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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 narrative twists? This staying power is partly due to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Vibe

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly finds a recognizably silly rhythm. Its script serves as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the best contemporary American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digimation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing pleasing, authentically animated visuals.

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

Notable scenes feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging somehow squarer than ever; 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 forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the series – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original fans will likely be snickering anew.

Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants debuts on 19 December in the US, 20 December in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.