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Would the original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is in part attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. Although it can't claim anything quite as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie soon settles into a comfortably silly groove. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing satisfying, authentically cartoonish effects.

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

Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty 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 is a solid entry to the series – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original fans will probably 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.