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Would the original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such longevity is in part attributed 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 unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest modern American animation, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever highlighting satisfying, properly cartoonish effects.

Whether its spitballing silliness will resonate when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the series – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original students will probably be chuckling all over again.

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