“Plankton: The Movie” Review
Director: Dave Needham Screenwriter: Kaz, Chris Viscardi, Mr. Lawrence Cast: Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence Distributor: Netflix Running Time: 88 min. MPAA: TV-PG
After the dismally lifeless Sandy Cheeks movie, my hopes for this SpongeBob spin-off movie were low. But armed with a script co-written by the voice actor himself, this film felt like a much-needed shot in the arm for the aging franchise. Free of a dreary live-action villain and daring enough to experiment with multiple mediums, here is a film willing to go to some wild and weird places with comedy centered more around engrossing and exaggerated character growth, which I was not expecting out of a cartoon that’s been running for 25 years with stagnation setting in for the shows and movies. Though the story doesn’t veer too distantly from the familiar formula, it does have enough faith to play up to the strengths of SpongeBob SquarePants, reminding me of what made the cartoon so much fun.
It certainly helps that Mr. Lawrence, the voice of the central villain Plankton, got a chance to help with the script. Lawrence has such an incredible voice for Plankton that makes for a perfect villain and his first film gives him enough room to be more amusing beyond his standard ambitions. As in the show, Plankton is still seeking to swipe that Krabby Patty formula from his rivals of the plucky SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and the greedy Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown). His goals are complicated by the increasing frustrations of his computer companion, Karen (Jill Talley). Hoping to find more in life, Karen takes control of her life by hanging out with the other women of Bikini Bottom and trying to make Plankton’s business, The Chum Bucket, thrive. With Plankton arguing for something more evil, there’s a spat between the two, where a bitter breakup takes on a more destructive nature, forcing Plankton and SpongeBob to save Bikini Bottom.
While saving Bikini Bottom is par for the course with the SpongeBob movies, Plankton’s adventure is more compelling for the non-linear reveal of his history. As Plankton tries to find a solution, we’re treated to the origin story of how Plankton created and developed Karen as his partner in crime. These flashbacks are amusing detours with some great gags, especially the earliest memories presented with a black-and-white, rubber-hose animation complete with music. Later in the film, Plankton learns some empathy through a trippy voyage into his mind with the surreal imagery of a tunnel of love that turns nightmarish the further it goes. For being at the center of all of this, Plankton makes for a compelling protagonist with his stubborn nature and snarky delivery, placing him on a journey with bigger stakes than saving Bikini Bottom, which, let’s be honest, is not exactly a priority for this villain.
The dynamic between all the characters that bubbled beautifully made the film more compelling. SpongeBob’s innocent nature might make him uncertain of spying on Plankton, but some bad advice from Krabs of privacy pushes him towards espionage. The devotion of SpongeBob to Plankton’s plight is rather cute with how the quirky sponge adopts a psychiatrist persona to peel back the lawyers of the pint-sized villain. Karen is also given a little more depth with how her associating gal pals Sandy Cheeks, Mrs. Puff, and Pearl Krabs play a bigger role in doing what’s right for a friend who might be going too far. At the heart of the film, however, is Plankton trying to recognize his feelings and romance for Karen. This aspect is approached with heart but also earnest absurdity for where this relationship is going. Marriage seems likely, but for a villainous couple, grand destruction would be their honeymoon.
Plankton’s movie is a solid SpongeBob film because it embraces the villain’s snark and the weirdness of his underwater world. The sly and wry comedy of placing the cynical villain at the forefront made for a fun, if not familiar, animated adventure. Adding to Lawrence’s charming performance are a lot of SpongeBob hallmarks with creative slapstick, ridiculously read title cards, and bleeding mediums so stark that the boldness alone is stunning. Since this film franchise won’t stop going back to the well, it might as well fish out the classics and flesh out its colorful crop of long-standing characters. The wee Plankton has just enough pluck to carry this rusty bucket of a franchise for one more chummy dose of cartoon craziness.
