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Could those early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the series enduring for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of plotlines? Such staying power is partly attributed to its broad appeal, tickling the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to stars like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Starting with a festive short starring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly finds a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again brought to life by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-crafted components, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically animated visuals.

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

Memorable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and perhaps the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a cheekily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early students will probably be chuckling anew.

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