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Would the early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, following experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Vibe

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon settles into a recognizably silly rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that excites him as it finally qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest modern American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, forever showcasing satisfying, authentically cartoonish effects.

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

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

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early students will likely be chuckling anew.

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