It’s an excellent week for children’s cartoons on Netflix. The streaming platform traditionally does well for children’s programming on the weekends, when our kids are home from school and looking to pass the time.
Despicable Me 4 has topped the list this week, scoring the number one spot on the streaming platform in the United States.
Despicable Me 4 has spent the past two weeks in the Netflix Top 10, and this week, it edged out Plankton: The Movie, a Nickelodeon Films production that debuted on Netflix back on March 7, 2025.
The other family film to land in the top 10 this week is Sonic 2, which reached the sixth spot. Sonic 2 has stayed in the top 10 for the past two weeks, likely on the strength of the third movie in the franchise, which is now available for viewing on other streaming platforms. Paramount Plus subscribers can watch the film at no additional charge.
Despicable Me 4 Is A Worldwide Hit On Netflix
According to Netflix, the fourth movie in the Despicable Me franchise is the number one movie in four countries this week. Despicable Me 4 follows the arrival of a new baby and Gru living a happy family life until an old rival returns for revenge and forces Gru to uproot his family and Minions!
Despicable Me 4 was a huge box office hit, bringing in $361 million in the United States and $969 million in global returns.
All four of my children loved Despicable Me 4, including my 13-year-old, even though she hadn’t watched the second or third movies. There were also some great laugh-out-loud moments for parents, mostly brought to us by the antics of Gru’s Minions.
Plankton: The Movie Continues To Prove Spongebob’s Staying Power
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Spongebob Squarepants debuted on May 1, 1999, and 26 years later Spongebob, Patrik, Squidworth, and the rest of the Soggy Bottom crew continue to delight fans with their continued new adventures.
While the movie couldn’t take the top spot in the United States, Netflix notes that it is the #1 movie in 10 countries this week.
Plankton: The Movie takes the focus off the show’s main characters and places it on Plankton and his tangled love story with his sentient computer wife, which goes sideways when she takes a stand against his dismissive nature and decides to destroy the world without him.
We watched Plankton: The Movie this weekend. It’s a cute little movie that scored 82% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 71% with audiences. Based on the family fun factor, I would put it right in the 75% range.
If you’re looking for other kids’ TV shows and movies to watch on Netflix check out the 25 Awesome Kids Shows On Netflix That My 4 Children Love.