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Would the original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This longevity is in part attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the funny bones of grown-ups – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the whimsical 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 movie quickly settles into a comfortably silly groove. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated 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 fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the best contemporary American animation, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-turned elements, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.

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

Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the younger audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a reliable addition to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original fans will probably be chuckling all over again.

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