A Memorable Journey Awaits "Forgotten Island"

The latest film from DreamWorks Animation—Forgotten Island—is the sort of big swing that Hollywood rarely takes with animation these days: an original idea with no built-in audience that tackles heavy themes, plays loose with traditional animation rules, and highlights a culture rarely explored in American cinema. The end result is a film that is messy and abrasive at first, but ultimately comes together to become something special that I believe most audiences will embrace. That being said, the journey to the good stuff is longer than it should be, and that early portion of the movie is far less entertaining than it ought to be.

The story revolves around two Filipino girls who meet in middle school and bond instantly over being outcasts. As the years go on, differences between the two begin to emerge. Jo is the free-spirited friend, always ready for an adventure and a story to tell. Raissa, in contrast, is more book-smart; she’s clearly going places with her ability to build homemade rockets out of used car parts, and it's no surprise when she is accepted to study at Caltech in Pasadena. Before Raissa leaves, Jo proposes one last wild night, leading them to the Forgotten Island—a mythical place Jo’s grandmother told stories about in her childhood.

When the audience is dropped onto the island, we discover it alongside the protagonists, who mysteriously cannot remember the past twelve hours (or where they left the key to get home). This is where the movie becomes simultaneously gorgeous and visually noisy. Using a wide array of techniques—from anime-inspired 2D animation to standard CGI, fast cuts, and layered effects—nothing is off limits. The issue is that, unless you are strictly admiring the technique, the screenplay veers wildly into "weirdness for weirdness' sake," and my patience was tested more than I would have preferred.

Then something happened. As the girls began regaining their memories and the full picture came into view, I found myself invested in their plight. When the inevitable falling out between the friends occurs—don't be surprised, this is a DreamWorks movie—it is handled with such emotional sensitivity that you completely understand why the friendship takes a hit. So while the animators leaned a bit too chaotic in the first third of the film, they pull things together for one of the most emotionally satisfying conclusions in the studio's history.

I don’t want to knock the animation too much, because it creates a vibrant world steeped in Filipino culture (which means, yes, karaoke is one of the keys to solving all of life's problems) that is genuinely fun to watch, especially for those who pay extra to see the film in 3D. Truthfully, I understand why artists would be smitten with the look, and the visuals successfully carry the heavy lifting once the story finally gives us a reason to care. Once the screenplay also kicks into gear, both aspects complement each other in a way that is rare in the world of animation, making Forgotten Island the biggest surprise I’ve seen since a bunch of sheep detectives earlier this year.

P.S. While I rarely comment on the business side of film in reviews, sadly, box office tracking suggests it's heading for a rough opening. Hopefully, strong word-of-mouth can carry it—much like Coyote vs. Acme—so that Forgotten Island isn't truly forgotten.