There certainly isn’t a lack of “SpongeBob” related media these days. From the abundance of merchandise based on the show, including a new line of merch themed around the various memes the series has spawned, various spin-off TV shows, and the numerous theatrical and Netflix produced films. Now there’s yet another film in that Netflix made series of spin-off projects. After last year’s abysmal Sandy Cheeks movie, now we’ve got one focusing on Bikini Bottom’s most villainous single-celled organism.
The aptly titled “Plankton: The Movie” follows the titular villainous sea creature, voiced by Mr. Lawrence (“Rocko’s Modern Life,” “Mighty Magiswords”), who once again attempts to steal the Krabby Patty Secret Formula. However, after his latest failed attempt leads to a fight with his computerized wife Karen, voiced by Jill Talley (“The Boondocks,” “The Loud House”), she leaves him and begins to exact her own revenge on Bikini Bottom. Beaten and downtrodden, Plankton seeks the help of SpongeBob, voiced by Tom Kenny (“Adventure Time,” “Rocko’s Modern Life”), to help him rekindle his relationship with Karen and save Bikini Bottom.
If nothing else, this 80-minute-long adventure is a perfect showcase for the voice acting talents of Lawrence and Talley. They’ve voiced these characters since their creation and giving them a meatier tale to work with is absolutely the best decision. The material isn’t something exceptional, but it provides them plenty of excuses to delivers amusing gags and work within the constraints of the characters’ limited growth. Talley in particular gets a bit more to chew as Karen eventually splits into three different version with three different emotions, allowing her to put different spins on the character’s normal voice. Kenny is just as reliable as he’s ever been as the boisterous Bob, and the rest of the series’ ensemble is here and as chuckle worthy as ever.
The film’s script, co-written by Lawrence, Chris Viscardi (“Snow Day (2000),” “The Loud House Movie”), and Kaz (“Phineas and Ferb,” “Camp Lazlo”), and directed by Dave Needham (“The Loud House Movie”), delves a bit deeper into the backstories of Plankton and Karen, but feels paper-thin in the context of the rest of the series. Let’s face it: something like this is either only going to appeal to die-hard fans or young kids. And die-hard fans will immediately recognize how virtually everything explored with Karen and Plankton’s backstory contradicts previously established series lore. It isn’t a crazy thing, as the whole show has constantly rewritten itself, but it prevents it from feeling like an essential piece of the series' history.
Just like the Sandy Cheeks film, there’s also a handful of original songs peppered throughout, making the film a lite musical. Written by Bret McKenzie (“The Muppets (2011),” “Thelma the Unicorn”), Linda Perry (“Out of My Mind (2024),” “Dumplin’ (2018)”), Mark Mothersbaugh (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” “The LEGO Movie”), and Bob Mothersbaugh (“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” “Rugrats (2021)”), the songs work as fun showcases of the various musical styles the series has had over the years. They aren’t particularly standout works, but they certainly aren’t painful either. They also backup some differing animation stylings shown throughout the film. For certain sequences and flashbacks, things get as experimental as one might expect from a Netflix produced TV show spinoff film. Which is to say not much, but the handful of times it does are good enough that they make you wish the film did it more.
For the rest of the visuals, the film’s CGI is a step-down from the theatrical films, but a slight improvement over that in last year’s Sandy Cheeks film and the Paramount+ show “Kamp Koral.” The 3D animation, as opposed to the main series traditional 2D style, still keeps the same over-the-top cartoony nature of the base animation. It never feels stilted or forced, but it lacks the extra touches implemented in the theatrical 3D “SpongeBob” films. Whereas the last theatrical film, “Sponge on the Run,” has small pores and exaggerated stylings in each detail, this one is clean and smooth but lacking any fine details or specific style. It’s fine enough, and again, it maintains the specific momentary exaggerations used for comedic moments, but it's a flat style overall.
“Plankton: The Movie” is a great little diversion into the world of SpongeBob that is certainly amusing enough to distract for 80 minutes. It's at its best when it's a simple showcase of the voice acting talents of its two lead actors, letting them really play with characters they’ve worked with for twenty-five years. While the animation isn’t as detailed as it could be and the overall plot continues a bizarre trend of complete disregard for previous series lore, it importantly still gets the core of these characters right and works as a love letter to Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, and their work with the series for the past two decades. 3.5/5
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