Netflix speaks to 2000s kids by bringing the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie from 2004

The people have spoken and Netflix has given in.

Over two hours of a title sequence-singing fish, Krabby Patties (don’t forget the pickles) and your favorite sponge who lives in a pineapple are just some of the perks of November’s latest online streaming release.

In an adventure riddled with song, dance and slapstick humor, SpongeBob and friends track down King Neptune’s stolen crown throughout this 2004 animated comedy. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie captures Stephen Hillenburg’s original vision for a yellow, cackling, high-spirited undersea sponge and his many antics.

Netflix’s release of SpongeBob on streaming will delight well-seasoned SpongeBob veterans and the Bikini Bottom newbies alike.

The amount of excitement I felt upon finding out The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was released for online streaming is embarrassing, but I’m not entirely alone in my excitement.

Chances are if you’re a millennial and you’ve had a working satellite dish or antenna of some sort, you were probably raised with the cable equivalent of 24-hour breakfast at Denny’s — SpongeBob on Nickelodeon. It’s not good, heck, it’s not even okay, but you’re going to stay up late and you’re going to make use of that 24-hour-service.

Perhaps the reason for my SquarePants nostalgia stems from the fact I was a T.V. late bloomer. Until age 13, I thought Public Broadcasting System (PBS) was the only channel in America. When PBS Nightly News came on at five, I thought kids hour was done and adult hour reigned supreme.

My T.V. habits began to change when I started riding the bus in sixth grade. It didn’t take long to figure out while waiting at the bus stop, the common thing to do was mourn the loss of hitching rides to school with our legal guardians.

Expressing my discontent, I complained too, but honestly I couldn’t have been happier.

On Fridays I would get home before my parents and I would heat up soup from a can (only the best) and cautiously watch SpongeBob, savoring every moment of the show and my lukewarm soup.

I don’t know if I would call myself a SpongeBob fan, but the show inadvertently became an element of my experience as an evolving human being. Creating a bi-weekly routine around SpongeBob, soup and moments of happy solitude, I depended on myself and in a goofy sixth grade way, controlled my own destiny.

I appreciate the SpongeBob TV series and the 2004 film because of their distinctive humor, cartooning style and the significant yet unexpected role these played in my coming-of-age.

Plus, who doesn’t like SpongeBob’s annoying laugh?

Ultimately, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie will probably change your life.

If you do start modelling Mr. Krab’s pirate-like tone or drop your paid internship to embrace the stormy tides of the fry cook industry, then maybe you need to ignore my anecdote and watch PBS (I hear the Nightly News is pretty good).

Take a swig of the past and sit down for some mind-numbing Netflix and chill.

Whether you’re a first-timer or an old-timer, you won’t learn anything of merit from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

In fact, you may even kill off a few brain cells, but oh barnacles, will you have a good time.

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