• Imported from USA.

.com ---- Nickelodeon's bubble-eyed cartoon wonder boy soaks up 60 minutes of hilarity in SpongeBob SquarePants: Anchors Away. This five-episode collection kicks off with "Mermaidman and Barnacleboy II," in which SpongeBob gets a chance to play superhero with two slightly geriatric TV idols (voiced by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway). Then tensions and tail fins flare in "Bubble Buddy," as SpongeBob irks everyone with his provocative new best friend: a silent--yet rather demanding--bubble. Surprisingly witty, fast-paced humor and fresh, detailed animation make watching each quirky show a visual and auditory treat. But the great lure of SpongeBob is that his dilemmas relate equally well to young and old. Whether SpongeBob pinch hits as a weeping whale's suave prom date, unwillingly tags along with gal-pal Sandy for a week of extreme pre- hibernation adventures, or merely agonizes over how to tie his shoes, this affable guy and his snappy trousers always prove absorbing. --Liane Thomas