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Would the original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This staying power is partly attributed to its broad appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon finds a comfortably silly groove. Its script acts as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest modern American animation, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing pleasing, authentically cartoonish visuals.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging somehow more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the younger crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the series – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early fans will probably be snickering all over again.

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