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Would the original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This longevity is partly attributed to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a comfortably silly rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it at last allows him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest modern American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, forever showcasing satisfying, authentically animated effects.

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

Memorable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to delight the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the series – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original students will probably be snickering anew.

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.