SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Helping of Giggle-Provoking Silliness

Could those original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, even after experiencing the most surreal of plotlines? Such longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those former students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as the legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, 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 zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Vibe

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie soon finds a recognizably goofy groove. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a detail that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest modern American cartoons, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Adventure for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled pirate license that will prove him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digimation and hand-crafted elements, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly animated visuals.

Whether its freewheeling silliness will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than ever; 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 never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and perhaps the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a saltily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those early students will probably be snickering all over again.

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.