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Could those original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the series persisting for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? This longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging charm, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this latest movie 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 can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Kicking off with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon settles into a recognizably goofy groove. Its storyline acts as a family-friendly treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to experience his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest modern American animation, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to secure the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing pleasing, authentically cartoonish visuals.

Whether its spitballing humor will linger when the lights come up is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Memorable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early students will probably be snickering all over again.

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