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Could those early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise enduring for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This staying power is in part attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly settles into 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 voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that excites him as it at last allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing satisfying, authentically animated effects.

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

Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging somehow more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the series – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early fans will likely be chuckling anew.

Coming to Theaters: 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.