Forgotten Island combines vibrantly bold visuals with the power of friendship to bring this animation to life. DreamWorks Animation bring an extremely detailed story. Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado, we follow high school graduates and best friends, Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano). But when they discover a mysterious portal on the beach, they are transported into the mystical island of Nakali. There they find mythological creatures they only ever heard about through stories told among their Filipino families.

Along their weirdly wonderful journey, they meet a clumsy weredog, Raww (voiced by Dave Franco). They must retrace their steps from a previous night that they can’t remember. But to venture back home, they must forfeit the memories that have built their long-lasting friendship. Can they afford to lose all of their precious memories together? They must escape the powerful wrath of the Dreaded Manananggal (voiced by Lea Salonga).

An all-star crew of DreamWorks Animation make up this brilliant animation. From the initial design with the head of story, Steven Macleod, the layout by Scott Cullen, and the head of character animation, Sean Sexton. Alongside the editor James Ryan, visual effects supervisor Betsy Nofsinger, production designer Ryan Carlson, art director Christopher Grun, and digital supervisor Youxi Woo. Just like with every DreamWorks Animation production, this film brings it all in both shaping the story and its animation style.

From the opening scene, Forgotten Island sets out to be bold, magical, and a ferociously fierce joyride. It’s certainly full of fun, mayhem, and mystery. But the story’s heart opens up to a warmly wonderful love letter to friendship. For Jo’s and Raissa’s story, their strong friendship bond carries them outside the realm of danger. No matter how powerful the stakes and obstacles The Dreaded Manananggal throws at them, when they stick together, that is their superpower. The script feels organically natural. Adding a sense of realism to its story, real-life friends and writer-directors Crawford and Mercado made the bond between Jo and Raissa even stronger.

Special moments in the script stem from their friendship, which makes the characters’ stories feel even more realistic. But as the two young characters grow up, they inevitably grow apart. Luckily, the directors know these characters deserve a happy ending. However, the pressures strong friendships create are greater pressure to be perfect for each other. From growing pains to the fragility of memory, this story certainly brings its uplifting, cherished moments. But also brings its emotionally heartbreaking scenes. In turn, it leaves us asking: will they be friends forever or grow up without each other?

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Filipino culture is at the heart of the story and is rooted in the director’s family connections. Filipino folklore and mythology inspired their storytelling, particularly with the shape-shifting supernatural beings named ‘Aswang.’ But this original work is also rooted in nostalgia for late ’90s culture. Set in a period with technology to help or distract them, Jo and Raissa must rely on their power of friendship to overcome their obstacles. No matter what corner they turn, if they do so separately, they can’t succeed. Forgotten Island plays with flashbacks and develops an extremely detailed world alongside its stunning animated design.

But working together builds their authentically emotionally grounded tale of friendship. It’s great to see these two characters really change for the better. They learn important life lessons along their journey and understand compassion, trust, and reliability. But the filmmakers’ 10-day research trip to Manila also helped ground the realistic elements behind building the island’s culture. Their real-life visit, inspiring the events of the film, feels like a heart-warming full-circle moment – connecting the writers to their characters.

Forgotten Island brings a new, inventive, and original story to life. Its visual style is bright, playful, and neon. There’s something inherently childlike about the colour palette. This adds to the coming-of-age fantasy mystery adventure of the two young protagonists. Throughout their journey, they learn to appreciate one another. Other than the easily identifiable visual style created here, the story’s message is the best aspect of Forgotten Island. But it feels like so often strong friendships can be taken for granted. Forgotten Island is showing not only the importance of friendship but the need to look after one another. It’s about caring a little more, as well as believing in finding and rediscovering connections.

★★★★

In cinemas now / H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco / Dir: Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado / DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures / PG

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Hannah Taylor

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