🔗 Share this article The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Helping of Giggle-Provoking Fun Could those original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob adventures have predicted the series persisting for a quarter-century, following absorbing the most surreal of narrative twists? This longevity is partly attributed to its broad appeal, tickling the funny bones of grown-ups – perhaps even those former students – as well as the very young viewers. Although it can't claim anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature thinks nothing of making a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to stars like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom. An Established Zany Vibe Kicking off with a festive short starring Paramount's alternative weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly finds a comfortably goofy groove. Its storyline acts as a PG-rated treatise on the advantages and disadvantages of growing up. This iteration 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 initial, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's fantasized loop-the-loops.) However, like the best contemporary American animation, the true thrill ride is the corkscrew plotting. The Quest for Swashbuckling Credentials SpongeBob's quest to obtain the legendary pirate license that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into conflict with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a larger scale, the film's aesthetic remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned components, consistently highlighting pleasing, properly cartoonish visuals. If its spitballing silliness will resonate when the lights come up is debatable, but it's a solid SpongeBob movie. Memorable moments feature SpongeBob squeezing himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably more rectangular than ever; a cameo from a pair of chattering joke-shop false teeth; and a punishment guaranteed to delight the younger crowd: our hero being subjected to endless dishwashing. The Verdict Ultimately, Search for SquarePants is a solid entry to the franchise – and perhaps the funniest Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a hearty Davy Jones gag and a saltily innuendo-laden catchphrase for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” It's clear: those early fans will likely be snickering anew. Coming to Theaters: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on 19 December in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.