🔗 Share this article

Could those original fans who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise enduring for a quarter-century, following absorbing the most lysergic of narrative twists? This longevity is partly due to its broad charm, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about making a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems anything can still in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

An Established Goofy Vibe

Starting with a holiday short starring Paramount's other long-running babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob movie quickly finds a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its storyline serves as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now stands 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, trippy gag: our overexcitable hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the corkscrew plotting.

The Adventure for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming mix of digital animation and hand-turned elements, consistently highlighting pleasing, authentically cartoonish effects.

If its freewheeling humor will linger after the credits is up for discussion, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out somehow squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty 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 stands as a reliable addition to the series – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie recently, including a robust Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original fans will probably 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.