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Would the early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series persisting for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie quickly settles into a comfortably goofy groove. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a fact that thrills him as it at last allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest modern American animation, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting satisfying, authentically cartoonish effects.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early students will probably be snickering all over again.

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