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Would the original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is partly attributed to its broad charm, amusing the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Vibe

Kicking off with a festive short starring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie quickly settles into a recognizably silly groove. Its script serves as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest modern American animation, the real rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digimation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly animated effects.

Whether its spitballing silliness will resonate after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Memorable scenes include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow squarer than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the franchise – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early students will likely be chuckling anew.

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