Two best friends become stranded in the mystical world of Nakali, where their only escape might cost them their shared lifetime of memories.
“Forgotten Island” centers on two best friends, Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), who live in the Philippines. The two are extremely close and grow up together. However, once Raissa decides to go to college at Caltech, Jo must face what life will be like without her best friend. As they celebrate their last night together, a portal to Nakali, a mystical island filled with various mythological creatures, opens up for them to travel to.
I would consider DreamWorks Animation the leader in feature-film animation. They may not have the built-in audience that Disney and Pixar have, but they continue to outshine other studios in their films’ animation styles. Unlike “Wild Robot,” which has a painting-like animation style, “Forgotten Island” is done in the vein of anime. It’s extremely vibrant and fast-paced.
This film also feels very original. Friendship is at the heart of this film, and while that is not an original idea, the culture at the center of this friendship is. I don’t really know much about Filipino culture or folklore, so it was really cool to see it centered in a movie.
Another thing I’m glad about in this film is the cast. No major A-listers are voicing a character. Instead, we have unknowns or lesser-known celebrities. It takes me out of a film when I can name every celebrity voice in it. Voice acting is an art form separate from being on-camera, and I don’t think it gets enough attention these days.
While the characters and settings are unique, the story gets bogged down in world-building. The film is very manic, which doesn’t help. There are quite a few side characters, including a were-dog named Raww (Dave Franco), a merman named Mermahn (Kevin McCann), and a demon-baby named Bungi (Manny Jacinto), along with two villains, a memory demon named Ilocano (Jenny Slate) and a vampire named Manang (Lea Salonga). For me, the film is most successful when it is set in the real world, which mostly happens in the first act.
While it was neat that the creatures were based on Filipino folklore, it was still unclear to me what these side characters are supposed to represent. Mythology and folklore come with their own set of cautionary tales. The main plot of this film correctly focuses on Jo and Raissa’s relationship, but I think the film could better use these side characters to represent change or emotion in our main protagonists’ lives. Raww is the character that succeeds the most at this, since he cannot really control when or how he transforms into a dog. He doesn’t feel in control like Jo, since she cannot convince Raissa to stay in the Philippines for college.
Manang is a menacing villain, but I wish we knew more about her origin and/or her motivation. She goes after Jo and Raissa for stealing her wings. She likes to terrorize people and breathe fireballs at them. Overall, she is very one-dimensional. I do want to give a fair warning to the parents, though: the little ones may be quite terrified of her. Her animation is pure nightmare fuel.
The film spends a lot of time showcasing Jo and Raissa’s friendship, which is necessary. I love how they both have niche, weird interests. One of the film’s strengths is that you care so much about these girls despite all the chaos surrounding them.
Another tiny gripe I have is a new trend I have noticed: a film flashes back to a scene that happened earlier. I find it to be annoying. I understand this is a movie aimed at kids, but I hope filmmakers, studios, and editors keep the expectation that the audience is paying attention. If someone isn’t doing that, that’s their loss. You do not need to show the exact same scene twice; I remember it happening the first time.
Other than that, “Forgotten Island” is a bright, fun, and heartwarming tale centered on female friendship. The animation style is vibrant and awe-inspiring. I think kids aged 7+ will quite enjoy it. However, this story has a bit too much fat for my taste.
In Theaters Friday, September 25th
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