The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

The live-action sequences, in which Antonio Banderas chews the pirate scenery, may not live up to the Looney Tunes madness of the cartoons, but for sheer head-scrambling craziness this is hard to beat.

Intermittently, SpongeBob's latest feature is very funny indeed, even for non-devotees of the original series.

Sponge Out of Water has a frenetic, Looney Tunes pacing and a head-spinning, surreal story that makes you wonder whether it's aimed at children or stoners.

Almost every line is a zinger, which can be appreciated in a state of total sobriety: it's a non-stoner stoner film - and very funny.

The film moves like a pyjama case full of angry weasels, and finds ingenious ways to cram every scene with just one more loopy, disposable gag or slapstick thwack. It may not be the year's best animated film, but it's almost certainly the most.

It's a simple premise with proven appeal, giving director Paul Tibbitt and his team freedom to construct a film where just about every element of the storytelling exists to be parodied and undermined.

Gets a little water logged when the characters hit land and turn into CGI creations, but it never loses its sense of silly whether it is above or below sea level.

I had a blast with it and found myself laughing consistently throughout the film.

t is definitely not for everyone and it was out there but I was charmed by it and it kept me engaged.

The energy, colours and simple humour cross over into the longer format with ease, sticking by its silliness throughout and appealing squarely to fans of the series.