Forgotten Island – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Forgotten Island – Of Friendship and Fantasy: Welcome to Nakali

The power of storytelling is built by the vices of the escape.  From foundational plot elements to unique character display, these things can pull at the audience’s heartstrings, becoming a place where ideas can rise above a common experience.  For film, this can lead to a plethora of things, but also a creative path that leads to a genuine feeling.  Add into that mix the art of animation, and the risk makes the challenge all that more thrilling.  In this review, I look at the latest animation film to hit cinemas.  From a genuine foundation, we head out on a journey where colors and lore become a spastic kind of feeling.  For all the common tropes at hand, Forgotten Island is a wonderous tale of what truly defines … friendship.

When two best friends are stranded in a mystical world, they must find a way back home while not losing what they cherish the most.  Journeys in film become a dance where creative ideas and staying genuine become an act upon risk vs. reward.  From building storyboards to the creation of unique characters, that push and pull becomes a marker of how to be relative.  For animated films, there is a higher degree of ‘loosing yourself’ in the sauce … but if you can dance the line of obscure with realism, it can lead to something great.  That is what you get here with this film.  As the story begins, we are introduced (through a colorful prologue sequence) to our main characters of Jo (Voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Voiced by Liza Soberano), and how they became best friends.  Once this foundation is set, the film moves into the present where their friendship hits uncertainty when Jo finds out Raissa is going to college in America.  With one last night together, comical hijinks lead to an unexpected delight, finding the doorway into the world of Nakali.  Once they arrive, they are left in the aftermath of an unexpected party trip, building towards the main plot of the film: they must find a mystical sand dollar that will unlock the doorway between worlds, leading them back home.  From here, the film moves along a unique spin of the linear ‘A to B’ like directive, melding cultural lore with fantasy tropes and colorful CGI.  As Jo and Raissa are in awe of this place, they also are left with the trepidation that their experience in this world might come at a cost.  As they try to piece together ‘what happen’ the night before, they come across unique characters (you can view the voice cast at the film’s IMdb page – link), that are unique but relative to the story.  Twisting the fantastical archetypes through Filipino lore helps elevate the experience, where the predictable elements become the foundation … but the heart of the tale is left in the layers that unravel between Jo and Raissa. 

As the two friends (along with their new companions) continue to unravel the mystery of this world, each scene becomes a discovery that leads to a new reflection of their own guise.  With each scene, it is a marker of creative prowess, but also a new look into what friendship and growth means for Jo and Raissa.  The comedic allure is complimented by this emotional overture, a creative twist that is visually appealing, but the aesthetics are deepened by the indifference of ‘what happens next’.   As new things are added into this journey, things start to get jarring, where the over-the-top sequences create a situation where the spastic detail drowns out the experience.  Even when this starts to happen, the filmmakers reel us back to the crux of this film, Jo and Raissa’s friendship.  This builds towards certain revelations that lead into an emotional (but predictable) third act.  With everything on the line, we head into a heartfelt climax and epilogue.  Forgotten Island is a whimsical like journey, one that flourishes in its colorful escape.  If you are a fan of animation or fantasy like films, this is one for you.  I say this can be a fun time at the theaters for the whole family. 

Full Score – 3.5 out of 5 (Matinee)