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Could those early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is partly attributed to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Vibe

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly finds a recognizably goofy 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 measures 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it finally qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted components, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically animated effects.

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

Notable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the series – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original students will probably be chuckling all over again.

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