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Would the original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is partly attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the funny bones of adults – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie soon finds a comfortably silly rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled 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 ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing pleasing, authentically animated visuals.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans will probably be chuckling all over again.

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