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Plankton: The Movie

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This is the page about the movie. For other uses, see Plankton (disambiguation).

Plankton: The Movie is a film based on Nickelodeon's hit TV show SpongeBob SquarePants. In this movie, Plankton's tangled love story with his sentient computer wife Karen goes sideways when she takes a stand --- and decides to destroy the world without him.

Characters[]

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Synopsis[]

Act 1[]

The movie begins with Plankton planning for Operation Success to get the Krabby Patty secret formula after 25 years of failure. However, he believed his wife Karen had forgot his plan, because she was hanging out with the Gal Pals. But Karen is telling Sandy, Mrs. Puff and Pearl that she has a plan of her own after Plankton fails to steal the secret formula. While having their conversation, Plankton arrived and the two headed off to the Krusty Krab to steal the formula. Meanwhile, Mr. Krabs is watching through his cameras and tells SpongeBob about "Invasion of Privacy".

Plankton tells Karen to give him a lift, but the computer wife is offended that Plankton dragged her out for something so simple. Plankton sneaks inside but his attempt is unsuccessful yet again. When he returns home to the Chum Bucket, he is surprised that Karen has turned it into a successful chum restaurant with an active customer base. Plankton tells her that her plan isn't evil enough. Karen is offended and tells Plankton that if he doesn't like it, then it's the last straw for her. Plankton tears the place down anyway and scares away the customers with a flamethrower.

Plankton The Movie 116

The Chum Bucket begins to float.

Fed up with Plankton never listening to her, Karen throws him out of the Chum Bucket. He lands into SpongeBob and to their shock, the Chum Bucket begins to float, magnetizing anything metal. Then, Karen bursts out of the building, lands on the ground and announces that her and Plankton's alliance is over and transforms into a hydra with three heads. The heads introduce themselves as Smart, Snarky and Evil, who want to take over the world by building a giant robotic Mega Karen.

Act 2[]

Plankton and SpongeBob escape to the Barg'N-Mart, safely while the three Karens make their battle station by using buildings. Now safe in the market, SpongeBob asks Plankton why Karen is so angry. Plankton replies that he has no idea, and when SpongeBob suggests that it must be something in Plankton's past, Plankton replies that he must've blocked it out. SpongeBob decides that he should use hypnotism in order to get Plankton to be on the same page as Karen. Plankton, however, decides to use this to find a way to destroy Karen without SpongeBob knowing.

With hypnosis, SpongeBob discovers that Plankton had made Karen when she was just a calculator by connecting it with a potato and petri dish. Afterwards, SpongeBob and Plankton quickly escape the Barg'N-Mart and arrived at the Bikini State University. There, SpongeBob finds out that when Plankton was a young adult, he upgraded Karen and they both made a freeze way to take over the world. Arriving at his old college room, the two find Karen's old calculator and leave, landing in Plankton's basement. SpongeBob goofs off and freezes Plankton with a freeze ray tank, to which Plankton explains that the tank was his first attempt at world domination.

Donning his doctor outfit yet again, SpongeBob finds out Plankton and Karen's original attempt at world domination was thwarted by a human child at the beach, who threw them back into the water and it's revealed that overhearing Mr. Krabs jokingly saying that the Krabby Patty secret formula will help him take over the world, is what led Plankton to make his life's goal to steal the recipe.

Plankton The Movie 337

New Karen.

SpongeBob realized that Plankton's obsession is what made Karen turned against him, only to find that Plankton made a new Karen to fight the Hydra Karen. However, since he made Karen with the calculator, both Karens had the same mindset, and fuse into a stronger hydra, forcing SpongeBob and Plankton to run away again. SpongeBob, horrified that Bikini Bottom is completely gone, realizes that Plankton was never interested in getting back with Karen and angrily tells him that the whole mess is his fault. Plankton denies that it's his fault, so SpongeBob dons his doctor outfit one last time and tells him that his analysis is complete: Plankton's results are an overthrown sense of self-impertinence, pre-oscillation with fantasies of power, disregarding for others, instability to handle criticism, cycle-delusion, und borderline physicality. Taking off the outfit and putting it in simple terms, SpongeBob says that Mr. Krabs was right and that Plankton is nothing more than a pitiful, pathetic... jerk, with that, SpongeBob decided to leave Plankton and goes to be with his real friends.

Plankton, now alone, sings a song about how proud of a jerk he is, even though he felt bad about it at first. However, the hydra finds him and prepares to exterminate him. Realizing he's cornered, he accepts his demise and puts on a blindfold. Just then, SpongeBob and the Gal Pals rescue him and head to their secret headquarters. Sandy, Pearl and Mrs. Puff demand to know what happened to Karen. Through hypnosis, Plankton reveals that the reason Karen went berserk was because she had removed her empathy chip, and without it, Karen cannot feel anything for anyone. SpongeBob reveals that he had the empathy chip with him the whole time. Plankton grabs it, saying that if he can get it back inside Karen, everything will go back to normal.

Realizing that Karen won't be happy if things were to be continued in Plankton's way, an exasperated Sandy tells him that he has to apologize to her if he really loves her so much. She puts the chip inside his brain, and he was able to realize his love for Karen. Now that Plankton finally can apologize to Karen, Sandy told everyone the plan.

Act 3[]

SpongeBob, Plankton, Sandy, Mrs. Puff, and Pearl infiltrate the robot, which the Hydra Karens were altered to. The original Karen, still existing despite of her monstrous transformation, tells her counterparts to separate and go after the Gal Pals, SpongeBob and Plankton.

SpongeBob finds Patrick within the Krusty Krab, but the counterfeit Karens confront them. Sandy tells SpongeBob to get Plankton to Karen while she and the others fight off the counterfeit Karens.

At the top, Plankton, SpongeBob and Patrick managed to find the control room. Suddenly, Plankton starts glitching between evil and empathy. SpongeBob realized that the empathy chip is burning out and Plankton needs to get to Karen fast. Just before going in, he orders SpongeBob and Patrick figure out a way to shut down the engine room.

Plankton enters and attempts to apologize to her, but she rejects him upon believing that the empathy chip is forcing him to act nice, though Plankton reveals it's burnt out, and his feelings are genuine. Still too hurt, she solemnly gives him the Krabby Patty formula as a parting gift. But instead of reading it, he discards it and ultimately proves how truly sorry he is when he tells her that the secret formula was her. Karen is touched by his words and forgives him. Even without her empathy chip, the only thing she needed was to reactivate her empathy was to be given it in return. She then allows him to take part in the global conquest together. However, the two's newly merged plans to conquer the world are foiled when SpongeBob and Patrick take out the mech's potato power source (SpongeBob chopping with his spatula and Patrick eating all of them). Plankton apologizes for being involved in messing up the plan. Despite this, Karen's not angry at all, saying all that matters is that she has him back.

Plankton The Movie 724

Bikini Bottom is restored to normal.

The two hug as Mega Karen falls apart and Bikini Bottom is restored to normal. Once the Bottomites are about to attack Plankton and Karen, SpongeBob saves them and tells everyone that the whole incident was just a love story between Karen and Plankton since he's a "sucker of a love story." And with that, everyone agrees with SpongeBob's statement. Mr. Krabs, still enraged at what happened, deduces that everyone's gone soft on him. But he immediately changes his mind when his cash register's money fall into his hands, admitting that he's also a "sucker for a love story" too. Karen and Plankton share a heartfelt moment while SpongeBob and the others started celebrating before the movie ends.

Cast[]

Production[]

Main article: Plankton: The Movie/production

Promotional images[]

Officially posted by Netflix as these promotional images are screenshots from the movie.

Music[]

( ‣ ) Production music
( • ) Original music
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 • Hawaiian Adventures aka SpongeBob Theme - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob tries coffee.]
 • Hawaiian Adventures aka SpongeBob Theme - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Why don't you help yourself for some of this stuff?"]
 • Hawaiian Adventures aka SpongeBob Theme - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob smashing his face in coffee cups]

"I can turn into a skyscraper!"
This section is too short. You can help Encyclopedia SpongeBobia by expanding it.


Reception[]

Main article: Plankton: The Movie/reception

Soundtrack[]

Plankton The Movie Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Main article: Plankton: The Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Plankton: The Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) album was officially released on March 6, 2025, a day before the movie was released. The soundtrack features most of the original soundtrack for the movie.

Trivia[]

General[]

  • Just like Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, this film was originally set to be released on Paramount+,[5] but was then moved to releasing it on Netflix.[6]
    • Notes: Prior to its release, the entire film was leaked on August 8, 2024, following a hack on 4chan.[7] Saving Bikini Bottom was also leaked prior to its release.
  • The film's release date (March 7) also references the opening date of the Krusty Krab 2, which was shown in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
  • This is the first movie in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise to do several things:
    • The first movie on which Mr. Lawrence was a screenwriter.
    • The first movie where Pearl and Mrs. Puff play a main role. Mrs. Puff was listed under "Main Cast" in the credits of the 2004 film, but her role was minor.
    • The first movie that has no human main characters/villains (like David Hasselhoff, Burger Beard, Sage, The Gambler, and Sue Nahmee).
    • The first movie where Squidward does not play a major or supporting role, as he only has two lines of dialogue, in addition to several non-speaking scenes and two scenes playing his clarinet. Despite this, he is still credited as the main character.
    • The first movie not to feature any celebrity guest stars voicing new characters.
    • The first movie to feature Rube Goldfish as a character.
    • The first movie to not feature Larry the Lobster.
  • This is the first SpongeBob-related media that Casey Alexander has worked on since "Yeti Krabs," which premiered almost 10 years ago when this movie came out. However, if the copyright year, 2013, is counted, then it marks 12 years since then.
  • Some of SpongeBob's lines were reused from Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie.
  • Karen saying, "Your plans haven't worked for 25 years," references the age of the franchise when this movie initially released.
  • Just like Plankton in the The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Karen is the second antagonist of the SpongeBob SquarePants movie franchise to not be introduced in the movie.
    • After Sue Nahmee, Karen is the second antagonist of the movie franchise to be female.
  • The fourth wall is broken five times throughout the movie:
    • First, Plankton breaks the fourth wall when he says that the movie is his.
    • Secondly, the Gal Pals invite Karen to watch a sci-fi rom-com screwball thriller movie, hinting this movie's genres, including Mrs. Puff saying that it is animated, Pearl saying that it has songs, and Karen also hints out the plot of Plankton failing, and taking a stand to rule the world without him.
    • Thirdly, SpongeBob breaks the fourth wall by touching the screen and drawing a heart on it.
    • Fourthly, Sandy, Mrs. Puff, and Pearl subtly break the fourth wall by saying, "Stop the flashback!"
    • Finally, Perch Perkins and Plankton break the fourth wall when the former says that Bikini Bottom is back the way it was since the beginning of the movie, and when the latter says that the movie is over.
  • The film follows Plankton's family life from season 3's "Plankton's Army," rather than following the different backstory presented in season 5's "Friend or Foe." As depicted in the movie, Plankton begins his quest for the secret formula after he overhears Mr. Krabs jokingly say his patties could take over the world.
  • In "Plankton's Army", Karen learns that Plankton's first name is Sheldon. However, in this movie, Karen is shown to have known Plankton's first name when she was given the ability to talk.
    • Unlike Kamp Koral, where Karen was able to talk in her roller skate form, Karen was only able to talk when Plankton upgraded her from the roller skate form to her mobile form. The movie disregards the events of Kamp Koral.

Episode references[]

  • SpongeBob's pizza form references "The Slumber Party".
  • Karen's monitor design from The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run reappears, while her body shares similarities with its Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie design.
  • The way SpongeBob hypnotizes Plankton in this movie reflects the way Plankton hypnotized SpongeBob in the season 4 episode, "Fear of a Krabby Patty," with the same red couch appearing.
  • Ma Plankton and Gordon Plankton from "Blood is Thicker Than Grease" appear in this episode, and their potato family business is referenced.
  • Plankton saying, "Now give me a big sloppy kiss and let's tango!", is a reference to "Tango Tangle."
  • Karen being a calculator is a reference to the episode, "Goo Goo Gas", where it was shown that she was a calculator when she was younger.
  • Karen using a roller skate is a reference to her Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years design.
  • When Plankton was sprayed on with his handsome gas, he resembled Handsome Squidward from "The Two Faces of Squidward."
  • This movie shows Karen accepting Plankton's engagement. This matches "Komputer Overload," in which a happy wedding picture was shown, and "Single Cell Anniversary," in which E.M.I.L.P. says that Karen chose to marry Plankton. However, Plankton is seen in a regular black suit while marrying Karen, despite "Komputer Overload" showing him with hair and a blue suit.
  • Plankton saying, "The secret formula was you", to Karen is a reference to Mr. Krabs saying the same line to SpongeBob in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.

Cultural references[]

  • The thinking pose that Plankton made alludes to the sculpture, The Thinker, which was made by the French artist, Auguste Rodin.
  • The painting that Plankton destroys with his claw-like fingernails references the 1930 painting, American Gothic.
  • While acting as a psychiatrist, SpongeBob speaks with an Austrian (German) accent and references Sigmund Freud, who is an Austrian neurologist.
    • In the German version, however, SpongeBob speaks with a French accent.
  • The iteration of Karen being called the Hydra Karens may be owed, due to Karen having more than one head referencing the mythological monster, the Lernaean Hydra of Greek mythology, which is famous for having more than three heads.
    • Hydra Karen's appearance could also be a nod to King Ghidorah, the three-headed monster dragon who is the archenemy of Godzilla. Since the Hydra Karens are machines, it could also be a reference to Mecha-King Ghidorah from Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.
    • Hydra Karen's wheels could possibly be inspired by WALL-E.
  • The sequences of Karen taking over the world during "Say My Name, Karen" are animated in the style of Marvel Animation's Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (which was released two months before this movie).
    • Coincidentally, New York City (which happens to be the main location of the aforementioned show) appears in one of these sequences.
  • Mega Karen is most likely a combination (in terms of appearance, personality, abilities, and motivations) of different robotic monsters from various science fiction and horror franchises such as:
  • SpongeBob's quote, "Whosoever pulleth out this spatula from this wall is right-wise worthy", is a reference to Sir Thomas Malroy's quote, "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is right wise king born of all England."

Errors[]

  • Throughout almost the entire movie, SpongeBob's holes are yellow. It is not until he goes inside mecha Karen for the holes to be colored green as they should be.
  • On Netflix, SpongeBob says, "Hi again", but the closed captions say "High again."
    • Similarly, a character says, "Everybody panic!", but the closed captions say "Krabby Patty".
  • Sandy was able to sip her coffee, despite wearing a helmet.
  • Gary's model at the beginning of the movie (which reuses his The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run design) is different than his model at the end.
  • In the end credits, Spot is missing in the list of characters that were voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Gallery[]

Posters[]

Other[]

Videos[]

References[]

  1. ^ ‘SpongeBob’ Antagonist Plankton Is Getting His Own Netflix Movie In 2025 - Deadline
  2. ^ ‘Plankton: The Movie’: Netflix’s Second SpongeBob SquarePants Film Arrives in March 2025 - What's on Netflix
  3. ^ a b c ToonHive on Twitter/X: "New look at ‘Plankton: The Movie.’"
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Netflix Unveils 'Plankton: The Movie' Trailer, Key Art, Poster and Stills - NickALive!
  5. ^ Paramount+ on Twitter/X: "As the streaming home for Bikini Bottom..."
  6. ^ Netflix on Twitter/X: "FIRST LOOK: Plankton..."
  7. ^ Netflix Animation Suffers Major Leak; Multiple Movies, Series, and Anime Shared Online - What's on Netflix
Plankton: The Movie (V • E)
Characters: Hydra Karens • Super Snarky Karen • Super Smart Karen • Super Evil Karen • New Karen • Mega Karen • Roommate • Snorkeler
Locations: Gal Pals Secret Headquarters • BSU
Objects: Junior Psychiatrist Kit • Karen's microchips • Empathy chip
Songs: Welcome to Bikini Bottom • I'm Plankton • Say My Name, Karen • I Made a New Friend • I'm A Jerky Jerk • You and Me • Welcome Back to Bikini Bottom
Other: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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