THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE (USA/2004/STEPHEN HILLENBURG)

After being rejected for the role of manager at a brand new restaurant, the Krusty Krab 2, SpongeBob SquarePants turns his depression into action when King Neptune’s crown is stolen by pint-size villain Sheldon J. Plankton. Given just six days to return the crown, SpongeBob and his goofy sidekick Patrick Star head out on their quest, and almost immediately face a series of dangerous obstacles. Firstly, the pair is forced to prove their manliness at a seedy bar, then they are lured into a trap by the promise of ice cream. Meanwhile, Sheldon uses the distraction to try to steal the recipe for the coveted Krabby Patty, the burger which singlehandedly brought the Krusty Krab restaurants to fame. When SpongeBob and Patrick finally find the crown, it takes a miracle (and a lift from David Hasselhoff) for them to get home and return the crown to its rightful owner.

Enjoyment of this feature-length episode is quite heavily dependent of one’s experience with the TV programme – here’s looking at you, stoners – but suffice it to say there’s enough here to entertain most people. The humour manages a great balance between puerile and adult, and there are hilarious nods to cultural icons from several generations. In contrast to most other children’s animations these days, there are no cheap attempts to create memorable quotes or incompatible characters. But the best aspect of the film is the brilliant voice work – with guest turns from Scarlett Johansson and Alec Baldwin, how could you go wrong?