Product Review

Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants has become so popular, it must be considered a phenomenon. The series has a pleasant, predictable, and slightly offbeat humor, and these mini-adventures give viewers what they expect. SpongeBob has to deal with a ghostly pirate, his own insecurities when his skill as a preparer of krabby patties is challenged, and the dangerous pleasures of fisherman's hooks. The voice acting is often amateurish and imitative. Patrick suggests a Homer Simpson-wannabe, while Bubble Bass sounds like the Comic Book Guy. The humor can become gross. In episode No. 2, SpongeBob absorbs a bathtub full of water, then vomits it at Gary, the snail who acts as his dog. But it seems pointless to grumble about these weaknesses. SpongeBob SquarePants has clearly won a place in the hearts of American viewers. (Suitable for ages 8 and older: cartoon violence, minor gross-out humor) --Charles Solomon