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Would the early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series enduring for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This longevity is partly attributed to its broad appeal, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon settles into a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that thrills him as it finally allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the best modern American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Adventure for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, forever highlighting satisfying, properly cartoonish visuals.

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

Memorable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early students will likely be snickering anew.

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