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Would the original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the series enduring for a 25 years, following experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? Such staying power is in part attributed to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about making Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon finds a comfortably silly rhythm. Its script serves as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the best modern American animation, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Adventure for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-turned components, forever showcasing satisfying, properly cartoonish visuals.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the younger crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the franchise – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original fans will likely 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.