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Could those early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise enduring for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such staying power is in part attributed to its broad charm, amusing the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the whimsical 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 finds a comfortably silly groove. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that excites him as it at last qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly animated effects.

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

Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the series – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans will probably be chuckling anew.

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