I’ve got a bone to pick with you. This past weekend, the new DreamWorks movie, Forgotten Island, came out, and it seems like you forgot it even existed since it debuted at fifth place at the box office. FIFTH PLACE!
Did you really go see Avengers: Endgame again? I mean, I know it’s technically an “encore” with some added content, but you know you can just watch the base version on your Disney+ subscription right now, right? I mean, you didn’t have to see it in theaters. But Forgotten Island is a brand new movie from DreamWorks, and you seriously just gave it the cold shoulder?
That REALLY pisses me off since Forgotten Island deserves all the love in the world. Here’s why I think you’re really sleeping on this instant classic.
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First, I Don’t Think I’ve Seen A Movie With This Much Personality In A Long Time
Animated films are a dime a dozen, but I can count the number of animated films that actually have a genuine personality on one hand. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has one, and while I’d say the animation was kind of bland for the phenomenon that was KPop Demon Hunters, it also had a genuine personality with its lore and its focus on music.
Forgotten Island is another one, as it leans HARD into Filipino culture. I think Turning Red did a pretty good job of integrating the Chinese-Canadian culture into its storyline, but I feel like that film was also interested in its early 2000s setting. The Chinese aspect was a large part of the film, but not the entire experience, as it was mostly concentrated on the concept of being a teenage girl in a constrained family.
However, the Filipino culture in Forbidden Island is the ENTIRE movie, and it really makes it feel wholly unique. From the sprinkling of Tagalog, to the fondness for karaoke, to the folklore, to the food (they even mentioned my favorite Filipino treat, Halo-halo), this movie is SUPER Filipino, and so unique because of it.
In fact, I’d be hard-pressed to think of any other film produced by a major studio that committed this much to a given culture. It really makes this film feel unlike any other animated feature I’ve ever seen!
The Animation Isn’t Mind-Blowing, But It’s SO Distinct
I mentioned earlier how KPop Demon Hunters had merely serviceable animation, but also personality in spades, and I’d say the same for Forgotten Island. However, a major difference is that while the former leans into Korean culture, the latter leans into Filipino iconography to truly make the animation stand out.
For example, one of the “weapons” our heroes use is a giant wooden spork. But a wooden spoon and fork can often be found on the walls of Filipino kitchens everywhere (my wife’s family is Filipino, so I know a thing or two about the culture and customs). Or, what about the antagonist, which is the Dreaded Manananggal? She can fly and literally split herself in two (which is just some of the “scary” folklore found in this film).
In fact, Filipino culture is naturally colorful, so by just including so many Filipino references, this film is naturally bright and vibrant (but dark when it needs to be).
Seriously, I still can’t believe you all chose four other movies to watch this past weekend over the wonderfully expressive Forgotten Island. You all better see this movie in the next few weeks! Especially if you want to laugh…
I Also Can’t Even Remember The Last Time I Laughed This Much
I don’t often laugh when I go to the movies. I mean, I might chuckle a little bit, but not since…I want to say 2004’s Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (which is another super diverse film) is the last time I seriously laughed THIS MUCH in the theater. I mean, there were times when I couldn’t even see the screen anymore since I was crying so hard from laughter.
It’s a number of things, really. The two main characters, Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), are a hilarious duo, as Jo is the slacker who’s only living for today, while Raissa is the smarty-pants who has her eyes set on the future. They’re also best friends, so it’s an interesting dynamic. Dave Franco plays a hilarious dogboy named Raww, and he’s constantly saying his “body is ready,” just like Reggie Fils-Aime standing atop a Wii Balance Board.
All of the characters have at least one hilarious moment. I mean, even Jesus (Yes, that Jesus) has a laugh-out-loud moment in this movie, and I just couldn’t stop laughing throughout the entire thing. In fact, my daughter even leaned over to me during the film and told me to stop laughing so loudly, but I genuinely couldn’t.
Forgotten Island is definitely the funniest animated movie I’ve ever seen, and one that I still chuckle about when I think back on it. That said, I didn’t just have tears in my eyes from laughter.
The Story Of Friendship Actually Brought Tears To My Eyes As Well
Ultimately, Forgotten Island is a story about friends. Raissa and Jo have been best friends since grade school, and both of them are slowly growing into adulthood. Jo hasn’t really done much with her life, and she works at a fried chicken joint that’s likely just a stand-in for the popular Filipino fast food chain, Jollibee.
Raissa, on the other hand, has a bright future, and she’s leaving for America. This, of course, throws Jo into panic mode, and on their last night together, they wind up finding a portal to a hidden island that Jo’s “Lola” (grandmother) kept telling her about. When the portal appears, Jo says the phrase to Raissa that they’ve been saying throughout their entire childhood, which is “Tayo na” (essentially, let’s do this together).
Once on the island, they forget what they did the night prior, à la The Hangover, and they spend the rest of the movie reliving their memories together, which is where the waterworks come in, since they have a lot of things they’ve left unsaid about their friendship that come out along the way.
Their friendship gets tested, but it also gets strengthened, just like all truly worthwhile friendships do. I cried like three times watching this movie, which is super uncommon, but those tears were definitely well-earned.
This Is By Far DreamWorks’ Best Movie To Date
I know a lot of Gen Zers often wonder which is the better DreamWorks series, Shrek, or Kung Fu Panda, but I’m calling it right now: Forgotten Island is the best DreamWorks movie to date.
It’s got humor, it’s got heart, it’s got great cultural representation, it’s got engaging characters. It’s honestly got it all. In fact, not only is this the best DreamWorks movie ever, but I’d say it’s also the best animated movie I’ve seen since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which is no small feat, since I’d put that right up there as one of my favorite movies of all time.
Seriously, you NEED to make it out to the theaters to see this movie. I don’t often beg, but when I do, I mean it. Or, come see it with me. I’m aching to watch it again. Tayo na!