Dreamworks’ latest film “Forgotten Island” follows protagonists Jo and Raissa, two childhood best friends in the Phillipines, as they discover the mythical island of Nakali. They get stuck there, and have to get back home with their memories intact. While the movie has incredible characters, enticing animation and strong themes, the pacing of the story holds it back.

Jo and Raissa are a fantastic depiction of two best friends at a crossroads in life. Raissa, a timid, reasonable and level-headed student who’s planning to go overseas for college, and Jo, a loud and rambunctious girl without ambition who’s stuck working as a mascot for a dead-end fast food job.

They follow a standard rowdy girl and studious girl dynamic seen hundreds of times in media, but they aren’t consumed entirely by their roles. 

Jo helps push Raissa to be a little more free, a little more willing to do wild things, while Raissa helps push Jo to have aspirations and to have goals to work towards. They push each other out of each other’s comfort zones, and they help take pressure off each other’s shoulders. 

They don’t feel like shallow archetypes. Instead they feel like real, genuine friends who are with each other despite their fights and hardships. Jo and Raissa are some of the most compelling depictions of best friends in any movie to come out in the last decade. The movie captures the unique, distinct love someone can have for their best friend perfectly and just how influential best friends can be in each other’s lives.

The movie’s message of the importance and significance of memories also lands well. Their time spent on Nakali was recalled through a series of unreliable narrators, since Jo and Raissa lost memory of what happened the night before. There is uncertainty in everything any character says. Everybody remembers Jo and Raissa, but they remember nobody. The audience never knows who’s lying.

The main villain, the Manananggal, a woman who splits her torso in half in order to fly, is a striking choice for the film, being one of the more gory Filipino folklore creatures. The movie shows this creepiness by still having her body split in half, but having her intestines appear more like a dusty trail of magic than true gore, keeping it creepy but not too intense for its younger audience.

She also ties to the movie’s themes of memories, though only vaguely, and a little sloppily by the end. Throughout the film, it is hinted that the reason for her violent nature is a gap in her memory, but no context for what those memories could be are ever given. It feels like a rushed way of trying to conclude the character and tie her to the movie’s themes, and feels like it had been tacked on at the end of production.

The movie’s pacing is what holds it back most. It feels like just one event after another, like a kid telling a story. There aren’t many quiet points for viewers to catch their breath. It feels so squished together, it almost feels like it was pitched as a TV show first before being condensed into a movie. 

Some of the side characters also don’t feel very worthwhile in the overall film, taking time away from Jo, Raissa and, especially, their weredog friend named Raww. He is another Filipino folklore creature who feels left behind at points despite being the primary supporting character. Some of the side characters who don’t contribute much to the story at large could have been cut or condensed in favor of developing Raww more and making his character arc and role more deserved by the end.

An appealing factor to the movie is the animation. It’s smooth, colorful. The way characters move, especially the Manananggal, is captivating. Every color choice throughout the movie feels intentional. From bombastic, neon parties to the dark blues and reds that envelop the film whenever Manananggal makes an appearance. It’s a beautiful looking movie, and every second seems intentional on the animator’s part. 

Ultimately, despite its flaws that are primarily attributed to its pacing, the movie is good and is an enjoyable addition to Dreamworks’ catalogue. It’s a good movie that has elements that most any age group could enjoy.

The movie also shows off life in the Philippines, showcasing a culture that is relatively underrepresented in Western media. Viewers become accustomed to how schools and neighborhoods look, along with family gatherings and party customs, such as tinikling — a traditional Filipino dance. 

“Forgotten Island” is a fine movie that deserves better than what it has currently. Although its world, characters and messages are fantastic, they’ve been condensed into too short a run time and cluttered alongside other elements that make the film just okay. 

Copy edited by Venus Tapang