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Would the original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is partly due to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Starting with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly finds a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it at last allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest modern American animation, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, forever showcasing pleasing, authentically cartoonish visuals.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early students will probably be chuckling all over again.

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