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Would the early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? Such longevity is partly due to its broad appeal, tickling the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Kicking off with a festive short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie quickly finds a comfortably goofy groove. Its script acts as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally qualifies him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the best modern American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing satisfying, authentically animated effects.

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

Notable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early students will likely be snickering 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.