The holiday season approaches and there’s no better time to enjoy SpongeBob SquarePants. He’s the most giving of underwater superstars. He’s already the right shape to fit in a box without much padding. He doesn’t mind if he’s regifted. Holidays with SpongeBob wraps up three previously released DVDs in a red bow (that’s drawn on the box).
Spongebob Squarepants Halloween has 10 shorts with half of them being a bit spooky. SpongeBob wants to create the scariest costume ever in “Scaredy Pants.” “Frankendoodle” brings alive a pencil. “Squidward The Unfriendly Ghost” spooks SpongeBob and Patrick Starfish with the fear that Squiward is dead. Why? Because they might have killed him. “I Was a Teenage Gary” transforms Squadward and SpongeBob into snails thanks to a secret serum. Will the duo escape their shells? The other five are normal episodes. It’s a bit of a question why they would release a boxset containing the Halloween oriented cartoons a few weeks after Oct. 31. Although we now live in a world where Halloween can be celebrated any weekend you want to dress like a zombie and eat candy corn.
SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas isn’t overcrowded with tales of St. Nick visiting Bikini Bottom. Out of the nine shorts, only three are winter wonderland related. “Christmas Who?” unleashes the ultimate fear of SpongeBob in a double length episode. He wakes up on Christmas morning to discover the entire city has been skipped by Santa. Will the Jolly Old Soul blame this on using a bad Mapquest direction? Patchy the clown introduces the episode. “Snowball Effect” explores the joys of snowball fights. “Survival of the Idiots” interrupts Sandy Squirrel’s hibernation. She’s not happy that SpongeBob and Patrick waking her up. The big Christmas gift is “Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy IV.” It delivers the voices of Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway as the elderly aquatic heroes. Isn’t that what the holidays should be about? Spending time with the cast of McHale’s Navy always makes the egg nog go down smoother.
To Love a Patty isn’t a real holiday special. It appear that this could be seen as a Valentine’s Day theme if you have an overpowering love of Krabby Patty. SpongeBob becomes overwhelmed by his perfect Krabby Patty in “To Love a Patty.” He doesn’t want a customer to eat his creation. How long can a Patty survive? Aren’t they made to be eaten? “The Donut of Shame” overwhelms Patrick with guilt after he eats the last donut. He fears SpongeBob will be upset at his uncontrollable appetite. Fans of the show will quickly devour the seven shorts on this DVD collection. Holidays with SpongeBob is a feast for small guests.
The Episodes
Spongebob Squarepants Halloween
“Scaredy Pants,” “Imitation Krabs,” “Frankendoodle,” “I Was a Teenage Gary,” “Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost,” “The Secret Box,” “Band Geeks,” “Welcome to the Chum Bucket,” “My Pretty Seahorse” and “Idiot Box.”
SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas
“Christmas Who?,” “Procrastination,” “Snowball Effect,” “Survival of the Idiots,” “Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy IV,” “Chocolate with Nuts,” “As Seen on TV,” “Pizza Delivery” and “Squeaky Boots.”
To Love a Patty
“To Love a Patty,” “A Flea in Her Dome,” “Mermaid Man vs. SpongeBob,” “Le Big Switch,” “The Donut of Shame,” “BlackJack” and “Blackened Sponge.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers look fine for the show. SpongeBob’s yellow skin glows on the screen. The audio is Dolby Digital Stereo. The mix is fine since it’s all recorded in a sound booth. Nobody’s voices are too overpowering or quiet.
“SpongeBob Scaredy Pants” (0:57) is a short music video of the altered theme song.
Original Animatic: “To Love a Patty” (12:33) matches up the rough artist test with the final short. You get to see what moments they cut out of the story.
Karoke Music Video (2:17) of “Can’t Keep My Off of You” comes with and without the vocals so you can sing by yourself or sing with SpongeBob.
“Christmas Who?” Story Board (17:41) includes the raw audio track so you can see how an episode looks in the rough.
Audio Commentary on Christmas Who?” features Tom Kenny (voice of SpongeBob) and Stephen Hillenburg (creator). Did you know Kenny was a cast member on HBO’s Mr. Show? Kenny reveals the secret identity of Patchy the Pirate.
Holidays with SpongeBob combines three previously released collections into a giftset perfect for new fans of the aquatic star. The key is the Christmas special with a special appearance by Patchy the Pirate. It’s a triple threat of nautical nonsense.
Nickelodeon & Paramount Home Entertainment present Holidays with SpongeBob. Starring: Tom Kenny, Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway. Boxset Contents: 26 episodes on 3 DVDs. Rated: Unrated. Released on DVD: November 15, 2011. Available at Amazon.com.
