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Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series enduring for a 25 years, following absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such staying power is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Groove

Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie quickly finds a recognizably silly groove. Its script acts as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it finally qualifies him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the best modern American animation, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, forever showcasing satisfying, properly animated effects.

If its spitballing silliness will resonate after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob squeezing 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 penalty guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the series – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original students will likely be chuckling all over again.

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