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Could those original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the series enduring for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such staying power is partly attributed to its broad appeal, tickling the funny bones of adults – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon settles into a recognizably goofy groove. Its script serves as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the best contemporary American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted components, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly animated visuals.

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

Notable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original fans will likely be snickering all over again.

Release Dates: 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.