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Would the early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series persisting for a 25 years, following experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? This longevity is in part due to its broad appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those former students – alongside the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly finds a recognizably silly rhythm. Its script acts as a family-friendly treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a fact that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the best contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-turned components, forever showcasing satisfying, properly cartoonish effects.

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

Notable scenes include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original fans will likely be snickering all over again.

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