Let me say that I have always been a big kid.

Cartoons are some of my favorite movies. The Emperor's New Groove is the standard to which I hold all animation up to.

Well, today I watched Sponge bob Square Pants the Movie and I have to say that it was just great. From the dialog, witty and surprisingly smart (many things that your children won't get will have you rolling), to the flow of the plot. It follows Sponge bob as he looses the manger job to the new Krusty Krab to Squidward. In the aftermath, Plankton, Krusty Krabs fast-food rival (despite never having one customer) devises a plan to put the Krusty Krab out of business. I won't ruin it for you. I'll just say it involves stealing the kings crown and blaming it on the owner of the Krusty Krab. Needless to say, it is up to Spongebob and his trusty pal to journey to the Forbidden Shell City to recover it. Along the way they run into, among others: redneck gas station attendants, underwater carjackers, legions of nasty crevasse dwelling monsters, Dennis (Plankton's hit man), a mysterious giant Cyclops and David Hasselhoffe (doing a spot on impersonation of himself on Baywatch- the part spotlighting his pectoral muscles was the best!).

Never once did I guess what the Shell city was going to be! Maybe I'm an idiot...ok I am an idiot but, this twist was truly a surprise and if you can guess it before the end, then you're a better man than I.

Also

To heck with the musical ending of The Forty Year Old Virgin! Be gone with you pathetic excuse for an exit song What About Marry? And don't even go there Shrek or Shrek Two.

As I watched the finally of Sponge bob all past in-movie musical break-downs were wiped from my mind, leaving only Twisted Sisters refrain burned into my brain. Awesome; the only word fit to be associated with a flying Sponge bob wielding a two handled flaming electrified guitar, nay, ax! Shooting bolts of lightning from its heads. Destroying the evil mind control buckets from the heads of Bikini Bottom's citizenry. Althewhile, "I wanna rock!" blasting from his lungs- stopping only for the most hellacious guitar solo this side of Pink Floyd.

In the immortal words of Sponge bob’s nemesis, Plankton, as he watched in dismay, "I cannot resist him! His chops are to righteous!"

My only caveat is that Sponge bob, after all his soul searching, still takes the managers job. Is he trying to say that after all that it still makes him feel good to "manage" others?

Perhaps I'm being to hard on him; maybe he was only excited to full-fill his dream and ultimate wish. However, the film doesn't show the forty year old Sponge bob working 80 hours a week mopping up after losers and their kids while his wife is at home cheating on him with the neighbor.

"His chops are too righteous!"