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Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a 25 years, following experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? Such longevity is partly attributed to its broad appeal, tickling the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Groove

Kicking off with a festive short featuring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a recognizably silly groove. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a fact that thrills him as it at last qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest modern American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, forever highlighting satisfying, authentically animated effects.

Whether its spitballing silliness will resonate after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Memorable scenes include SpongeBob wedging 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 penalty guaranteed to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those early students will likely be chuckling all over again.

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