Sheldon Plankton is the tiny, one-eyed villain from SpongeBob SquarePants with evil plans for world domination, most of which rely on stealing the Krabby Patty secret formula from Mr Krabs.
In his native underwater town of Bikini Bottom, Plankton owns the failing Chum Bucket restaurant, a painfully unworthy rival to Mr Krabs’s thriving Krusty Krab emporium.
Despite the algae speck’s self-proclaimed genius-level intellect, his plans invariably fail, often due to incompetence, hubris or, worse, SpongeBob’s assistance.
If only he would listen to his smart, long-suffering computer wife, Karen.
A handful of billionaires and a million artists in penury: big tech’s effect on culture, and what you can do about it
Plankton: The Movie review – Who knew marital discord could be so much fun for all ages?
The Movie Quiz: Where does Scarlett O’Hara live?
Mickey 17 review: Bong Joon Ho’s fitful sci-fi satire is a rickety follow-up to the Oscar-winning Parasite
Following on from last year’s Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, Plankton’s outing is the latest in a series of character-driven spin-off films from the late Stephen Hillenburg’s beloved franchise.
Mr Lawrence, the voice of Plankton and longtime series writer, provides a pleasing origin story for Plankton and Karen’s sarcasm-driven marriage, framed by the tiny terror’s latest scheme. It’s about time: a rightly fed-up Karen – retooled as a nefarious, many-headed supercomputer – makes her own bid for supremacy, leaving her husband to form an uneasy alliance with SpongeBob.
In theory, the computer-generated animation now used in Kamp Koral and other SpongeBob properties offers more opportunities for comic expression and pratfalls. In practice it’s never as effective (or charming) as the original series’ cel animation and makeshift live-action inserts.
There are many things to love, nonetheless. Eschewing celebrity contributions – previous special guests have included David Bowie, Robin Williams and Victoria Beckham – Plankton: The Movie has fun with existing characters, especially the Gal Pals, a group of Karen’s confidantes featuring the series favourites Mrs Puff and Sandy Puff.
The musical numbers, notably the electronica toe-tapper Say My Name, Karen, are entertaining. Franchise fans will appreciate another glimpse of Plankton’s unlikely hillbilly clan. And there’s plenty of room for traditional SpongeBob bungling.
Who knew marital discord could be so much fun for all ages? Roll on, Squidward: The Movie.
On Netflix from Friday, March 7th
