Standard operating procedure has a DVD come out after a TV show’s episodes have aired. It’s a simple way for the people who missed parts of a season to catch up or for devoted fans to preserve the memory. SpongeBob SquarePants: Legends of Bikini Bottom flips the release windows. The six underwater shorts on the DVD haven’t aired on Nickelodeon. They haven’t even been scheduled. This allows some fans of Bikini Bottom to get a job on those that only watch the show on TV. Somebody is going to be the cool kid on the school bus for having seen these episodes instead of waiting. This is a bit tricky to review since it will be spoiling the TV show for fans of the porous and yellow hero. But you’ve read this far you’re impatient to wait for Legends to appear in TV Guide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg1snQDr-9w
Legends of Bikini Bottom is set up as one big special instead of three episodes. Each of the six segments deals with a new strange event. This of this as the SpongeBob version of In Search Of…. without Leonard Nimoy’s narration. SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs meet strange phenomena, hideous monsters and magical spells. It enough to make you want to hide inside a pineapple.
“The Monster Who Came to Bikini Bottom” is a toxic semi-terror from Patrick’s handling of barrels. The giant monster gets mistaken for a raging beast. How will the cops react to seeing the barnacle covered giant? Patrick and SpongeBob have to make the other citizens understand that it’s not that bad. “Welcome to the Bikini Bottom Triangle” plays upon the Bermuda Triangle. A weird event transports much of the town into a mysterious space. SpongeBob has to get them back home. “The Main Drain” forces Mr. Krabs to weave a scary tale to stop SpongeBob from pulling out a drain plug. Supposedly there’s a drain in the floor of the ocean that sucks all the water out. The duo decide to see if the main drain really can cause the underwater apocalypse. “Trenchbillies” pays tribute to Squidbillies. Who knew there were backwoods critters in the seas? They talk the sponge and starfish hostage. “Sponge-Cano” activates a dormant volcano. The only way to survive is a certain sacrifice as dictated by ancient lore. “The Curse of the Hex” strikes the Krusty Krab. Perhaps the most disgusting creation in the show’s history arrives at closing time. Squidward doesn’t want to sell her a Krabby Patty. When SpongeBob’s plan to sneak her a meal goes bad, she levels a curse on the place. Things go extra bad for the joint. This is kind of a strange episode since Mr. Krabs has no problem turning down a customer.
Legends of Bikini Bottom doesn’t connect the various stories to make this a faux-movie. They’re separate little moments unified by the opening of a book. It’s not much of a framing device. But tone-wise, the pieces play off each other. Overall it’s a good selection with huge things happening around Bikini Bottom. These are big scares and surprises for the little sponge.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The colors are vibrant in the animation. The audio is Dolby Digital English 2.0 stereo. The levels are fine for the mix of voices and underwater gurgles. The episodes are Closed Captioned.
Behind-the-Scenes: Legends of Bikini Bottom (5:08) shows Clancy Brown doing Mr. Krabs! They take us to a table read for one of the episodes. This might shock kids to see the human voices in the studio.
Things to Do When Encountering Legendary Creatures (0:36) is a promo for the special episodes.
Dance Break (0:36) introduces us to the Cyclops move. This is a promo.
The Legend of SpongeBob (1:06) plays off the Sword in the Stone theme.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Legends of Bikini Bottom delivers a sneak preview rush. The special keeps up the weirdness with drains, curses and underwater hillbillies. The special can be watched in one sitting or in the segments without causing any confusion.
Paramount Home Entertainment and Nickelodeon presents <i SpongeBob SquarePants: Legends of Bikini Bottom. Starring: SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs. Running Time: 68 minutes. Released on DVD: November 16, 2010.
