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Could those early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? This longevity is in part due to its broad appeal, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Vibe

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a recognizably goofy groove. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it at last qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove 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 introduces a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted components, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly animated effects.

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

Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original students will likely be chuckling all over again.

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.