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Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants program never insults the intelligence of its audience, and that’s a major reason for its all-ages appeal — that and the contagious giddy goofiness of SquarePants and his pals. And if there’s any doubt that the cartoon attracts more than the under-10 set, a glance at the bands on the feature-length film’s soundtrack — Wilco, the Flaming Lips, the Shins, Motörhead, Ween, and Avril Lavigne — will prove that kids aren’t the only ones who find Bikini Bottom a cool place to be. The TV show delivers more laughs per half-hour than the movie, which also is directed by the show’s creators, Sherm Cohen and Stephen Hillenburg. But the perfect timing and the self-aware absurdity translate to the big screen. The story is a classic quest: Plankton, in an effort to detour business from the Krusty Krab to the Chum Bucket, steals King Neptune’s crown and blames Mr. Krabs. SpongeBob and his puffy starfish pal Patrick set off to retrieve the crown from the distant, dangerous Shell City. They’re aided by Princess Mindy (the sweet-voiced Scarlett Johansson) and threatened by the evil sea cowboy Dennis (Alec Baldwin) as well as other underwater thugs. In an age of animated razzle-dazzle, SpongeBob will remind you of pre-digital Saturday mornings. (90 minutes)
BY NINA MACLAUGHLIN
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