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Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most lysergic of narrative twists? Such longevity is in part due to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Groove

Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon finds a recognizably silly groove. Its script serves as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best contemporary American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly animated visuals.

If 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 air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, including a hearty Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original fans will probably be snickering anew.

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