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Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a festive short featuring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon finds a recognizably goofy groove. Its script serves as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest modern American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-turned components, forever showcasing satisfying, authentically cartoonish visuals.

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

Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the series – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original fans will probably be chuckling anew.

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