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Would the early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the series enduring for a 25 years, following experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such staying power is partly attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of adults – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly settles into a comfortably silly rhythm. Its script serves as a PG-rated exploration on the pros and cons 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 fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the best modern American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew narrative.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly cartoonish effects.

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

Memorable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger audience: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the franchise – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a robust 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 probably be snickering anew.

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