The world of SpongeBob SquarePants keeps expanding in film now with spinoffs, the latest being Plankton: The Movie, which ends up changing Plankton’s plans and his restaurant’s backstory again. Despite the quality of SpongeBob SquarePants being in decline for a while now, it continues to be very popular, so much so that its franchise keeps expanding. In addition to the main show, SpongeBob SquarePants now also covers TV spinoffs, comic books, video games, a movie series, and more – and it’s its movie series where it has succeeded the most outside the main show.
The latest SpongeBob SquarePants movie is Plankton: The Movie, which, as the тιтle says, is led by Mr. Krabs’ legendary enemy, Plankton (voiced by Mr. Lawrence). When his plans for world domination are halted by his computer wife, Karen, going rogue, Plankton asks SpongeBob for help to stop her. In the process, the movie explores bits of Plankton and Karen’s past, solving some of the biggest mysteries about them. However, Plankton: The Movie also makes some changes to what the main show has established about Plankton, his evil plans, and the creation of The Chum Bucket.
Plankton: The Movie Gives A New Origin To Plankton’s Plan To Steal The Secret Formula
The Show & The Movie’s Backstories Clash
SpongeBob SquarePants has been on the air for so long that it had to address some of the biggest mysteries and questions around its characters at some point. The biggest rivalry in the show is that between Plankton and Mr. Krabs, as they both own fast-food restaurants but with very different degrees of success. Mr. Krabs’ Krusty Krab is the most popular fast food place in ʙικιɴι Bottom, with the Krabby Patty being the best item on its menu. Plankton’s The Chum Bucket, on the other hand, never has clients, so Plankton spends his time planning how to steal the Krabby Patty’s secret formula.
Plankton and Mr. Krabs decided to open their own restaurant, named “Plabs Burgers.”
SpongeBob SquarePants established that Plankton and Mr. Krabs have known each other since they were born, as they were born at the same hospital, on the same day. Plankton and Mr. Krabs went to school together, where they were bullied by their classmates because Mr. Krabs was poor and Plankton was a genius. After trying one of the terrible burgers from Stinky’s Burgers and seeing how much he earned despite the horrible quality, Plankton and Mr. Krabs decided to open their own restaurant, named “Plabs Burgers.”
However, their burgers weren’t good, either, and Plankton and Mr. Krabs accused each other of ruining the patty. As they fought over the recipe, it split in half, with Plankton only getting the final part that read “and a pinch of chum.” Mr. Krabs, on the other hand, got the secret formula for the Krabby Patty when various ingredients fell into the patty batter when Plankton left. Plankton went on to open The Chum Bucket and used what he had of the recipe, which is why his food never succeeded.
Plankton overhears Mr. Krabs saying that the secret formula will help him take over the world, so Plankton decides to steal it.
Now, Plankton: The Movie has changed this part of Plankton’s backstory along with his motivation to steal the secret formula. The movie shows Plankton and Karen having lunch at the Krusty Krab after another attempt to take over the world, which resulted in a human girl putting them in a bucket and kicking it into the ocean. Plankton overhears Mr. Krabs saying that the secret formula will help him take over the world, so Plankton decides to steal it. After that, he and Karen open The Chum Bucket using the bucket they were placed in.
Plankton Finally Gets The Krabby Patty’s Secret Formula (With A Twist)
Plankton Realized Something Very Important
Plankton’s role in SpongeBob SquarePants is that of the villain whose plan never works, and no matter his failures, he insists on continuing to try. Plankton has truly tried everything to get his hands on the Krabby Patty’s secret formula – from manipulating SpongeBob by infiltrating his head, to building a robotic Mr. Krabs, and even trying to make Santa Claus believe he was the only nice person in town and thus deserved to get what he wanted. Plankton: The Movie makes fun of all these attempts, with SpongeBob calling out all his failed inventions in his secret lair.
Plankton has had the secret formula in his power a couple of times, but he hasn’t gotten the chance to read it. He succeeded in the first SpongeBob SquarePants movie and sold many Krabby Patties thanks to it, and it’s worth noting that the show’s creator, Stephen Hillenburg, considered this movie to be the end of the series, with all stories that followed being prequels. It’s unclear if Plankton: The Movie also counts as a “prequel” under that logic, but in it, Plankton finally got the secret formula thanks to Karen.
However, and even though he was happy to have it, Plankton and Karen had already gone through a lot. With the help of SpongeBob, Sandy, Mrs. Puff, and Pearl, Plankton finally understood how awful he had been to Karen and that he had been ignoring her and her feelings, so when he got the secret formula, he threw it away as he realized that the most important thing was that he had Karen. It’s not surprising that he once more didn’t read the formula, but it’s a nice twist that Plankton made the right decision.
Plankton: The Movie’s Changes Give Closure To His Story In The Show
Plankton’s Story Could End After His Movie
Plankton literally had to take a look into his past and himself to understand where he had gone wrong with Karen, but this is exactly what he needed. Plankton realized that Karen is the real “secret formula” and they reconciled, and once more tried to take over the world together. However, SpongeBob and Patrick ate all the potatoes that powered the giant robot Karen and Plankton were in, so their plan was, once again, ruined. At the end of Plankton: The Movie, SpongeBob stops ʙικιɴι Bottom’s residents from attacking Plankton and Karen, and instead, they celebrate their love.
This gives perfect closure to Plankton’s story and could end his desire to steal the Krabby Patty as he has now realized what’s truly important. On the other hand, it could shift his goals to world domination, giving him a new storyline in the main TV show. Plankton: The Movie can be the end of Plankton’s story, but with SpongeBob SquarePants continuing, this seems unlikely.
