Featured TV on DVD Review: SpongeBob SquarePants: The Great Patty Caper

March 5, 2011

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Great Patty Caper - Buy from Amazon

According to the sticker on the case, this DVD has the first SpongeBob SquarePants mystery. Really? Every time I watch the show I'm confounded with questions, the most common being, "What is wrong with these people?" I'm obviously never going to figure out the answer to that question, but perhaps I'll have more luck with, "What episodes are on this DVD?" and "Is this DVD worth checking out?"

The Show

  1. The Great Patty Cape
    After Plankton's latest plan to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula, Mr. Krabs sends the secret formula far, far away. ... And then immediately needs it back. He sends SpongeBob to get it, by train. But when the key to the safety deposit box is stolen along the way, there are a lot of suspects.
    The DVD starts with a double-length episode and it's a hit, mostly. It does have a bit of a lull in the middle, and that ending in rather inexplicable, but more than enough of the jokes hit their mark and it's a strong start to the DVD.
  2. Growth Spout
    In the middle of the night, Pearl, Mr. Krabs' daughter, wakes because of a growth spurt and needs food. And she needs it now. Mr. Krabs then goes on a midnight run stealing food from Patrick, Squidward, and SpongeBob.
    This one's mediocre. The setup doesn't work and the humor mostly goes nowhere.
  3. Stuck in the Wringer
    After an accident, SpongeBob is trapped in the wringer he uses to dry himself after he bathes. While trying to get him out, Patrick permanently glues him in. SpongeBob tries to live a normal life, but being stuck in a wringer is too much of a handicap.
    Better than the previous episode, but only a little better than average.
  4. Someone's in the Kitchen with Sandy
    Plankton comes up with a new plan to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula, this time by borrowing Sandy Cheeks skin (she takes it off when she showers) and wearing it as a disguise. A disguise that is nearly -- Good god, what is that?
    This episode is going to haunt my nightmares for all of eternity. It's funny, but seeing Plankton walk around in Sandy's skin is more horrifying than most R-rated horror films I've reviewed.
  5. The Inside Job
    Plankton takes the advice of his wife / computer and fires himself into Mr. Krabs' brain. Sadly, he lands in SpongeBob's brain instead. You know this will end poorly. Actually, it works out better than I thought it would.
    Arguably the best episode so far and the ending with Plankton transforming into SpongeBob is more disturbing than a naked Sandy Cheeks.
  6. Greasy Buffoons
    Mr. Krabs cleans out the grease trap and dumps it behind the Chum Bucket. So Plankton uses the grease to flavor his food, and suddenly people are eating it. In retaliation, Mr. Krabs doubles the grease in his Krabby Patties. It soon becomes arms race of grease. So much grease.
    And now I feel ill. This episode should really please kids, but I need to lie down.
  7. Model Sponge
    SpongeBob overhears Mr. Krabs and he thinks he's about to be fired, so he looks for a new job, as a sponge model.
    The disc ends on a low note and this episode never really comes together.

The Extras

The only extra on the DVD is a trio previews for the show.

The Verdict

So in the end the scorecard shows four solid hits, two average episodes, and a miss. Since one of the hits is the titular episode, The Great Patty Caper, which is a double-length episode, that's an excellent hit to miss ratio. On the other hand, getting the full-season release will very likely be a much better deal. Call this DVD a solid rental while you wait.


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