, with the second film making the characters CGI during the surface scenes. This film, however, is fully CGI.
104	* ShipTease: When Sandy speaks in [=SpongeBob=]'s defence at the trial, she sounds like she’s about to cry. Upon concluding her statement, with a plea not to kill him, she and [=SpongeBob=] hold hands and she has her arm around him.
105	* ShoutOut: Atlantic City is heavily based on Las Vegas, Nevada.
106	** While the zombies are dancing to Snoop Dog's musical number, [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick briefly dance like the zombies in Music/MichaelJackson's ''[[Music/MichaelJacksonsThriller Thriller]]''.
107	** While in Poseidon's palace, [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick crash into the Blue Fin Group, a parody of the Music/BlueManGroup.
108	** When Squidward tries to walk in the armor, he performs a spider-walk from ''Film/TheExorcist''.
109	* SmartBall: After Gary goes missing, [[TheDitz Patrick]] tells [=SpongeBob=] he should be looking for clues to where Gary could've gone instead of sitting down sulking.
110	* ThrowTheDogABone: [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick give Squidward their Campy Award after he failed at clarinet playing, saying that there was a "big mistake" and Squidward actually won.
111	* ThousandYardStare: [=SpongeBob=] has this when he is locked in Poseidon's dungeon after failing to rescue Gary.
112	* TrailersAlwaysLie: The trailer for the movie shown [=SpongeBob=] driving the boat mobile luring the viewers into thinking that [=SpongeBob=] will finally master boat driving and/or earn his license, but in the movie it's actually Sandy's robot Otto. [=SpongeBob=] never drives at all in the movie.
113	* TropeyComeHome: [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS4E3HaveYouSeenThisSnail Once again]], Gary goes missing and [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick have to search for him.
114	* VivaLasVegas: Atlantic City is the undersea equivalent of Las Vegas, as when [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick arrive there, they gamble, party, gorge on food and forget about Gary in the process, much to Sage's consternation.
115	* VoiceOfTheLegion: El Diablo uses it to emphasize something or get a point across.
116	* WhatDidIDoLastNight: [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick wake up after a day of fun in Atlantic City. They're very confused and have no idea where to go, until Sage reminds them to find Gary. Turns out they're right outside Poseidon's door.
117	* TheWildWest: During their quest to find Gary, [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick are teleported here (or perhaps just dreamed it) with the ability to breathe air and have a standoff with El Diablo.
118	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre:
119	** The reason Sandy became a scientist: [=SpongeBob=] assured her that there's no reason she can't be one, and her dreams would come true if she tried hard enough.
120	** [=SpongeBob=] tells this to Poseidon after finding out he has no friends after it turns out Poseidon has a ZeroPercentApprovalRating and that everyone sees him as a {{jerkass}} lazy king.

Context WesternAnimation / TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOnTheRun