A kaleidoscope of an animated feature you need to remember.
I have a Filipino friend, who told me she was eager to see Dreamwork Animation’s latest addition “Forgotten Island,” which focuses on Philippine mythology. And eager she should be, because the film itself is delightful and respectful of the culture. I’m not familiar with it, but I was interested to see where the movie would take us to. If “Hercules” could celebrate Greek mythology and if “Coco” and “The Book of Life” can both take us to the Land of the Dead, then “Forgotten Island” can energize and stylize the country’s belief system.
It’s a kaleidoscope that uses a vibrant of colors, the power of friendship, and a certain 90s nostalgia that adults can enjoy. I was reminded of the success of the Oscar winning animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters,” especially when its stylized animation was done at Sony Pictures Imageworks. And the freedom of animation here was co-directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, who both made “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and wish to use Filipino art, 90s graphic designs, and the power of Anime to bring it to life.
“Forgotten Island” takes place in the Philippines in the 90s, and introduces us to Jo, whose stories are inspired by her grandmother’s visit to the forgotten island Nakali, but deals with rejection and ridicule by her teachers and classmates. Funny, I think the main heroine dealt with the same thing in “I Am Frankelda,” but unlike Francisca Imelda-I mean Frankelda-Jo immediately earns the friendship of the smart Raissa. They have their friendship bracelets with pieces from every moment of their lives, and their answer to everything is a sticky note that says “BRB” on it.
The lead voice actresses have Filipino backgrounds. Singer and songwriter H.E.R. (in her first major movie role since “The Color Purple”) voices Jo, while Liza Soberano (whose credits include “Alone/Together” and “Lisa Frankenstein”) voices Raissa. And as they get older, Jo keeps getting fired from her jobs due to her overzealousness, while Raissa is poised to go to America for college. However, the night before Raissa leaves, they both find a portal to Nakali, and like “The Hangover,” they wake up the next morning with no memory of what happened within the last 12 hours. At this moment, Jo has a crown on her head, while Raissa has half her hair shaved off, and they come across a were-dog named Raww (voiced by Dave Franco), who labels them “The Wild Pack.” Sounds familiar, doesn’t it.
The island is run on memories, which the agoraphobic memory demon Batiba (voiced by Jenny Slate) holds. And because they don’t remember what happened last night, they don’t know who Raww is, who the man baby Bungi (voiced by Manny Jacinto) is, or who the merman Merman (voiced by Kevin McCann) is. They might be friends, they might not be. But the dark demon Manang (voiced by Lea Salonga) sure isn’t.
Sometimes, the animation can be a bit much, but if you pay attention, you’ll admire how the characters are able to stretch and make expressions like Anime characters. If you listen to the two main heroines, you’ll acknowledge the personalities and human emotions inside them with universally excellent voice work from H.E.R and Soberano. And if you’re patient, you’ll appreciate the challenging story. I’m speaking to the older kids and parents, especially with its maturity level that teenagers have been looking in animated movies since “Shrek.”
“Forgotten Island” is another charmer for Dreamworks Animation, ranking with their best. Colorful, emotional, hilarious, and visually stunning-all the qualities that deserve to be distributed by the studio. And it’s another one you won’t soon forget.
Special 3:30PM Screenings This Sunday
Opens Next Week
