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Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the series persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon settles into a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.

The Adventure for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically cartoonish visuals.

If its freewheeling humor will linger after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Notable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the younger audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the series – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original students will probably be chuckling all over again.

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