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Would the original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, following absorbing the most surreal of narrative twists? This longevity is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Kicking off with a festive short featuring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon settles into a comfortably silly groove. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the finest modern American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly animated visuals.

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

Notable moments feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early fans will probably be snickering anew.

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