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Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series persisting for a quarter-century, following experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon finds a comfortably silly rhythm. Its script acts as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced 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 early, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best modern American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly cartoonish effects.

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

Memorable scenes include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the series – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early students will probably be snickering anew.

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