🔗 Share this article

Could those early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have envisioned the franchise persisting for a quarter-century, following absorbing the most lysergic of plotlines? This staying power is in part due to its broad charm, tickling the sense of humor of grown-ups – possibly even those now grown students – alongside the youngest viewers. While it may not feature anything quite as surprising as a certain legendary David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 film, this fourth feature has no qualms about having Clancy Brown speak as a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Goofy Groove

Starting with a holiday short featuring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film soon settles into a recognizably silly rhythm. Its script serves as a PG-rated exploration on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This version of SpongeBob (again voiced by Tom Kenny) now measures a specific height, a detail that excites him as it finally qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An initial, psychedelic gag: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the finest contemporary American animation, the true thrill ride is the twisting plotting.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to secure the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will prove him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, voiced by the suddenly ubiquitous Mark Hamill. Although the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the movie's aesthetic remains a delightful bricolage of digimation and hand-turned elements, forever showcasing pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals.

Whether its freewheeling silliness will linger when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie.

Notable scenes include SpongeBob wedging himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than before; a brief appearance from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to resonate with the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the series – and arguably the most humorous pirate-themed movie in years, including a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's pal Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's certain: those original fans will likely be snickering anew.

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