“Forgotten Island” A Beautifully Animated, Imaginative Coming of Age Story
While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families. Some of these figures will become friends, some foes.
Joined by well-meaning-but-hapless weredog Raww and a small but mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must face The Dreaded Manananggal, the most feared creature on the island. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.
I’ll admit at first when I started seeing the trailers for the latest DreamWorks Animation feature, I thought it looked just OK and maybe a little generic. After seeing the stellar reviews, I started to become more optimistic and once I finished watching the movie, all I’ll say is that “Forgotten Island” has to be one of the best DreamWorks Animation movies to date!
Not only does it feature the typical coming of age story about two best friends who could lose each other somehow, “Forgotten Island” really makes that central coming of age story really emotional and it can really strike a deep, moving chord with just about anyone. The latest from DreamWorks Animation also goes into Filipino folklore (which is fascinating) and, of course, the animation is incredible!
The central relationship between best friends Jo and Raissa is easily the heart of the movie. I really loved how the overall story tackles a surprisingly grounded, mature message: how relationships naturally shift and evolve as people grow up and life circumstances change. Also, the conclusion of this story, along with the focus of nostalgic memories, will really have you feeling moved by the time the end credits start to roll.
While the emotional friendship between the leads forms the heart of “Forgotten Island,” the movie’s high-octane energy, screwball humor and offbeat characters easily gives the animated movie more of its charm.
The animated movie also delivers plenty of frenetic energy that never slows down and
easily keeps the movie highly entertaining. Also if you love 80s and 90s nostalgia, you’ll have the time of your life since the animated movie features everything from Polaroid cameras to 80s anthems to mixtapes (remember those?) to even a nod from the original “Predator.”
“Forgotten Island” also delivers quite a few characters and creatures that truly stand out. Raww the Weredog (voice by Dave Franco) is easily the runaway breakout character among viewers for sure.
While performing the vocals of Raww, a chaotic, mythological weredog, Franco’s oddball performance leads into pure, unhinged, creature energy and the audience at a showing I attended really loved the character. There’s also plenty of mythological Filipino lore-inspired creatures scattered throughout the movie, including the Manananggal, that are both interesting and even a little dark (especially with the Manananggal).
There are also plenty of moments that really stand out throughout Jo and Raissa’s journey, such as the sand dollar portal jump (that happens early in their journey and has been shown in the trailers), pretty much every moment with Raww and the many memory montages featuring the two lead characters. Actually, there are so many moments in this animated movie that really stand out, I couldn’t list them all!
Critics and casual moviegoers praise the movie as an energetic, imaginative, and deeply sincere coming of age story. “Forgotten Island” delivers a vibrant 90s-inspired visual style, a unique and fun soundtrack and a thoughtful immersion into Filipino mythology.
Cast: H.E.R. (Jo); Liza Soberano (Raissa); Dave Franco (Raww); Jenny Slate (Batiba); Manny Jacinto (Bungi); Lee Salonga (Manang); Dolly DeLeon (Lola); Kevin McConn (Prince Mermahn)
Writer/director: Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado (both writers and directors of the movie) (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; Croods: A New Age)
MPA: Rated PG for animated sequences of scary action, language, rude humor, thematic elements, some violence and brief tobacco imagery (running time 109 minutes)
This is the first Filipino-themed animated feature by a major Hollywood studio.
The movie draws heavily from Philippine mythology, bringing its creatures and stories to a global audience.
The mystical world is called Nakali. Nakali is derived from the Filipino word "nakalimutan," meaning "forgotten".
The film's visual style was heavily influenced by Studio Ghibli's approach to romanticizing natural landscapes. The directors intentionally used wide-angle lenses for quiet, emotional scenes-rather than just action-to emphasize the significance of small, intimate moments between the characters.
Directors Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado, who have been close friends and collaborators for over 15 years since working on Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), described this film as a "passion project" inspired by their own long-standing friendship.
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