Plankton: The Movie reveals how Karen and Plankton fell in love while also offering up quite a bit of fun as the tables are turned.
I love a villain. And while Plankton might not be as good at the job as he thinks he is, he is one of my all time favorites. From the first moment we met him in SpongeBob SquarePants he has been entertaining, hilarious, and a lot of fun. He finally is getting to step into the spotlight now with Plankton: The Movie, which gave me everything I wanted – and several things I did not know I needed.
If you have seen the trailers then you know the tables are turned in this movie. Karen, Plankton’s wife, has always been by his side, even when he overlooks her or puts her (brilliant) ideas down. She has committed to him and fully loves him – but every woman has her breaking point, even one who is a super-computer.
In Plankton: The Movie, the final straw is broken and Karen spirals. She decides that it is time for her to do what Plankton could never – achieve world domination.
When she finally breaks, this causes her personalities to split, which is just as hilarious as you might think. Her empathy and love for Plankton is gone, replaced by sassy Karen, evil Karen, and smart Karen. This is easily one of my favorite aspects of the film, as it ushers in a fresh take on a character that we have known for quite some time.
Jill Talley, who voices Karen, claims that creating the different voices was difficult at first, but she should be applauded for the incredible work she does in this movie. She is truly spectacular. Of course, Mr. Lawrence shines, as always, as Plankton.
Even though this is a Plankton focused movie, SpongeBob SquarePants is a part of it. He is there to help Plankton on his journey to get the love of his life back, always throwing in his classic humor when he can. It was fun to see SpongeBob take a step backwards to allow Plankton to step into the spotlight.
While I was excited to see the tables turned on Plankton, I was not expecting to learn more about Karen and Plankton’s backstory. This was a lovely surprise. It adds a lot more depth to both of them, knowing how they fell in love, and how Karen was created.
Plankton: The Movie might not fully be considered a musical, but there are a few songs sprinkled throughout the film. All of them are fantastic and extremely catchy. My kids have been singing them repeatedly since watching (be warned parents).
Of course, the animation is gorgeous and in true SpongeBob fashion, the styles vary and there is a bit of live-action sprinkled in. Overall, Plankton: The Movie is a ton of fun. It tells a story that SpongeBob fans might not know they needed, but they are certainly better off now because of it.
Plankton: The Movie is now streaming on Netflix.
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About Plankton: The Movie
Plankton’s tangled love story with his sentient computer wife goes sideways when she takes a stand and decides to destroy the world without him.
Plankton: The Movie is streaming on Netflix now.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.