SpongeBob (voice of Tom Kenny), lives downunder as a frycook in Bikini Bottom, passed over in his quest to become the manager of The Krusty Krab restaurant for which he has worked under the supervision of its manager, Mr. Krabs (voice of Clancy Brown). He doesn't take the humiliation lying down, yet when the time is ripe for revenge against his boss, he takes the moral high road and defends the egotistical crustacean Mr. Krabs is scheduled for execution by the ruler of the seas, King Neptune (voice of Jeffrey Tambor) because he is accused of stealing the crown that Neptune wears not so much as a symbol of his water-logged authority, but because the chapeau covers his bald pate. Convinced that Krabs is innocent, SpongeBob and his mentally challenged buddy, Patrick the Starfish (voice of Bill Fagerbakke), head for shell city in what passes for an aquatic road trip leading them on a dangerous venture where in one incident they become dehydrated and turned into actual sponges and the kind of starfish that wash up and become souvenirs of beach bums. Some more sensitive children might be frightened by talk of executions at the hands of King Neptune and his flaming pitchfork but should be absorbed enough by the bright colors and action. Everyone's favorite scene seems to be the real-life David Hasselhoff's cameo on the beach.