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Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series enduring for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything as surprising as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie quickly settles into a recognizably silly rhythm. Its script serves as a family-friendly treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it at last allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best modern American animation, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever highlighting satisfying, properly animated visuals.

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

Memorable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early fans will probably be chuckling anew.

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