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Would the early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series persisting for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly finds a comfortably silly groove. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it at last allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the best modern American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-crafted elements, forever showcasing satisfying, authentically cartoonish visuals.

If its spitballing humor will linger after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Memorable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the younger audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early students will likely be snickering 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.