🔗 Share this article SpongeBob's Latest: Search for SquarePants Review – An Adventurous Dose of Giggle-Provoking Silliness Would the original fans who chuckled through the initial SpongeBob escapades have envisioned the franchise enduring for a quarter-century, following experiencing the most lysergic of narrative twists? Such staying power is partly attributed to its wide-ranging appeal, amusing the sense of humor of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. Although it may not feature anything as unexpected as the memorable David Hasselhoff cameo in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor talk like a pirate while handing out payments to music icons like Barbra Streisand. This proves anything can still in the whimsical world of Bikini Bottom. An Established Zany Vibe Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's alternative long-running family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the latest SpongeBob film soon finds a recognizably goofy groove. Its script serves as a family-friendly exploration 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 thrills him as it at last qualifies him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy laugh: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) However, like the finest modern American animation, the true rollercoaster is the twisting narrative. The Adventure for Pirate Proof SpongeBob's quest to obtain the fabled swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” brings him into a showdown with the ghostly Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the currently ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ship introduces a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a delightful mix of digimation and hand-turned elements, consistently showcasing satisfying, properly cartoonish effects. Whether its freewheeling silliness will linger after the credits is debatable, but it's a strong SpongeBob movie. Notable scenes include SpongeBob squeezing himself into an air conditioner and emerging inexplicably more rectangular than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a penalty sure to resonate with the six-year-old crowd: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing. The Verdict Ultimately, Search for SquarePants stands as a solid entry to the series – and arguably the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie recently, encompassing a robust Davy Jones gag and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is certain: those original students will likely be snickering all over again. Release Dates: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants arrives on December 19th in the US, December 20th in Ireland, and 26 December in Australia and the UK.