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Would the original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise enduring for a quarter-century, following absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? This longevity is in part attributed to its broad appeal, amusing the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything as surprising as the legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Zany Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon finds a comfortably silly rhythm. Its storyline serves as a family-friendly exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands a specific height, a detail that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the twisting narrative.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a larger scale, the movie's visual style remains a delightful bricolage of digital animation and hand-crafted elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically animated visuals.

If its freewheeling humor will linger after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to delight the younger audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original students will likely be snickering anew.

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