SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Helping of Snicker-Inducing Fun

Would the early viewers who chuckled through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise enduring for a 25 years, even after absorbing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such staying power is in part due to its wide-ranging appeal, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon finds a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its script serves 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 stands a specific height, a fact that excites him as it finally qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, as in the best modern American animation, the true rollercoaster is the corkscrew plotting.

The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-turned elements, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly cartoonish effects.

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

Notable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and coming out somehow squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into endless dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original students will probably be chuckling all over again.

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