Forgotten Island is the new original film from DreamWorks Animation, written and directed by Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford, the team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Best friends Jo and Raissa stumble through a mysterious portal onto Nakali, a fantastical island full of magical creatures — and discover that the price of getting home is every memory of their friendship.
Our verdict: a gorgeous, heartfelt and genuinely original animated adventure — breathless to a fault, but one of the most distinctive family films in years.
A Landmark for Filipino Representation
Animation With a Human Touch
The film looks beautiful — and the reasons go beyond its colourful design. It uses simulated lens choices you rarely see in animation, like wide-angle shots in the middle of quiet conversations, not just action scenes. The effect is a sense of closeness to the characters, as if someone were actually holding a camera in the room. However much is done in a computer, you never lose the feeling of a human artistic hand behind it.
The action is a highlight too, with clear anime and Samurai Jack influences — at times the aspect ratio itself shifts, widening and squeezing the frame to create striking, dynamic images.
A Friendship Worth Fighting For
At its heart, Forgotten Island is about the bond between Jo and Raissa — and it’s a genuinely moving one. The early scenes of them meeting and becoming friends as children are especially affecting; it’s the kind of thing that will hit hard for any parent watching their own kids come home talking about new friends.
The early stretch has a relaxed, hangout energy — fun, but light on tension. Once the danger arrives, though, it changes gear. Some of that threat is physical, with a monstrous creature on their trail. But the bigger stakes are emotional: the risk of losing a lifetime of shared memories. From there, the film becomes relentlessly, thrillingly fast.
The voice cast is strong across the board, and Dave Franco is a particular standout as Raww — a performance with so much energy you can practically hear him giving it everything in the booth.
Is It Right for Your Kids?
The Catch
At the Box Office
The film placed fifth on its opening weekend and had reached about $15.9 million domestically by its first Wednesday. The good news for fans: the directors say they already have ideas for a sequel — though whether it happens will likely depend on how the film performs from here.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
| The Good | The Bad | The Ugly |
|---|---|---|
| Gorgeous, Human AnimationBeautiful design, inventive simulated lenses, and anime-inspired action with shifting aspect ratios. It always feels hand-crafted. | Relentlessly FastThe pace can overwhelm. It rarely lets a moment breathe once the danger kicks in. | The Box OfficeOne of the year’s best-reviewed films, and one of DreamWorks’ weakest openings. It deserves a bigger audience. |
| A Landmark for RepresentationLikely the first major studio animated film centred on Filipino culture, with Filipino mythology and talent at its heart. | A Slow-Burn First ActThe early stretch is fun but low on tension before the stakes arrive. | A Trailer That Missed the PointThe marketing led with the college and fast-food scenes — a small part of the film — rather than the childhood friendship and adventure. |
| A Moving FriendshipJo and Raissa’s bond carries real emotional weight, and losing their shared memories is a powerful stake. | Skews OlderSchool fights, a switchblade and college-age leads make it a tougher sell for very young kids. | — |
| A Terrific Voice CastDave Franco’s energy and Lea Salonga’s Manananggal are highlights in a strong ensemble. | — | — |
The Verdict
Forgotten Island is exactly the kind of film people say they want from big animation studios: original, beautifully crafted, culturally specific and emotionally honest. It celebrates a mythology Hollywood has barely touched, it’s built around a friendship worth caring about, and it looks like the work of artists rather than a production line.
Its breakneck pace won’t suit everyone, and it isn’t quite the masterpiece The Last Wish was. But it’s bold, warm and unlike anything else in theatres — and it doesn’t talk down to anyone in the audience.
The honest read: go and see it — and soon. Original animated films live or die on their opening weeks, and this one deserves far more people than it’s found. Take the older kids, take a friend, or go on your own. Just maybe call your oldest friend afterwards.
For more reviews, check out our full reviews section.
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