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Could those early viewers who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series enduring for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? This staying power is partly attributed to its broad charm, amusing the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it at last qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American animation, the true rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-turned components, forever highlighting satisfying, properly animated visuals.

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

Memorable moments feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original fans will probably be snickering anew.

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