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Could those early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series persisting for a quarter-century, following experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is partly attributed to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the funny bones 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 memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Vibe

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly settles into a comfortably silly groove. Its script serves as a family-friendly exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it at last allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently highlighting satisfying, authentically animated visuals.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original fans will probably be chuckling anew.

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