Forgotten Island

DreamWorks’ latest animated feature, Forgotten Island, was going to be an interesting experiment as it was the first original film they’ve released that relied on outside studios to assist with animation rather than having it done entirely in-house. While this isn’t a bad thing as it can allow for multiple different forms of visual styles, it runs the risk of potentially eroding DreamWorks’ unique identity, but so far that hasn’t been an issue, and the way Forgotten Island was piecing together seemed very clever. Adopting a similar sketchy painting-esque style to something like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish for a story all about Philippine culture and mythology felt like a match made and heaven, and everything from the story, to the character designs, to the specific style, humor and atmosphere really seemed to blend together very nicely, so it seems like this new recipe may continue to bear tasty results.

Set in the Philippines during the 1990s, two young girls named Jo and Raissa (voiced by Kailey Crawford and Kayla Teruel) quickly become best friends and enjoy a childhood full of wild antics and unforgettable memories, but once the two graduate high school, that bond may be at risk of shattering. While Jo (now voiced by H.E.R) doesn’t have a set goal and is purely focused on her friendship with Raissa (and their pact to find the mythical forgotten island of Nakali), Raissa (now voiced by Liza Soberano) plans to move to the United States for college at the urging of her parents. While the two prepare to spend one last night together, Jo comes across a medallion that transports them to Nakali, allowing them to live out their childhood dream, but quickly realize that this place has the ability to drain them of their memories. Having totally forgotten the day that they arrived plus the medallion needed to get them home, Jo and Raissa will need to rely on a were-aspin named Raww (voiced by Dave Franco) to retrace their steps and find their lost trinket, while avoiding the deathly glare of the dreaded Manananggal demon named Manang (voiced by Lea Salonga) who is out for blood, and address their fracturing friendship before they return to their rapidly-evolving lives.

Already being labelled as one of DreamWorks’ best movies, Forgotten Island is a wonderfully vibrant, emotionally engaging film that really tugs at the heart strings and offers a charming, fun, and energetic experience that kids and adults will equally enjoy. It’s hard to call it fantastic as the humor is a bit of a mixed bag, and the narrative and script (while good) retreads familiar plot threads and tropes that other stories have done a little stronger, but the strong direction and pacing, very good leading ladies in Jo and Raissa, exceptional animation and music, and a fantastic third act cement it as at least in the top 10.

Forgotten Island already started off appealing with the trailers highlighting its captivating art style, personal narrative hook, and doses of Filipino culture laced all throughout its visual identity and world design, and the hype only increased when it was revealed that it was going to be directed and written by Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford, who recently rose to prominence for directing the surprisingly excellent, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Taking inspiration from the real-life friendship between Crawford and Mercado, and feeling like a mixture of KPop Demon Hunters and a Filipino-inspired Thelma & Louise (with a little bit of The Hangover thrown in for good measure), Forgotten Island is chaotically endearing and is packed with eccentric characters, bombastic colors, very nice cultural representation of a nationality not commonly spotlighted in the mainstream, and plenty of over-the-top comedic moments that are further enhanced by the anime-inspired art style, but thanks to its very mellow approach to its main focus of two childhood friends drifting apart as they grow up, it allows for a nice balance and gives this fantastical journey a solid grounded centre.

The film is very fast paced and while this does mean the first two acts feel like being on a sugar high at a high school gathering, it keeps your attention and will make you want to see where it goes, even if it isn’t too surprising which leads into its core problem. While the premise is pretty great and could lead the story down some unique avenues, the actual script is fairly predictable in terms of narrative direction, character conflict and even scene composition. The story on its own isn’t bad, but for what could come from mixing this mythology-inspired environment and concept with a very intimate and complex real life subject matter that youths of any variety can experience, it can feel a tad bit underwhelming (for an example, the 2019 Disney cartoon series, Amphibia, manages this formula fantastically and dissects its topics more concretely). With that said, the third act feels like the perfect mixture of creative and mature, wrapping up all the loose threads and character arcs very sweetly in a fashion that is visually dynamic and emotionally cathartic.

Jo and Raissa are very good protagonists, adopting the familiar pairing of the tough, hot-headed reckless type and the soft-spoken, analytical, easily high-strung type. It’s standard fare and sadly their writing does follow the predictable route you’d expect them to take (with Jo being focused on the friendship and not wanting Raissa to leave, and Raissa trying to grapple with holding onto her childhood friendship or moving to pursue her promising future) but it doesn’t stop either from being very likeable, memorable leading ladies. Both of their designs are wonderfully characterful and immediately describe them perfectly, their friendship (while predictably laid out) does feel genuine and leads to some touching moments, and the voice acting from both H.E.R (otherwise known as Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) and Liza Soberano is very strong.

Most of the supporting cast are voiced well, also have great designs (especially those from Nakali), and are mostly used in the story effectively, but don’t have the same kind of connection as the leads. Dave Franco as Raww can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to his comedy, but his emotional beats are genuingly pretty touching, Jenny Slate plays a memory demon named Batiba who is enjoyably grey in terms of morality, Manang is legitimately terrifying and getting a legend like Lea Salonga to voice her means every moment she’s on screen is memorable, Manny Jacinto as a demon baby named Bungi and Jo Koy as a Kapre named Datu have fun designs and quirks that help them stand out, but they also feel like one-note jokes who don’t contribute much to the story, and any character in the human world really only serves to move the plot forward (how many times do we need to watch a grandparent die in an animated movie?)

With Sony Pictures Imageworks assisting with the animation, it’s no surprise that there’s a KPop Demon Hunters inspiration behind the art style, with the clear anime influences, gag-a-minute mentality, and the exaggerated expressions and linework, certainly feeling similar. Thankfully, it doesn’t just feel like a repeat thanks to DreamWorks holding onto the similar story-book aesthetic used in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which really lends well to this environment of Nakali, as a location based within mythology would have an ethereal, almost abstract look to it, and everything from the colors, to the background, to the unique flora and fauna as well as the clear Filipino culture drenched all over it, makes it wonderful location to spend the film in. The Philippines are also wonderfully showcased, with the warm colors and beachy atmosphere preventing the opening act from feeling too bland and mundane against what would come later

The film sports a soundtrack full of 80s/90s music, which would normally feel pretty dated and forced, but the way this movie uses songs like Don’t Stop Believing, Never Tear Us Apart, and even Who Let the Dogs Out, actually feels more purposeful than would normally be expected. It lends well into the comedic and even some of the emotional moments, and when paired with the more percussive and punchy score composed by Nathan Matthew David, the film’s sound is equally as engrossing as its visuals.

Forgotten Island certainly isn’t forgettable, and it’s nice that even after DreamWorks decided to solely rely on outside studios to help animate their films instead of doing it in-house, it hasn’t stifled the quality of their releases. It isn’t a flawless picture and even against some of their latest smash hits like The Wild Robot and the aforementioned The Last Wish, the overly familiar script, story and characters do prevent it from being fantastic, but with a great premise, a strong third act, likable leads, and very good animation and music, it’s a memento that DreamWorks will certainly not be trading in anytime soon.