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Would the original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? Such staying power is in part attributed to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything quite as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a festive short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its script acts as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-crafted elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.

Whether its spitballing humor will resonate after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the series – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original students will likely be chuckling anew.

Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on December 19th in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.