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Would the original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series enduring for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such staying power is partly due to its broad appeal, tickling the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly finds a recognizably silly groove. Its script serves as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest modern American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly animated visuals.

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

Notable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the series – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early students will probably be chuckling all over again.

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