Spongebob: A Sponge Out of Water

Any nineties child would have grown up with this strange yellow quadrilateral jumping around cheerfully with a high pitched voice.

His appeal, looking back, has not changed: he is cheerful, endlessly optimistic and just a tad tongue-in-cheek.

Children today are still in love with the strange shapes down in the fictional world of Bikini Bottom.

Now, a live-action film, accompanied with animated characters, has been let loose on audiences globally.

While not quite as visually slick as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? or as satirically brilliant as Enchanted it still hits its market well with slapstick, crude jokes a cheerful palette and inventive scenario.

Whether this is appealing to nostalgic adults remains to be judged. Ladies, I have to inform you that Antonio Banderas, here a slightly bumbling pirate, is no longer a mask-wearing, sword-swishing swoon symbol.

But if you can get past that without too much hysteria your kids are probably in for a good afternoon. Brilliantly silly without any pretentiousness.

Did you know? The animation was done in South Korea.

Is this for me? If you are expecting something with an Oscar Wilde style wit, no. But if you are up for a few sea-based puns and a good push of cartoons, this is for you. Definitely a kid’s film, through and through.

Running time: 92 minutes

Showing at: Chatham Odeon, Canterbury Curzon, Bluewater De Lux and Tunbridge Wells Odeon