DreamWorks is pushing CG animation further away from the polished Pixar-style look that dominated Hollywood for decades, and Forgotten Island might be one of the clearest examples yet.
Directed by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish filmmaker Joel Crawford alongside Januel Mercado, the Filipino mythology-inspired adventure follows childhood best friends Jo and Raisa as they stumble onto the mythical island of Nakali. What follows is a frantic journey filled with folklore creatures, broken animation rules, rapid-fire visual jokes, and Dave Franco stealing scenes as the mysterious Roar.
The movie belongs to the increasingly stylized generation of CG animation that exploded after Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Character designs stretch, physics disappear when the joke demands it, and entire punchlines can flash by in a single frame. The animation and comedy work together so closely that the visuals become part of the script.
But underneath all that chaos is a story about two friends heading in different directions. Raisa is ready to begin a new life, while Jo seems determined to avoid figuring out what comes next.
Does the emotional story get enough room to breathe? Not always. But when Forgotten Island embraces its ridiculous energy, few animated movies look—or move—quite like it.
Chapters: 0:00 Animation Is Changing Again 0:27 The New CG Animation Movement 1:15 Meet Jo And Raisa 2:09 The Mystery Of Forgotten Island 2:34 Dave Franco Steals The Movie 3:00 Breaking Every Animation Rule 3:30 Where The Emotional Story Falls Short
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*Forgotten Island* is a visually ambitious animated comedy inspired by Filipino mythology. Moving away from the traditional \"Pixar look,\" it embraces a kinetic, comic-book style. The story follows two best friends, Jo and Reza, who accidentally travel to the mythical island of Nakali and must retrace their steps to find a way home, resulting in a fast-paced, humor-driven adventure.
The Pixar look of computer-generated films that has been the gold standard
is making way for something that replicates the stylistic variability of hand-drawn 2D animation
in CG, a wave kicked off by the success of the comic book-inspired design of Spider-Man
into the Spider-Verse in 2018. Forgotten Island, directed by Puss in Boots The Last Wishes,
Joel Crawford, together with Jean-Noel Mercado, is the latest in that lineage.
As the next generation of filmmakers step up, a new sensibility is taking hold.
Kinetic, fast, often anime-influenced, a referential internet-age sense of humor
meets a visual ambition that borders on sensory overload, resulting in jokes being condensed
into a single frame and thrown at you in quick succession. Inspired by Filipino mythology,
this movie feels fueled by the energy drinks favored by the lead characters.
Your experience with it will depend on whether you appreciate how far it leans into being a
stoner-esque buddy comedy, perhaps at the expense of fully accessing the emotionality of its core
premise. But get on its wavelength and the laughs just don't stop. As a young girl in the Philippines,
the unruly Jo, voiced by Kaylee Crawford, is obsessed with Nakali, the mythical island where
all the creatures of Filipino folklore live. When Jo meets Reza, voiced by Kayla Turul,
a reserved, bright girl, they decide right away to be best friends.
Before long, they've graduated from high school and seem destined for different paths.
Jo, now voiced by the singer-songwriter Her, is joyfully, chaotically aimless,
bouncing between jobs at their local mall. Reza, now voiced by Liza Suburano, meanwhile,
is a driven scientist, somewhat frustrated with her friend's approach to life.
As if the universe is listening, Jo and Reza find the key to Nakali at their usual hangout spot.
They dive in. But when they come to on an unfamiliar beach, it's already morning.
The key is nowhere to be found. Enter Dave Franco's Raw, a bro-y were-dog who claims
they shared a wild and crazy night of Nakali adventures neither of them can remember.
If they're going to have any chance of making it back in time for Reza's flight,
they have to retrace their steps and find the key.
The film is chock-full of creatures from Filipino folklore all cohabiting Nakali.
It's clear they're being shown to us in a funhouse mirror, distorted for maximum comedic impact.
Franco is Forgotten Island's stealth MVP, nailing laugh line after laugh line as Jo and Reza
re-explore the island. The script is genuinely funny, but what makes Forgotten Island so
successful as a comedy is that the writing and animation are in lockstep.
This film is overflowing with visual creativity. Rules for character design and physics exist
solely to be broken over and over again in delightfully ridiculous ways.
Those coming to this movie hoping for a heartfelt narrative about two best friends
will find some of that, but perhaps less than they were expecting.
The tension rising between Reza, who is desperate to leave the island and start her new life,
and Jo, who may even wish she could stay forever,
is a consistent through-line connecting all the episodic silliness.
If Forgotten Island lags behind the absolute best films of this burgeoning new era,
it's only because Crawford and Mercado don't tap into the emotional core at their disposal
as fully as they could have. Even so, for those on board with the style of comedy on offer here,
it doesn't take long to settle in, let go of expectations, and appreciate this movie for what
it is. Seek out the stunning animation on the big screen, share the laughter with a crowd.
