OPINION:
SpongeBob and Sandy Cheeks set out to rescue their home from an evil CEO in a new “SpongeBob” franchise flick. This 1981 “Time Bandits” adaptation comes with some story changes, new locations — and a couple issues, too. Don’t be fooled by the animation: the Harley Quinn spin-off, “Kite Man: H— Yeah!,” is overflowing with violence, raunchiness and amorality.
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Read on to get Plugged In on what’s beyond the movie titles and trailers for faith-filled and family-first reviews from Focus on the Family’s Plugged In.
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie – Streaming on Netflix
The SpongeBob franchise has often gotten a bad reputation in certain circles for its myriad crude and pointless gags. In other circles, SpongeBob’s decades-long screen fame has garnered him the title of “classic.” Amazingly, it’s now been more than 25 years since he first showed up on Nickelodeon. And, frankly, not much has changed over that time period.
The latest SpongeBob movie, now streaming on Netflix, is no exception. If you’ve seen any of the previous movies, you know exactly what to expect here.
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Yup, we’ve got near-constant violent gags, though no one ever seems too much the worse for wear. Still, those mildly intense pratfalls may be a bit much for younger or especially sensitive viewers. And then, of course, there’s the toilet humor.
All of that said, however, the yellow sponge with square pants has never wavered in his commitment to his home and his friends. And neither has Sandy Cheeks. Their determination to save their home and their friends is equally evident here.
So, if you’re willing to wade through the seaweed of cruder jokes and gags with your kids, the newest SpongeBob movie might just be a great jumping-off point for a family discussion about the importance of family, friends, perseverance and working together.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Time Bandits – Streaming on Apple TV+
As a certain purple mad titan once said: “Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same.”
“Dread” is certainly the word most fans use when they hear that a beloved movie is destined to get a modern adaptation, reboot or sequel. Perhaps at one point, people were excited to see their favorite characters romp across the screen once more. But more and more, the consensus among fans is fear that such things will only sully the happy memories they have of the original.
“Time Bandits” is the latest release to get the adaptation treatment. The biggest question for fans of the original 1981 release, then, is what changes have been made?
Perhaps the most immediately noticeable change centers on the Time Bandits themselves. No longer are they a group of male dwarves. Now, they’re a smaller group of average-sized people, all with different names from the original. The historical locations visited are different from the film, too. Gone is the dry British humor typical of a Monty Python film, replaced with director Taika Waititi’s sarcastic quips and distinct humor style. And his version of God/Supreme Being is far more fleshed out…with a few of those additions not being very benevolent.
To its credit, the core plot of the original movie stays relatively the same: God and Satan/Wrongness both attempt to get the map from Kevin and the treasure-loving arrogant Time Bandits. And the up-and-coming actor Kal-El Tuck (named after Superman) does a stellar job as Kevin.
But time hasn’t quite sweetened the content within “Time Bandits.” The spiritual buffoonery feels weird at best and objectionable at worst. Some violence, though bloodless, can press the bounds of a PG rating (such as a brief shot of one man’s mangled leg following a nasty fall). And though kept infrequent, light swearing and misuses of Jesus’ name occasionally pop up, too (even if they’re relatively less common than the original).
And those are some issues we’d rather leave in the past.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Kite Man: H— Yeah! – Streaming on HBOMax
Described by series creator Patrick Schumacker as “‘Cheers’ for supervillains,” “Kite Man: H— Yeah!” is pretty much exactly what you might expect from a show called “Kite Man: H— Yeah!”
As a spin-off of the adult animated series “Harley Quinn,” it retains every bit of its predecessor’s irreverence, violence, and raunchiness. People are killed left and right in increasingly gruesome ways (receiving little more than an “oh well” from our central characters). Constant references are made to sexual activity. And it’s almost hard to believe the writers could fit so much foul language into a 20-minute episode.
Plus, you know … there’s the issue of being asked to root for actual supervillains — the kind who will gladly murder dozens of people and steal millions of dollars just to save their local bar.
DC Comics and Warner Bros. seem to be on a mission to disrupt the superhero genre with the most crude and shocking animated content possible. If that’s their goal, it seems to be working, as “Harley Quinn” has been successful enough to earn five seasons and a spin-off show.
But perhaps the best way to stem this growing tide of crude adult animation is to skip them altogether. Trust us, with “Kite Man,” you won’t be missing much.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here. [Warning: This content contains strong language that may be offensive or inappropriate for some audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.]
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
Reviews written by Lauren Cook, Caleb Gottry and Kennedy Unthank.
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