Forgotten Island review: Quirky, entertaining adventure
DreamWorks, the studio behind Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon, is back with Forgotten Island, another entertaining animation for the whole family.
Set in the 1990s in the Philippines, the fantasy comedy follows best friends Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) who open a magic portal to the island of Nakali, a mythical place they’ve been obsessed with since they were kids. With the help of creatures they meet along the way, Jo and Raissa try to find their way back home.
This film is quite chaotic and full-on at the start, with lots of choppy cuts, quick-fire info and quirky stylistic flourishes, but it does eventually settle a bit and give us a moment to catch our breath. It’s still a very busy and energetic movie though, and you have to adjust to its wavelength.
On Nakali, the girls meet a range of weird and wonderful characters, all inspired by Filipino mythological creatures or animals. Voiced by Dave Franco, a were-dog called Raww (giving Crash Bandicoot vibes) becomes their island guide, helping them regain their memories of the night before. Mermahn (Kevin McCann), a hilarious mermaid with talking starfish nipple covers, is the standout, while the vampiric Manang (Lea Salonga) is pretty scary as the main villain. Manang, who is perhaps too scary for young children, reminded me of the demons in KPop Demon Hunters (a few of the visual flourishes made me think of it too).
I wasn’t super engaged with the overarching story because the ‘trying to go back home’ thing has been done many times. However, the film’s sense of humour, vibrant colour palette, quirky animation style, feel-good soundtrack and message of holding onto your memories and loved ones almost make up for this.
In cinemas from Friday 16th October