You know that feeling when a movie ends and you’re just kind of sitting there, processing the chaos? That’s exactly how it felt back in 2015 when the lights started coming up for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. But honestly, nobody was leaving. People stayed. They stayed because the SpongeBob Sponge Out of Water end credits are a fever dream of animation styles, Pharrell Williams’ production, and a rap battle that feels like it belongs in a different dimension.
It wasn’t just a scroll of names. It was a victory lap.
Why Everyone Remembers the Squeeze Me Vibe
Most movies treat credits like an afterthought. They’re the "bathroom break" signal. But Nickelodeon and Paramount decided to go the "Lego Movie" route by making the sequence an actual part of the entertainment. The standout element is obviously the music. N.E.R.D—the group consisting of Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shay Haley—reunited specifically for this soundtrack. It was their first new material in five years. Think about that for a second. A high-profile funk-rock trio got back together for a talking sponge.
The song "Squeeze Me" plays over the initial stylized crawl. It’s bouncy. It’s catchy. It has that signature Pharrell "four-count" start that he puts on everything from "Happy" to "Alright." If you listen closely to the lyrics, they’re incredibly literal. They are singing about being a sponge. It’s simple, but the production is top-tier Neptune-style funk.
The visuals during this first half are a mix of 2D traditional animation that looks like a high-budget version of the TV show, mixed with paper-cutout aesthetics. It’s a nostalgic nod. Since the movie itself spent so much time in that 3D CGI "real world" space, the credits feel like a homecoming to the Bikini Bottom we grew up with on Saturday mornings.
The Rap Battle Nobody Expected
Then things get weird. In a good way.
If you stayed through the whole thing, you hit the "Teamwork" song and the rap battle between the bubbles and the seagulls. Actually, let's be specific: it's the "Patrick Star" and "SpongeBob" versus the "Seagulls" dynamic. This wasn't just random filler. The Seagulls were voiced by some heavy hitters in the comedy world, including JB Smoove and Rob Paulsen.
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The rap sequence is actually titled "Sandy’s Remix" or often just associated with the "Teamwork" track. It’s absurd. It’s got these hyper-saturated colors and the characters are doing these rhythmic, loop-based dances that became GIF gold on Tumblr and Reddit for years. People often forget that Matt Berry—yes, the "Toast of London" and "What We Do in the Shadows" legend—was the voice of Bubbles the magical space dolphin. His influence on the vibe of the movie's final act and the subsequent credit energy is massive.
A Technical Masterclass in Mixed Media
The SpongeBob Sponge Out of Water end credits are a technical showcase. Screen Novelties, a collective known for their incredible stop-motion work, handled the special sequences. These are the same folks responsible for the SpongeBob Christmas specials.
They used:
- Traditional hand-drawn cells.
- Stop-motion puppetry for the more "tactile" feels.
- Digital compositing to make the colors pop.
- Psychedelic background patterns that mirror 1960s surf culture.
It’s a visual soup. One minute you’re looking at a 3D rendered Patrick Star, and the next, he’s a flat drawing dancing across a neon background. This variety kept kids glued to their seats while parents were trying to find their shoes under the theater chairs.
The Hidden Details You Probably Missed
Honestly, most people miss the tiny tributes tucked away in the scrolling text. If you look at the "Special Thanks" or the secondary animation units, you see names that have been with the franchise since 1999. It’s a legacy scroll.
There is also the matter of the "Thank You" to Stephen Hillenburg. At the time of the movie's release, Hillenburg had returned to the franchise in a big way. This movie marked his first major creative involvement with SpongeBob in years, having stepped back after the 2004 film. Seeing his name prominently in the credits felt like a seal of quality. It was a signal to the fans that the "soul" of the show was back, even if they were now using 3D models and superhero tropes.
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The movie cost about $74 million to make. A decent chunk of that went into the polish of the final ten minutes. You can tell. The frame rate is smooth, the lighting in the 3D sections of the credits remains consistent with the film's climax, and the sync between the N.E.R.D tracks and the character movements is frame-perfect.
How the Credits Changed SpongeBob’s Brand
Before this movie, SpongeBob was in a bit of a "meme" lull. The show was still popular, but it wasn't cool. The SpongeBob Sponge Out of Water end credits, specifically the Pharrell collaboration, helped bridge the gap between "kids' cartoon" and "pop culture powerhouse."
It’s rare for a soundtrack to feature three original songs from a group like N.E.R.D ("Squeeze Me," "Patrick Cry," and "Electric Flower"). The credits served as a music video for these tracks. It rebranded the series as something that could be psychedelic, edgy, and musically sophisticated while still being about a guy who lives in a pineapple.
The Legacy of the "Bubbles" Sequence
Bubbles the Dolphin is arguably the best part of the movie. His appearance in the credits, presiding over the cosmic insanity, solidified him as a fan favorite. Matt Berry’s booming, eccentric voice against the backdrop of a galactic credit scroll is peak cinema.
The credits also featured "The Jolly Roger" sequences. The pirate theme, led by Antonio Banderas as Burger Beard, wraps up in the credits with a finality that the TV show usually avoids. In the show, things just sort of reset. In the movie, the credits act as the "happily ever after" for the live-action world too.
What to Do if You’re Rewatching Now
If you are pulling this up on a streaming service like Paramount+ or Netflix, don't skip the end. Most streaming platforms have that annoying "Next Episode" or "Suggested Movie" pop-up that minimizes the credits. Close it.
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Watch the character animations during the N.E.R.D tracks. Look at the way the animators played with "squash and stretch" physics even in the 3D models. It’s a masterclass in how to translate a 2D character into a 3D space without losing the "cartooniness."
Also, pay attention to the transition from the live-action beach back into the animated world. It’s seamless. It’s one of the best examples of "mixed media" credit sequences in modern animation, standing right alongside movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in terms of sheer style.
To get the most out of your next viewing, pay attention to these specific timestamps if you can:
- The 1:28:00 mark: This is where the stylized animation kicks in. Notice the textures on the "paper" versions of the characters.
- The Pharrell Beats: Listen for the transition between "Squeeze Me" and the more instrumental sections. The percussion is classic 2015-era Pharrell.
- The Voice Cast List: Look for the cameos. You’ll see names from the comedy world you didn't realize were in the movie, often providing "additional voices" for the seagulls.
Stop treating the credits as a signal to turn off your brain. In the case of the SpongeBob Sponge Out of Water end credits, they are the final, colorful exclamation point on a movie that proved the Krusty Krew could survive the jump to the big screen for a second time.
Go back and watch them on a high-definition screen. The neon colors and the N.E.R.D production deserve more than a distracted glance on a phone. Look for the "Screen Novelties" credit and realize that a lot of what you're seeing was handcrafted by people who genuinely love the source material. It's the best way to appreciate the effort that goes into a "kids' movie" that is secretly a psychedelic art project.
Check out the official soundtrack on Spotify or Apple Music to hear the full versions of the credit songs, as they contain extra verses that didn't make the final film edit. You’ll find that "Electric Flower" has a much weirder, more experimental vibe than the snippet used in the theater.