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Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series persisting for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? Such longevity is in part attributed to its broad charm, tickling the funny bones of adults – possibly even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly settles into a recognizably silly groove. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest modern American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digimation and hand-crafted components, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically animated visuals.

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

Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging somehow squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original fans will likely be chuckling anew.

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