Plankton : Le film

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!

I liked that this time it was about plonkton, and karen instead of spongebob. He was as evil as ever but I am glad in the end we actually got to hear about their love story and that he didn't choose the krabby patty formula over her. It was really cool knowing their origin story. As for these other reviews, saying it was better than sandy cheeks movie, that is a different style, and just overall pretty alright as well with some adventure. This was a bit cooler for the fact it was about the most amazing guy ever, Plonkton! Knowing she has different personalities and that fight scene getting plonkton to her, was quick but nicely paced., we all wanted him to get to his wife already to find out what would happen next!

In this new installment of the SpongeBob movie, we delve into the villain's experienced psychologist: Plankton.

A new threat hits Bikini Bottom, and it's none other than Karen, who turns out to be the biggest villain of all.

This new adventure will immerse us in the crazy love story of the villains of this show. Half of the music was enjoyable and the other half was terrible. A few jokes for adults and as an extra fact: a tribute to the classic Plankton episodes that we all remember.

I definitely recommend giving it a try, it's not as good as the first movie but it's certainly better than the last four installments we've had.

Plankton wants to steal the Krabby Patty formula again and take over the world. It goes badly and Karen has had enough. She magnetizes the Chum Bucket which attracts all the metal in Bikini Bottom. She turns into a mega three-headed evil robot using all the metal to create a giant robot. In flashback, Karen is shown to be a calculator and a potato.

This is a Spongebob musical concentrating on Plankton and Karen. They used a variety of animation styles. It's interesting. The story isn't all that much. I'm not sure that it deserves a full movie treatment. I do like some of the songs. Maybe this is better as different smaller segments. It does run a bit long.