Quick Synopsis: When childhood best friends Jo and Raissa are transported to a mysterious island inhabited by creatures from Filipino folklore, they must find a way home before losing the memories of their friendship forever.
When I first saw the trailer for this, I was completely sold on the idea. It immediately went onto my list of films to watch as soon as it came out. Then Raww, a were-dog, showed up in a series of supposedly comedic scenes. And suddenly, I wasn’t quite so enthusiastic. It felt stupid, like the writers had decided they needed a comedic character and were going to make absolutely sure we knew it, regardless of how funny he actually was.
Having now seen the film, that initial assessment was pretty much correct. For the most part, Forgotten Island is great, but Raww is an unfortunate exception. His scenes are easily the weakest part of the film, and the only times where it feels like the humour is aimed exclusively at children. I can’t imagine many adults finding his antics particularly amusing. At best, they’re an inconvenience to sit through before the film returns to its considerably more interesting elements.
And those elements are VERY good.
The relationship between Jo and Raissa is enchanting. They feel like two long-term friends who are slowly approaching the end of their friendship, with all the awkwardness, resentment and unresolved feelings that come with it. In many ways, their dynamic is reminiscent of a soon-to-be-divorced couple. There’s so much history between them, and you get the impression that they’ve been drifting apart for some time. It’s not another friendship falling apart simply because the plot demands it. There’s a genuine sadness to watching two people who once meant so much to each other struggle to find common ground. Everybody has had what they thought would be a lifelong friendship fall apart as they age and change, making their situation particularly easy to relate to.
What about the other characters? Two of them are absolutely terrifying: Batiba and Manang. (I’m very glad this is a written review, because if it were a video review, I’d have fucked up the pronunciation of so many character names.)
Batiba initially comes across as kind, although her eventual villainous turn isn’t particularly surprising. Perhaps that’s just a consequence of watching as many films as I do (95 new releases this year), meaning I’m getting increasingly good at spotting these things before they happen. Manang is a different matter entirely. She’s visually terrifying, and there’s a suggested backstory lurking beneath the surface that’s just begging to be discussed after the credits roll. Part of me desperately wants to know more about her, but another part appreciates the decision to keep her history a mystery. Sometimes, what you don’t know about a character is considerably more interesting than what you do.
The visuals in this are absolutely gorgeous. There’s a definite anime influence to the animation, particularly in the movement and framing, which gives the film a really distinctive look. It’s refreshing to see an animated film that feels like it has its own visual identity, rather than simply following an established house style. One of the trailers shown before the film was Not Alone, and even from the very brief clips we saw, I could tell it was made by the team behind Despicable Me. The human characters looked exactly like those in their other films. Forgotten Island, meanwhile, feels much more individual. The character designs are great, but it’s the use of colour that really stands out. Everything is so vibrant and imaginative, and the environments have an almost dreamlike quality. It’s the sort of world that makes you wish you could jump into the screen and explore it yourself.
It’s not just the visuals that make this such a treat; it’s an audio treat too. There’s some great music throughout, with the song choices adding another layer to the film’s atmosphere. The use of Never Tear Us Apart is particularly beautiful. It’s one of those musical choices that just feels right, complementing the emotions on screen and giving the moment an added sense of poignancy. It’s also a lovely reminder of how effective a well-chosen existing song can be in an animated film.
I’ll admit, I’m approaching this as a culturally sheltered white English person, but I absolutely loved the incorporation of Philippine mythology. I don’t know a great deal about it, so I’m hardly in a position to judge how accurately it’s represented, but I haven’t come across any major complaints from Filipino audiences suggesting that the film is a disgrace. The voice cast is also packed with Filipino talent, from Liza Soberano to Lea Salonga, which is lovely to see.
I really like it when local folklore and mythology are introduced to an international audience, particularly through animation. There’s something quite special about the idea that a young Western audience might come away from watching this having discovered a little bit about a culture and its stories that they might otherwise never have encountered.
Of course, I don’t speak Filipino, so my assumption that there haven’t been any major complaints is really just an assumption that there haven’t been any widespread complaints in English. There’s every chance I’ve missed something, and I hope I haven’t, but I wanted to make that distinction.
Ultimately, Forgotten Island is a film with a lot more going for it than its less successful comedy might initially suggest. Its central relationship is genuinely engaging, its visual style is beautiful, and its use of Philippine mythology gives it a refreshing sense of originality. Unfortunately, Raww remains a persistent distraction, and I can’t help feeling that the film would have been considerably stronger had his character been handled differently.
But there’s enough here to make the experience worthwhile. Beneath the occasional childish humour is a surprisingly touching adventure about friendship, growing apart and finding a way to reconnect. I came away liking the film considerably more than I expected to after watching that trailer.
Really, the biggest downside is that I saw it in the same week as Wildwood, which is a bit like having a really good sandwich the same week as a Kobe beef steak. As good as it is (and it is very good), it simply can’t compare.
This is definitely worth watching, though, and I can easily see it becoming a kids’ favourite. The one they watch endlessly, annoying the hell out of their parents.
