🔗 Share this article

Would the original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise persisting for a 25 years, following experiencing the most surreal of narrative twists? Such longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – as well as the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this latest movie has no qualms about having Clancy Brown talk like a pirate while handing out royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Vibe

Kicking off with a holiday short featuring Paramount's alternative weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob movie soon finds a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its script acts as a family-friendly exploration 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 at last qualifies him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An initial, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Credentials

SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, voiced by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's visual style remains a charming bricolage of digital animation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly animated visuals.

If its spitballing silliness will resonate after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie.

Notable moments include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a penalty guaranteed to delight the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a reliable addition to the series – and arguably the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early students will likely be chuckling anew.

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