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Would the early viewers who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? This staying power is partly due to its broad charm, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly finds a recognizably goofy groove. Its script serves as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a fact that excites him as it at last allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best modern American animation, the real rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting satisfying, authentically cartoonish visuals.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow more rectangular than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being subjected to endless 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, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original students will likely be snickering 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.