SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Dose of Giggle-Provoking Fun

Could those original fans who chuckled through the first SpongeBob escapades have predicted the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? Such longevity is partly due to its wide-ranging charm, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – as well as the youngest viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this latest movie thinks nothing of having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves everything remains possible in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Kicking off with a holiday short starring Paramount's other weathered babysitters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film quickly finds a recognizably goofy rhythm. Its script acts as a family-friendly treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This iteration of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it at last allows him to experience his fantasy coaster. (An early, psychedelic laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, like the finest contemporary American cartoons, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Adventure for Swashbuckling Credentials

SpongeBob's mission to obtain the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship adds a larger scale, the movie's aesthetic remains a charming bricolage of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently showcasing pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.

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

Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular 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.

The Verdict

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the series – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily innuendo-laden saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those original students will probably be snickering anew.

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