🔗 Share this article

Would the original fans who laughed through the initial SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise enduring for a 25 years, even after experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such longevity is in part attributed to its broad charm, amusing the funny bones of adults – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly settles into a comfortably goofy rhythm. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated treatise on the pros and cons of maturity. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that excites him as it finally qualifies him to ride his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the real thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ghost ship introduces a grander scope, the film's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned elements, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.

Whether its freewheeling silliness will resonate after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Notable scenes feature SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging somehow squarer than ever; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the franchise – and arguably the funniest pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those original students will likely be chuckling anew.

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