What’s It About

Best friends Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to Nakali, a fantastical island that’s filled with magical creatures. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, they try to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.

MOVIESinMO REVIEW

“Forgotten Island” is one of the best animated movies I’ve seen this year, and it’s worth every dollar you drop at the box office. It comes from Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the same team behind “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” They brought that same energy here, then turned it all the way up. It’s also DreamWorks’ 50th animated feature, and the studio picked a strong one to celebrate with. This film takes the audience on a journey through the lives of two girls, Jo, who is voiced by H.E.R. and is carefree and joyful, always getting into trouble, and Raissa, who is voiced by Liza Soberano, intelligent and has a lot going on in her life since she has just got accepted to a renowned university. This contrasts of their characters is the core of the movie. My favorite part of the movie is the friendship between the girls. Real friends would always communicate about things that matter to them, and that is seen with the help of different things they share together, including movies and some stories from the history of the Philippines, and the most important thing that ties them together is the fact that they always wear identical bracelets. Before Raissa takes her plane to California, Jo convinces her to go for one last ride. Little do they know that they’ll find the sand dollar that magically transports them to Nakali, the magical island they used to dream about when they were kids. When they open their eyes on the beach in Nakali, they find out they have no memory of the previous night. In addition to wings, they also have a new tattoo featuring a dog and a goofy guy who claims he has worked for them as their guide. As true heroes, Raissa and Jo need to put the puzzle pieces together and find that magical sand dollar, so they can come back home! So you met Raww, the weredog who’s got Dave Franco as his voice. He’s a total cheeseball but in a way that makes him fun in that snotty-little-brother way. But the island itself is packed with creatures straight out of Filipino mythology. Truffle Wuffle is the name of the king of the tiny warriors called Duwende, voiced by Daily Show comedian Ronny Chieng. This is a classic case of a joke working every time because they actually look cute. Kevin McCann lends his voice to Mermahn, a merman prince obsessed with his own looks. Not to be missed is Manny Jacinto playing Bungi, a 200-year-old baby demon. Jenny Slate plays Batiba, a cat from whom the girls wanted a ride home, only if they give their bangles and all memories attached to them. Finally, the legendary Lea Salonga appears as the scariest creature on the island, the Dreaded Manananggal. The animation is stunning. The colors are vibrant, the textures are rich, and the style changes constantly. One second it’s regular 3D and the next, it goes from anime to 2D or comic book styles. I feel like the animators couldn’t make up their minds, so they just decided to use all of the styles, and somehow, this works. But the best part about the movie is that it doesn’t talk down to kids. The friendship between Jo and Raissa seems genuine. They are different people, but they are still made for each other. At the same time, it gets very painful when they break apart, because we have all experienced something like that with our loved ones. The moment when their memories start to vanish away is particularly heartbreaking. The film also gives you a real taste of Filipino culture without turning into a boring history lesson. Jo does traditional dances, the family eats lechon (roasted pig, and it looks delicious), and folks point with their lips instead of their fingers. It’s subtle, but if you know, you know. The voice cast stays on point. H.E.R. brings so much personality to Jo that you can tell she had a good time in the booth. Liza Soberano nails Raissa’s struggle between being responsible and wanting to cut loose with her best friend. Dolly de Leon, as Jo’s Lola Fatima, brings a whole lot of heart with very little screen time. Here’s where the film hits home for me. “Forgotten Island” is one of the first Hollywood animated films to focus on characters inspired by Filipino culture. That means a lot. The film doesn’t just feature these girls as side characters or minor players. They become the main characters and move the story forward. H.E.R., who is Black and Filipino, made this film. Young Filipino kids who have never seen themselves in film will now be able to say that they have. Alright, I have to say it how it is, “Forgotten Island” is a bit chaotic, if you ask me. There’s a lot happening in this film, and sometimes it feels like they’ve thrown everything they had at it. The pacing is very fast, and there are chances that if you blink, you might miss something crucial. The timeline is tricky too. I was also wondering why DMX’s Party Up (Up In Here) is in a children’s movie. However, the film does feel good when it actually focuses on Jo and Raissa. The ending strikes you. It’s emotional but not cheesy, and you’ll start thinking about your real friendships when you grow up. So is it a perfect film? No, it’s not. It’s a little messy and tries out too many things at a time. But it serves the purpose of making its audience smile and laugh while educating them on the great topic of friendship.

OUR RATING – A NOT SO FORGETTABLE 8