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Would the original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. Although it can't claim anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Vibe

Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon finds a recognizably silly groove. Its script serves as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest modern American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever highlighting pleasing, authentically animated visuals.

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

Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the younger crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original fans will probably be chuckling 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.