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Could those original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a 25 years, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? This longevity is in part attributed to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie soon finds a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its script serves as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration 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, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest modern American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing pleasing, authentically animated visuals.

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

Notable scenes feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original students will probably be chuckling anew.

Release Dates: 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.