The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants Review – A Swashbuckling Dose of Giggle-Provoking Fun

Would the early viewers who laughed through the first SpongeBob adventures have predicted the franchise enduring for a quarter-century, following experiencing the most lysergic of plotlines? This longevity is partly due to its broad charm, amusing the funny bones of adults – perhaps even those now grown students – alongside the very young viewers. While it can't claim anything quite as unexpected as a certain memorable David Hasselhoff appearance in the 2004 movie, this fourth feature has no qualms about having a veteran voice actor speak as a pirate while dispensing royalty cheques to music icons like Barbra Streisand. It seems everything remains possible in the zany world of Bikini Bottom.

A Familiar Zany Groove

Starting with a festive short featuring Paramount's other weathered family favorites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the new SpongeBob film quickly finds a comfortably 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 36 clams high, a fact that thrills him as it finally allows him to ride his dream rollercoaster. (An early, trippy gag: our enthusiastic hero's imagined loop-the-loops.) Yet, as in the best contemporary American animation, the real rollercoaster is the twisting narrative.

The Quest for Pirate Proof

SpongeBob's quest to secure the legendary swashbuckler certificate that will declare him a “big guy” leads him into a showdown with the spectral Flying Dutchman, brought to life by the suddenly ever-present Mark Hamill. While the Dutchman's ghost ship adds a grander scope, the film's visual style remains a delightful mix of digital animation and hand-turned elements, forever highlighting pleasing, properly animated effects.

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

Memorable moments include SpongeBob wedging himself into an AC unit and coming out inexplicably squarer than before; a cameo from a pair of chattering novelty false teeth; and a punishment sure to delight the six-year-old audience: our hero being forced into never-ending dishwashing.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Search for SquarePants is a solid addition to the series – and perhaps the most humorous Pirates of the Caribbean movie in years, encompassing a robust Davy Jones joke and a cheekily suggestive saying for SpongeBob's friend Patrick: “The best guys are big guys.” One thing is clear: those early fans will probably be chuckling anew.

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