Plankton: The Movie

Plankton: The Movie (2025) is a SpongeBob SquarePants movie from Netflix and it was very average.

Positives for Plankton: The Movie (2025): As an old fan of SpongeBob SquarePants, it was fun to watch these character getting into wild situations. The animation looks good even if I prefer hand-drawn animation. The voice actors do a good job here. The action scenes are fun to watch. And finally, the movie is short and didn't waste my time.

Negatives for Plankton: The Movie (2025): I don't like Plankton as the main character and he got on my nerves a lot. The movie doesn't do a good job at getting me to side with him and I was semi on Karen's side. The guy is so oblivious and delusional with his actions that I wanted to stomp on him. There is nothing likable about Plankton, so I don't understand why this movie exists aside from the obvious reasons. And finally, I didn't care if Plankton and Karen's marriage survived because they both suck as characters.

Overall, Plankton: the Movie (2025) is a harmless SpongeBob SquarePants movie and I'm okay with that even if I didn't give a damn about Plankton or Karen here.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this quite touching portrait of a character we have known for a while.

A love story of the kind in which two people have been together for a while, there is a lot to unpack in this relationship with a very satisfying character arc and admirable they never compromise on Plankton as a villain. He isn't an anti-hero, he is a villain forced into temporary alliance and it plays very well.

Squidward gets cut a break and Patrick is thankfully de-emphasized but is still there.

The songs are alright, there are some super moments of humor and I loved a lot of sequences using contrasting styles of animation.

They do this thing with Sandy, Mrs Puff and Pearl sort of being a friendship group and it really works; there is the right amount of irony to pull it off.

I really am as surprised as anyone, I thought this would be painful like the Sandy Movie.

Better than Sponge on the Run but not as good as Sponge out of Water.

This movie is a fun and nostalgic experience, especially for those who grew up watching SpongeBob SquarePants. It stays true to the humor and charm of the series while giving us an interesting look into Plankton's world. I really enjoyed learning about Karen's origin and how she became Plankton's sidekick, it was a great addition to his character and added more depth to their relationship.

The musical moments were simple but entertaining, capturing the lighthearted spirit of SpongeBob movies.

The 3D animation is different from what I was used to, but it looked smooth, colorful, and visually appealing.

However, the script isn't perfect, and the humans acting at the end was TERRIBLE. It completely took me out of the experience. Despite that, it's still an enjoyable movie, and I would rate it 7/10.

I used to be a die-hard SpongeBob fan - emphasis on used to. It's a show and a character that made and continues to define childhoods, including mine. Regardless of their quality, I watched almost every episode until 2021, when we got two spinoffs in "Kamp Koral" and "The Patrick Star Show." I felt pain watching the former's pilot and watched a few episodes before stopping the pitiful latter. If it wasn't the shows or the disappointment I felt watching "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run," it sure was the realization that the main show wasn't doing anything unique or fun anymore. That could be a symptom of growing up, but that was the final nail in the coffin for my perception of SpongeBob and even Nickelodeon itself. It's sad because, two years prior, I was still on board, having met SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny, in a once-in-a-lifetime meet that same year. Circling back to "Plankton: The Movie," I would've skipped it due to its trash trailer. Don't even get me started on "Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie." The trailer was garbage, so I didn't think twice when skipping it. The reception afterward proved I made the right decision. I only checked out Netflix's second SpongeBob effort because I saw it getting a far better reception than I ever imagined, with fans saying it's the best film since the 2004 original movie. It's not. "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" is an absolute classic that, after years of thinking about it, I can comfortably say was the true ending to the show. Many say SpongeBob died once Steven Hillenburg left, and while it didn't end per se, it got weaker the more it went on, making that fun cinematic ride age incredibly well, at least in my head. "Sponge Out of Water" was a step-down but was highly entertaining. My mother will never forgive not having Slash in the film as promised in the trailers. As mentioned, "Sponge on the Run" was disappointing, mainly because it felt like the setup to "Kamp Koral" rather than being original. Keanu Reeves' supporting role was satisfying, and the animation was stunning. The only film that "Plankton: The Movie" surpasses that I've seen is the last one. That said, while it's not perfect, I'm surprised to report that it was decent.

To start, the voice actors were as solid as ever. The three that take up the most focus - Jill Talley as Karen, Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, and Mr. Lawrence as Plankton - made the movie more pleasing than it had any right to be, and I got somewhat invested in Plankton and Karen's dynamic.

Secondly, I laughed more than I thought. I expected to be dead silent throughout, with that one handsome Plankton joke from the trailer not doing this film any favors beforehand. While they're undeniably jokes geared toward kids, I giggled at many of the comedic bits. Some of them were unexpectedly more mature, which I admire. One had me laughing out loud, however. I won't spoil it, but if you choose to see it, you'll hopefully know which one I'm talking about.

Next, this movie contains numerous references to the show and films, and they didn't feel forced. Considering I haven't seen the show in years, I remembered what season and episode a callback was from very often.

For a narrative, while it has issues, it's not generic. Mr. Lawrence is a writer alongside Chris Viscardi, and they delivered something wildly interesting, especially when it comes to Karen turning evil and how that affects Plankton, so I appreciate that.

Finally, I saved the best positive for last: starting at 54:35, the following 1 minute and 48 seconds is the best part of the movie. You're welcome. Again, no spoilers, but I felt that was the perfect summary of what the overall film and conflict were about. Additionally, the film has moments that feature visually dazzling different animation styles that are welcome inclusions.

That leads me to the negatives, beginning with the animation. I don't want to say it's terrible because the crew likely worked hard to make it. I'll admit it looks odd almost all the time, and it may be since it's a downgrade from the animation in "Sponge on the Run." It would've been better if the animation was more akin to that or in a 2D style like the show or the first two movies.

Afterward, and I'm not spoiling anything, but I don't entirely like the direction they take Plankton. Plankton's involved with Karen's double-heel turn, and for a while, he acts confusingly. It's hard not to spoil anything, so I'll end this paragraph with one word: jerk.

Is it me, or has SpongeBob been too idiot for over two decades? My headcanon, especially after this film, is that the Season 3 episode "Squilliam Returns" was the day when SpongeBob became completely stupid. Man, he's super-dumb in this film, and I know he's been this way for a long time, but this was almost pushing it.

Lastly, I saw missed opportunities for visual gags. Many of the jokes would've landed better being accompanied by equally funny graphics. For example, there was an opportunity for an Imagination-esque gag that didn't happen. It could just be a me-thing, and it wasn't that big of a bother, but it would've been nice.

I'm flabbergasted that "Plankton: The Movie" wasn't near the worst thing I've seen. I thought for sure that this would be a total misfire. Its trailer may have been slightly better than "Saving Bikini Bottom," but not by much. As it turns out, it's respectable fun that may not be a movie the whole family can relate to per se, but you won't regret putting it on for movie night.

Technically, yeah, that's where we get into problems. The voice acting, screenplay, and occasionally unique animation can't shine through the rest of the CGI and the general unimpressive nature of the film, so the technical score is a 5/10.

The enjoyment score, on the other hand, is different. Younger audiences and SpongeBob fans will likely have a 9/10 experience, but will adults who aren't fans or were past fans themselves too? Not even close. Thankfully, it's never a miserable watch, and I think the enjoyment score is a 6/10. I'm glad it's not horrible; instead, it's a true delight!

While everything is very good, I really love this movie, the only flaw I hate about it is the fact they try to rewrite the lore about why plankton wants the Krabby patty secret formula, besides that everything else is really good, of course whenever there's a flashback, I feel like they should've went to more of the original cartoonist style because in my opinion that'd make it better, but it does have its good sides, its a really good love story about plankton and karen, and yes there could've been more characters used, its overall a good movie I really loved watching it, I'll admit it was pretty funny too.