History WesternAnimation / TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Assuming Spongebob's employee of the month streak started in 1997 (the year "Help Wanted" was first produced) the movie takes place from March 7 to 14 of 2028.

* LuringInPrey: As they journey out from Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob and Patrick come across a rather incongruous ice cream stand owned by a sweet little old lady. It eventually turns out to be the elaborate lure of a gigantic frogfish that uses it to trick people into walking into its mouth.

* UncertainDoom: The movie never makes it clear if [[spoiler:Dennis]] was killed or simply knocked out when he gets struck by the catamaran. The scene itself plays out like a usual death scene would.

* PunctuatedForEmphasis: At the promotion ceremony, Mr. Krabs tells SpongeBob, "You. Did not. Get. The job!"

* OffModel: [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools But in a good way]]; the film seems to follow the Creator/JohnKricfalusi method of staying less on-model and more in-character.

* RatedMForManly: The [[BadGuyBar Thug Tug]] might be one the most on-the-nose examples of this. As a rule, they beat up anybody who blows bubbles.

* TheHerosJourney: Even something like this can be made to fit: the beginning of the film shows [=SpongeBob=]'s normal life in Bikini Bottom, and then he is forced to leave the comfort of home to save Mr. Krabs and retrieve Neptune's crown, by facing all sorts of challenges that require him to realize that he needs to grow up. The trench is the [[CantRefuseTheCallAnymore nadir of the journey]] when he and Patrick realize how pathetic they are, Shell City is the "descent to the underworld" (in that they are very nearly killed and only miraculously survive) and, when they return, [=SpongeBob=] saves everyone in town from Plankton's mind control by admitting that he may just be a kid, but that isn't so bad.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Unlike the rest of the series, this movie is considerably a lot darker and has plenty of horror elements. Plankton is more depraved and vicious than in the series (somewhat foreshadowed in the episode [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS1E10CultureShockFUN "FUN"]] where Plankton has an ImagineSpot of destroying Bikini Bottom with a giant Jellyfish robot), to the point that he sadistically shows excitement and joy when King Neptune is about to ''kill'' Mr. Krabs, not to mention the monsters that abound in the way of [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick, the ruthless mercenary (Dennis) sent by Plankton to kill the duo, and how the heroes [[spoiler [[DisneyDeath briefly die]] at the hand of the Cyclops.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: Unlike the rest of the series, this movie is considerably a lot darker and has plenty of horror elements. Plankton is more depraved and vicious than in the series (somewhat foreshadowed in the episode [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS1E10CultureShockFUN "FUN"]] where Plankton has an ImagineSpot of destroying Bikini Bottom with a giant Jellyfish robot), to the point that he sadistically shows excitement and joy when King Neptune is about to ''kill'' Mr. Krabs, not to mention the monsters that abound in the way of [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick, the ruthless mercenary (Dennis) sent by Plankton to kill the duo, and how the heroes die at the hand of the Cyclops.

''The [=SpongeBob SquarePants=] Movie'' is, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well]], [[TheMovie a movie based on the]] Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} cartoon ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants''. And as expected for a movie based on one of Nickelodeon's programs, it's a [[BigDamnMovie big damn one]].

Series creator Stephen Hillenburg intended for the movie to serve as a FinaleMovie to the series, but ExecutiveMeddling got in the way of that. Many fans widely accept it and consider it a spectacular love letter to the original series. It also received positive critical reception, earning a 69% on Website/RottenTomatoes, which may not sound like much, but it's pretty damn good for a Nick movie.

* AnimationBump: More like a ''shove!'' While the show normally hides its LimitedAnimation with strong layouts, the movie relishes in incredibly fluid and insane, OffModel animation, the likes of which could never be done on a TV budget.

* EldritchLocation: Shell City is presently a beachside gift shop that sells nautical knick-knacks. To the cast, however, it's a horrifying place of certain death on the dreaded ''dry land,'' filled to the brim with the dehydrated corpses of various sea creatures unfortunate enough to be captured by the Cyclops, who oversees Shell City. [[spoiler:The victims of the Cyclops do get better, [[CurbStompBattle fortunately.]]]]

* EmbarrassingVoicemail: When King Neptune interrogates Mr. Krabs about the disappearance of his crown, the answering machine receives a call and plays the message aloud. It is Plankton pretending to be someone else, thanking Mr. Krabs for stealing and selling him Neptune's crown. Neptune believes it and is furious, despite Mr. Krabs' attempts to silence the voicemail.

* ActorAllusion: David Hasselhoff plays a lifeguard. [[Series/{{Baywatch}} Again]].

* ArcWords: "I'm a Goofy Goober, YEAH!"

* BuddySnapsFirst: A Non-anger variant. When at the the Thug Tug, [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick have to resist singing the Goofy Goober theme song only for the bar owner to egg them into doing it. Just as they are about to though, a two headed fish next to them sings it.

-->'''[=SpongeBob=]''': '''NO!''' I won't let you!

--> '''[=SpongeBob=]''': ''["hungover" from an [[DrunkOnMilk ice-cream bender]]]'' Well, I am 100% ''MAN!'' And this ''MAN'' has got something to say to yooouuu! ''(blows a very long raspberry'' There! I think I made my point!

-->'''Patrick:''' Well, saying you're a kid is like saying ''I'm'' a kid!
-->'''Waiter:''' Here's your Goober Meal, sir.
-->'''Patrick:''' Uh, I'm supposed to get a toy with this? [gets smacked in the face with toy] Thanks.

--> '''[=SpongeBob=]:''' You got a name?\\

--> '''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Wait a second, everybody. There's something I need to say first... I just don't know how to put it.\\

--> '''[=SpongeBob=]:''' [[spoiler:Manager! ''This is the greatest day of my liiiife!'']]

** Mr. Krabs is shown being aware of what's happening while he is frozen.

* LooseLips: Lampshaded when Plankton calls Squidward "Inspector Loose Lips" after he finds out his EvilPlan and threatens to expose him to King Neptune, prompting him to activate the bucket helmets' MindControl.

--->'''Karen:''' Now activating helmet [[spoiler:[[{{Brainwashed}} brain]] [[MindControlDevice control devices]]]].

* YouGotSpunk: Dennis to [=SpongeBob=]: "You've got guts, kid. Too bad I gotta rip 'em out of you."