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Could those early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? This staying power is in part attributed to its broad charm, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – possibly even those former students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Groove

Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a comfortably silly groove. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that excites him as it at last qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best modern American animation, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-turned elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.

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

Memorable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out somehow squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment sure to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable entry to the series – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, including a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early fans will likely be snickering anew.

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