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Would the original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? This staying power is partly due to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Vibe

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie soon settles into a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a fact that excites him as it finally qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.

The Adventure for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove 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 grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically animated effects.

If its spitballing silliness will linger when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the younger crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a robust 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 early students will probably be chuckling anew.

Coming to Theaters: 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.