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Would the original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon settles into a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest modern American animation, the real thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-crafted elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly animated effects.

Whether its freewheeling silliness will linger when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Memorable moments feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the franchise – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early fans will likely be snickering anew.

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