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Would the original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This longevity is partly due to its broad appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon settles into a recognizably silly rhythm. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly animated visuals.

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

Notable scenes feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original students will likely be chuckling all over again.

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