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Would the early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the series enduring for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? Such longevity is in part attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown 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.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon finds a comfortably silly rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out somehow squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early fans will likely be chuckling anew.

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