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Would the early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such longevity is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a festive short featuring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon finds a recognizably silly rhythm. Its script acts as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a fact that excites him as it at last allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest modern American animation, the true thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-crafted components, forever highlighting satisfying, properly animated visuals.

Whether its spitballing humor will resonate when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the younger audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the series – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original fans will probably be snickering anew.

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