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Could those early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This staying power is partly attributed to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly settles into a recognizably silly groove. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest modern American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to secure the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing satisfying, authentically animated effects.

Whether its freewheeling humor will resonate when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Notable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out somehow more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans will likely be snickering anew.

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