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Would the original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such staying power is in part due to its broad appeal, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – possibly even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. While it may not feature anything as unexpected as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this latest movie has no qualms about making Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Kicking off with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly settles into a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest contemporary American animation, the true rollercoaster is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the film's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing pleasing, authentically cartoonish visuals.

If its spitballing silliness will resonate when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Memorable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early students will likely be chuckling anew.

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