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Would the early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? Such staying power is partly due to its broad charm, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Vibe

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, 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 advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-crafted components, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly animated effects.

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

Notable scenes feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the younger audience: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early fans will probably be chuckling anew.

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