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Could those early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series enduring for a quarter-century, even after absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Starting with a holiday short starring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly finds a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated 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 detail that thrills him as it at last allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best modern American animation, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing pleasing, authentically animated effects.

Whether its freewheeling humor will resonate when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid addition to the series – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original students will likely be chuckling all over again.

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.