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Would the early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything quite as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon settles into a recognizably silly groove. Its script acts as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest modern American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically cartoonish effects.

If its freewheeling silliness will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Memorable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the franchise – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early fans will probably 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.