Why The SpongeBob Movie Feels Conclusive 

Leaving this to address the many comments about the movie being intended as the series finale and Vincent Waller's thoughts on the matter: We don't know for sure if the movie was actually 100% supposed to be the series finale. In my research for this video I came across various tertiary sources claiming that it was but I couldn't find any direct quotation from Hillenburg himself or any of the movie/show's crew saying that it was indeed supposed to be the finale. If anyone has proof that Hillenburg or any of the other staff members definitively said that the movie is the clear-cut end of the show then I'd love to see it and I'll update this comment. All I have to go off of is speculation from what Hillenburg and the crew had to say in regards to the change in roles after the production of the movie. Vincent Waller worked on the first season of the show and came back immediately after the movie and worked directly with Hillenburg and many of the crew members from the first 3 seasons. So it's not like his opinion on the matter holds no weight. At the very least he would know the general attitude behind the scenes about the timeline of the show and the movie's place in it. If Hillenburg definitively said (in public or behind the scenes) that the movie is the canonical end, then Waller would have no reason to say that the movie never was the series chronological finale. In fact, in that very same thread that I showed in the video he was asked if Hillenburg said anything about the movie taking place after every episode; and he responded "Not that i am aware." There's a small chance that he just doesn't know for sure the intent behind the movie's place in the show but I doubt it. Again I'm only going off of what I was able to find and if there's anything showing that any of the show's creators have disputed this then I'd love to see it. And just to reiterate my thoughts that I state in the video. I think that Hillenburg knew that the show would keep going on after the movie and was fine with it, but with the chance of it being the last time he would be creatively and directly involved with the characters he decided to step up with it and make something that would leave a lasting impression. Which is why the movie is about what it's about and why it feels like a finale. Personally I do headcanon that the show is the end of SpongeBob's story because it doesn't make sense that Mr. Krabs would just shut down the Krusty Krab 2 and that SpongeBob would settle for going back to being a simple fry cook. It also doesn't make sense that everything would just go back to normal after Plankton learned the Krabby Patty formula. But it doesn't matter because SpongeBob is a very loose and nonsensical show where anything goes and every story more-or-less takes place in a vacuum, completely detached from any sort of chronology. If you still think that the show is the series finale then that's fine and you shouldn't care about the show's "canon" because the show itself doesn't care about its own "canon." Squidward says that he's never had a Krabby Patty in season 3 but in season 2 we see him eat many Krabby Patties, therefore season 3 takes place before season 2 get over it.

He remembered his password

I miss the dense kind hearted Patrick :/

Spongebob is such an important character to me. We need more "childish" adult characters in media. Spongebob being an adult who likes "kids" stuff like blowing bubbles, jellyfishing, karate: it's a very positive type of character that tells children to grow up, while also telling them they can still like those things that made their childhood special, and they don't have to give into adult stereotypes. He goes to work, he works hard, he's able to pay for his house and food for his snail. He has all the necessary skills for adulthood, while still finding childlike joy in pretty much everything he does.

When I was like 8, I used to play cashier with my cousins and I loved it and couldn't wait until I could get an actual job possibly as a cashier as well. 8 years later I was working at a fast food place, completly miserable and just waiting for the clock to go faster. I once thought about spongebob and how he could find the joy in working this exact job, a joy I once had. Although it didn't make the job any better, it made me look for the joy in it and everything else I did. Never try to revert to a child and ignore responsibilities but always hold on to the childish joy and limitless hope even in the face of unhappy times.

I always think its frustrating when people brush off as childrens media not having messages, literally every story has a message, especially childrens shows

ngl i really miss the old DVD menus for some reason

to be honest, this film hits pretty deep to me as an adult with a childlike sense of wonder, in terms of emotional maturity I'm there but I'll be damned if I ever stop loving this or fraggle rock, my boyfriend assures me my youthful spirit is a virtue though :)

I cannot watch this movie without crying out my eyes makes me feel like a small kid every time I watch it

I disagree about squidward having a bigger role in the movie, I think Squidward has already had a conclusive ark thanks to 'Band Geeks', and Squidward and Spongebobs dynamic is explored quite a bit with the show. Meanwhile, SpongeBob and Patricks dynamic is rarely ACTUALLY threatened, save for dumb one off disagreements.

"Kids these days don't know what they're missing." Me, Gen Z, absolutely loves the Spongebob movie, hooked on classics like Back to the Future, The Iron Giant, et cetera, obsessed with retro video games and consoles:

That and when you’re a kid you don’t feel like anything changes. 29-30 years later and I still wish VHS and DVD were a viable option to rent things instead of constant streaming and that there was genuine color and mirth in marketing again.

3:22 Actually, he was already working there before SpongeBob was hired so he’s definitely been working there for longer than 31 years.

I never really gave it much thought before but the spongebob, patrick and squidward dynamic is like a sibling relationship with spongebob being the youngest, patrick being the middle child and squidward being the oldest spongebob is young and impressionable and more open to new ideas patrick thinks he knows everything and will try and push his ideas onto spongebob and squidward just wants to be left alone and will sometimes need to go in and correct some of the information that patrick gives or play into it in a way that benefits him

it may not've been the intended ending but I kinda wish it was.. everything afterwards feels like mindless, heartless pablum compared to old SpongeBob and this movie

I think the “Nickelodeon Movies” intro for this movie is the most life changing 16 seconds of media ever made

The SpongeBob and Patrick bit made me realize why those two really work, I knew SpongeBob though Patrick was smart when he wasn’t, but them sharing weird interests, SpongeBob looking up to Patrick and him being a good friend in turn to SpongeBob just makes them work at characters and as best friends

The goofy goober rock song is still the best movie song to ever come out imo

the first spongebob movie just felt like there was a purpose, most if not huge pieces of the puzzle were already formed, The art to this day still looks great, so great it was carried over to season 4. I wish i could say the same for sponge out of water, i really did enjoy the beginning, the first half was great, minus the live action and the birds, they were abysmal, the pairing of spongebob and plankton at least was unique, and had plankton be a more protagonistic role, but the fact an ordinary washed up pirate frycook, SOMEHOW gained information about the krabby patty, and how without it bikini bottom ceases to exist was what brought it down for me. I'd only watch sponge on the run for the gorgeous animation: that's it, could care less about the plot and spongebob, although having the lost city of atlantis being las vegas was a really good bit and i wish we got more of that honestly.

I've always seen the Cyclops as embodying the very thing Stephen Hillenburg hated. The Cyclops stole undersea creatures from their natural habitat, and killed them gradually before selling them as cheap knick-knacks in a gift shop. Stephen was a marine biologist and believed in educating anyone curious about undersea life without directly interfering with how they live, so the Cyclops is basically an antithesis to what Stephen Hillenburg believed in.

Man, this video hit at the perfect time for me. Lately I've been struggling with depression, brought on by similar things you addressed in the video: living alone, working a dead-end job, etc. I've been retreating into my childhood passions to help try to combat that, and lately, for some reason, I'd begun to feel guilty about that and think that I should change things within me to change my situation. But changing most of those things would, to quote Hillenburg, be "trying to fit a square peg into a round hole," and it would sacrifice some of my own childlike nature-which is actually something I like about myself. This video helped me realize that no matter how old I get, it's important to hold onto the things I enjoy and the things that help bring me comfort-no matter how silly they might be perceived as by others. If SpongeBob can find joy and contentment in his situation and help share that warmth with others, so can I. I know this comment itself might sound silly, but seriously, thank you.

Damn really had to hit me with this much nostalgia during my alcoholic relapse.

I feel like I have just unlocked some sort of Spongebob enlightenment. It's a series that is a bit older than I am and I have never understood its themes and its core better than I do now. Someone send this video to the current writers.

I actually feel bad for poor Stephen having to see his creation being destroyed by the popularity.

It's honestly weird how nowdays Krusty Krab is portrayed as, like, the most important thing in the universe, not just to SpongeBob personaly. I enjoy a lot of the post-2015 episodes of the show, but that aspect feels very detached from what Krusty Krab was meant to be originally.

You're first, hes first, im first is there another first i should know about!?!

you put into words why i love this movie so much. while the current show runner says it was never intended to be the finale to the show, contradicting hillenburg, it definitely wrapped up spongebob's character arc. like you've said, spongebob is socially trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, and i'd argue that description fits very closely with neurodivergent experiences. hell, even in intervies with hillenburg, he said while he didn't intend for spongebob to be neurodivergent, he welcomed it and loved the interpretation. spongebob wanted to be taken seriously without having to sacrifice important aspects of himself. while spongebob as a series is basically a comedy, generally seasons 1 through 3 to me felt like trying to be accepted as who he is was a huge part of the tone. a lot of the conflict came from spongebob's goofy strangeness clashing with everyone else's percieved notions of being mature or responsible, ESPECIALLY with squidward. the movie tackling that is an amazing book-end for the series when you look at it like that. the series didn't put you down for having child-like interests, or being naive or whatnot. it encouraged it, and the movie put spongebob through the wringer for him to come out even stronger. spongebob has so many unique and amazing qualities i've never noticed until i was an adult, and while i know a lot of it wasn't intentional, it always makes me happy to see other people feel similar or reach similar conclusions

I don't think you could ever get "too deep" into something made by Hillenburg, he had a lot of care for that series, especially when he already wanted the show to be relatable to adults. so I wouldn't be surprised at all if there's all these narratives woven into the childlike script.

SpongeBob is about living a happy life. To SpongeBob, there is no prose in the world; everything is beautiful and poetic to him. We all need to be more like SpongeBob

23:15 “the one thing that kids hate the most is being treated like a kid” To treat someone as a kid is to treat them without respect, to view them as stupid and annoying, so it makes sense that when a kid grows up they want to be treated with respect, to be viewed as an intellectual equal who is enjoyable to hang out with. This is likely the cause of some kids desire to abandon what they still enjoy and toxic masculinity, a response of “I deserve respect and admiration because I am in no way shape or form a kid” to the point where they might perpetuate the cycle just to prove “I can’t be a child because I am treating this person as a child and I am nothing like this person”.

I watched this movie like 100 times already but i still flock to these analysis videos like a fly to light

SpongeBob has always been a neurodivergent icon because of the way he is Outcast of society,living happily the way he likes and wants to? That dream to be free despite being disabled.it’s something a large group of people can relate to

To this day I sing along to the goofy goober song off the top of my lungs. Someone bringing a DVD of this movie for me and my friends to watch it was the highlight of my college years.

20:47 don't forget a knucklehead mcspazatron

Loved this and loved the movie as a kid. I appreciate the deeper analysis. Sometimes I wonder if the writers project their own experiences on the characters they create

I finished watching Spongebob after the movie because it felt like the finale

The way he cut off the cyclops section is the most disappointing thing ever

If you respect children they we grow up into decent people.

Watching this made me relize how oddly alike me and the square lad is. Im autistic getting my first job at the age of 21 at an arcade. The whole thing with wanting to fit in but like a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. Thats exactly what its like for me with multiple people at my job mangers included calling me "innocent" or "navie" or even when i first joined some even thinking i was 15! I allways feel like i have to prove myself snd mabye its the childhood trauma talking but yeah

About the goal of spongebob. I must admit that is a cartoon that never sticked in my mind since i stopped watching it. It s like i remember it once in a whiile and every time i say like "oh it s so important one of the best cartoons etc", but then i forget about it again. And i think that the main reason is that it never thought me anything. It was just about the laughs. The characters are not that defined, they just live. Spongebob seems to just happen.

one of the writers, i think it was aaron springer or someone else idk answered this question: "Was the movie supposed to be the ending?" and they said "never was"

Easily one of the best video essays to come out of this movie. The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie will always be one of my all time favorites, and there's no way I'm alone on that.

2:05 Oh I Member!

Wow, I never knew the belief that the original movie was intended to end the series was just a headcanon. Goes to show how well the movie wraps up the series I guess

Wondered where you have been. Good video!

Glad your back

I still get emotional during the scene when Spongebob and Patrick are being fried by the lamp. Especially when they sing their favorite song as they dry up

King Neptune in Neptunes Spatula and King Neptune in the movie are the same character he just got old

15:54 That shot looks so weird. It makes sense. But it's so uncanny seeing a lifelike leg.

Squidward is basically Spongebob larping as an "adult."

Great analysis!

14:30 he wasn't "stepped down" but resigned on his violition, see the wikipedia page "Consequently, he resigned as the showrunner[72] and appointed his trusted staff member Paul Tibbitt to the role". The citation is a huffpost article titled ""SpongeBob Turns 10 Valued At $8 Billion". He basically figured they would end it on their own eventually once he left its not like he was oustered or fired neccesarily

Watching it on VHS is a whole different vibe

i wasn't ready for that cut to the PS2

You were so real for this

I remember the release of this film. Arguably one of if not the best family films of its era; and in my opinion, probably still the best. This is probably one of the last examples of a family film respecting its adult audience in addition to its primary.

I miss the OG Bob , from my childhood memories 😔

A lot of kids shows are made for kids but they're also there to entertain the parents who have to watch it too. With gravity falls you could be a parent watching it with your kid and actually bond over that mystery. I was a kid when i watched it but if i was a parent i would've gotten into it and used it as a way to bond with my kid by watching it weekly together and speculating on the mysteries in it, and that's the best kind of kid show tbh

Great video

Ocean man, the crust is elusive when it casts forth To the childlike man

The Goldbergs has a similar message, one that really resonated with me back in middle school. Adam, the main character is pretty similar to me. Loves kids stuff and still wants the latest action figures, but he’s looked down on or told to “move on.” But eventually his dad tells him he’s actually cool the way he is and even his grandfather says to hold onto his childlike wonder. Not the best comment to summarize this, just go watch the show, it’s good (except for season 8-10, it kinda went downhill from there but the first 7 were good.) And Adam is still plenty capable of a lot of stuff! In fact his childlike nature is probably what led him into becoming a writer for a sitcom starring his family! (Again, crappy comment lol but I tried )

I always think Modern spongebob gets way to much hate it’s full of negativity so i just don’t bother with them

man hearing the music from the spongebob the movie game in the background was super nostalgic. Shit's kinda a bop too

7:06 bro called me tf out

YES! you really hit the nail on the head. all a good kid's show has to do is respect their audience

Thanks for addressing the whole “series finale” thing. A perfect example of why context matters.

I mean canonically you're either the fish. Or the skeleton so maturity isnt a matter lol

I also count each segment as individual episodes.

8:36 Makes me think of the genuinely upset reaction Squidward has in the episode Pizza Delivery, he may not always show it but he truly cares about SpongeBob and dislikes seeing him upset

Crazy to think one of my favorite movies came out only a month after i was born. I was a $5 movie bin kid though so it makes sense

No no, please, by all means, do not stop yourself, icame for this video *specifically* for taking something more seirous than intended and overanalyzed as if it was meant Its not that deep, but it's just more fun to sink your head as deep as can go and pretend!

such a cute essay :)

A later episode (I think the home renovation one) explains the different King Neptunes by saying "Neptune XVI" or something like that

can't believe it took 20 years for me to realise the living under the rock gag and i had to be told it

The guitar solo

The whole goofy goobers thing is what I joke about my cats with and I love it

21:06 that punch caught me so off guard 10/10 very effective visuals

Good video. Have a sub!

18:28, xD great transition there. 20:48, or a Knucklehead Mcspazatron..don't forget about that! 24:16, hey. That's cool. 25:58, I feel it's more about Plankton coming to terms that even the people he hate may actually be good friends if he had given them a chance instead of chasing down some stupid food recipe while the "narrator" basically stole his title of being an evil genius and is what Plankton is if he were to do it alone 100%. Well to answer that mustache thing, I am growing one but I had to trim it down so I can fit into my Spider-Gwen mask whenever I go to cosplay events. It's been very tricky though I'm gonna need a mask for future events.

one thing i have to say is regular show does fell like more of a cartoon made for adults cause it has alot of stuff kids dont understand i could relate to the characters in that show alot

The SpongeBob movie PS2 game was also a childhood staple of mine

18:08 Spongebob wants.....a Driver's Liscence!

Hey pal, watch it with that maturity business

This movie was a big deal to me. Watched it in theaters around Halloween. I was 8 years old, and I cried during the movie. I remember it well. Can't believe it was almost 20 years ago.

I'm kids these days, and I remember DVD menus.

Loved this movie as a kid, never remembered the animation being so great.

This was the first movie my parents took me to see in theaters, I was three years old

1:38 “nostalgic” lol

7:04 Did i get caught

As a kid i always disliked the adults who lost their sense of wonder and imagination, i never wanted to be that guy that always shut down every chance a kid had at imagination, i loved how shamelessly happy spongebob is about liking the things he does, and as an adult i still strive to be that way.

Nah mate, Incredibles was definitely for adults. I found it confusing and boring as a kid. Love it as an adult. Has way too many themes that are irrelevant to children.

Yeah, I don't like the "Secretly for adults", people. No it was not made for you, it was made for kids to watch with their parents. These shows were always meant for children to enjoy and watch. You really think mlp is a show for adults?

I don't know about you guys, but when I was young, I was expected to grow up ASAP, feeling like I wasn't alound to act like a child. Now I often throw the "your jealous I still experience childlike wonder" meme as just that, a meme. Yet, I feel that it's important to feel that childlike wonder now and again to have a happy life. I'm definitely happier as a childish adult that I was as a mature child.

I'm surprised they didn't put the My Leg joke in the first movie

what's the background music at 25 minutes?

I think that maturity is rarely about the "what" and more about the "why" and "how". It's something I never got as a kid. I was always the class genius throughout my entire time in public school, and that image was something I wanted to maintain. At the same time, I never let go of my video games (and of course still have not). I thought my appearance of "maturity" was through either my intellect or being "boring". (I was done with "santa" at the age of 6 and was not told by my parents, I was done with Halloween when I was 10, and while I find it kind of hard to specify example, do keep in mind that I am trying to talk about a mindset i no longer have from what is now 15+ years behind me). To explain the "why" and "how", though, I'll go over a lot of easier examples that I can explain much better. Video games: Weirdly enough, I've felt the "mature" edge here for a long time. It isn't just playing games to have fun or kill time. I feel an actual reason to want to play the game. A test of my skills, both mentally and physically (I play a lot of hard platformers and puzzle games). I still make time to see my friends and get things done, but I have actual reason to want to play the games. And beyond that, I like to make stuff with the skills I've acquired. I make modpacks for minecraft, and I've also made a pokemon rom hack. Doing these things helps me refine my programming skills, so it has use beyond the surface level as well. I have projects to be proud of and put care and dedication into them. Anime/Cartoons: As a kid, I watched a lot of things for the cool flashy animation or the surface level jokes, but as an adult, I appreciate them a whole lot more when they are made well. Understanding why you like something is essential to having that "mature" edge to something you like. You can absolutely acknowledge that you like something for surface-level reasons, and it only increases when there is more to it beyond that. An important thing about being an adult is understanding yourself. You're the only one with your whole story, so you're the only one who can truly know why you are the way you are. Collecting merchandise: I don't really do this, but it's a common part of the trope, so it's worth a mention. For me, everything I have that qualifies in this category is either a t-shirt (something with a function beyond having it), a gift (which holds value beyond what the item is, but means something for who I got it from), or in the edge case, an amiibo (which has functionality in one/more games, so again, is there for something more than just having it). If you are going to collect things to collect them, I would base the "maturity" on both how much having those things means to you and your understanding of fiscal responsibility and how you should be restricting the amount of unnecessary purchases you are making to keep on a healthy budget. Sugar: It's fine to enjoy sugar and indulge in it reasonably. Obviously you need to keep an entire balance in your diet, but there's a big difference between having a sugary drink with every meal and restricting it to only a couple times a week. I think that, since sugar is everywhere these days, it's a good way to teach yourself self-discipline. Making boring things fun: There's nothing wrong with softening the "pain" of a dull activity to encourage you to do it more. We have pain killers for a reason. "Dealing" with the pain doesn't make you mature, your attempt at it is, and being smarter about it as a substitute for feeling the pain is absolutely valid. Of course, you can list other things, but this comment is long enough.

Fun fact: originally, the SpongeBob movie from 2004 was originally MEANT to be the ending to the series itself, but Hillenburg didn’t want to let go so he continued the series (if I remember correctly)

I wish they did more with Squidward.

Finally

The music in the background sounds familiar What is it from