Even though Summer vacations are a not-too-distant memory as Fall begins, that’s not stopping the multiplex from taking us around the world, with movies set in faraway lands. And like last week’s charmer, SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM, this is animated, too. No, we’re not back in the northern U.K.; rather, we’re headed to the warmer climes of the Philippines. Oh, and it’s not told in stop-motion clay-figure animation, but in glorious, gorgeous CGI, with some brief detours into “classic” 2-D. Plus, we’re treated to a terrific introduction to the local customs and mythology. But, not to worry, kids, it’s far from a dry historical lecture. That’s because there are laughs a’ plenty, with the magic and monsters (maybe a bit scary) found on FORGOTTEN ISLAND.
This fantasy fable focuses on two young women, whom we meet during their early grade school years. The raucous, uninhibited “Jo” Yuson gets a bit too energetic and destructive during her class presentation (with a “splash zone”) all about her Grandma Lola’s time on the legendary island of Nakali, home to strange creatures. While waiting outside the principal’s office, Jo meets the shy, bookish, bespectacled Raissa. The duo quickly bond, and after a visit to the home Jo shares with Lola (voice of Dolly De Leon), they decide to become BFFs, cementing the bond with friendship bracelets. Through the years, the two become inseparable, spending many hours on the nearby beach, in search of the magical “sand dollar” that will open a portal to Nakali. Finally, the end of high school nears; Lola has passed, and Jo (H.E.R.) bounces from job to job in the local mall’s food court. But Raissa (Liza Soberano) has big, big plans: she’s been accepted to Caltech and will be flying off to America. Jo tries to convince her to stay, but settles for one last night together on the beach before the flight early in the morning. And, who would have guessed it, they find that mystical sand dollar (or does it find them). A glowing portal entrance appears in the sand and draws the duo into a dark void. They wake up hours later in Nakali, with no idea what they did after arriving. Plus, the sand dollar is missing, so they’ll have to retrieve it in order to make Naissa’s flight. Luckily, they meet Raww (Dave Franco), a “were-dog (were-aspin, actually)”, who tries to help “fill in the blanks”. Unluckily, they’re pursued by the very angry (Raissa has her wings) Manang (Lea Salonga), a vampire-like demoness. In their frantic search for a way home, Jo and Raissa team up with many exotic creatures and friendly demons and explore several cultures of Nakali. It’s all wondrous, but the clock’s ticking, and Manang’s not far behind. Will they make that flight?
Usually, I begin my critique of the actors involved, so I’ll tell you that both H.E.R. and Ms. Soberano are splendid as the two leads, capturing the emotional bond of the BFFs. Franco brings lots of frenetic energy to the “teen-dog”, while Salonga is quite intimidating as the vindictive vamp. I should also single out the wonderful work of Jenny Slate (yes, Marcel the shell with shoes on) as the memory-craving, cat-like demon Batiba and Manny Jacinto doing an infanilized riff on his “The Good Place” TV role os the baby demon, the massive, three-eyed blue Bungi.Kudos also to Ronny Chieng as the adorably angry king Truffle Wuffle, Jo Koy at “tree royalty” Datu, and Kevin McCann as the vain, silly aquatic hunk, not “merman”, but Mermahn (many might think him a parody of Jason Momoa’s Aquaman in the DCEU, but I thought of Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner from classic Marvel Comics).
Yes, they’re great, but the real stars of this film are the legions of talented artisans that lent their considerable talents to making a masterpiece that’s bursting with creativity and visual splendor. At the forefront is the excellent directing team of Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado, following up on their much-better-than-expected PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH. Yes, that was terrific, but this is a major step forward, matching the animation innovations we’ve seen in the “Spider-Verse” films. There is a tactile, textured quality that’s not overdone to the point of being live-action mimicry, although the rich camera techniques expand on iconic movies like THE MATRIX and AVATAR. For dramatic and comedic emphasis, characters suddenly shift into Anime tropes and pop with manga-inspired line drawings. This leads to several superb 2D “hand-drawn” (though probably using the “Flash” methods) sequences (Raww’s “version” of the first meeting with his two new pals). Speaking of that fuzzy fellow, he’s the source of some great slapstick as parts of him go from human to “weredog” to tiny pooch puppy. That’s just a small sample of the astounding “physical acting” and movement showcased. There’s a wonderful bit of visual emoting from an intense karaoke singer at Raissa’s graduation party 9those poses) to the vamp vixen as she stalks and struts as her body literally breaks in two (I like the crazed frozen smile of Batiba, also). The dazzling color scheme immerses us inside, not only in Nakali, but also in the streets of the women’s home village. And yes, this is a wonderful intro to the culture and its wonderful mythology. Plus, the musical choices are excellent, mixing new tunes with pop classics. Everything is so engaging, but I wish that the editing could be a bit tighter, as a third act “recap” should have been trimmed of a couple of set pieces (save them for a special edition disc). It’s a minor quibble, since this is such an invigorating, phantasmagorical journey that not only rewards the eyes and ears, but also fills our hearts with the joys of lifelong friendship and devotion. And that’s what makes FORGOTTEN ISLAND truly unforgettable.
4 Out of 4
FORGOTTEN ISLAND is now playing in theatres everywhere
