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Would the original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series enduring for a quarter-century, following experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? This staying power is partly due to its broad appeal, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Groove

Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie quickly finds a comfortably goofy groove. Its script acts 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 thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best contemporary American animation, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-crafted components, consistently highlighting satisfying, properly animated effects.

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

Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early fans will likely be chuckling all over again.

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