DreamWorks' Forgotten Island Criticized as Frantic
A Guardian review pans DreamWorks' new animated film Forgotten Island, calling it an over-energized and emotionally empty production.
DreamWorks Animation's new film Forgotten Island has been criticized as a frantic and soulless piece of work in a review by The Guardian. The reviewer argues the movie exemplifies an exhausting, AI-type approach to animation that prioritizes relentless energy over character and calm.
The film is described as "frantically and even stroboscopically over-energised." It is seen as over-controlled, a movie that "never, or hardly ever, takes its pedal from the metal" and fails to let its characters breathe. While it sometimes appears to imitate Japanese anime, the review states it lacks that genre's sense of character and capacity for calm.
Story and Setting
The story is set in the Philippines during the pre-social media 1990s. It follows Jo, a lonely and imaginative teen voiced by R&B star HER, who is captivated by her grandmother's tales of a forgotten island named Nakali. Jo befriends another lonely girl, Raissa, voiced by Liza Soberano, who is academically disciplined. The girls pledge their friendship with a bracelet.
Years later, their paths diverge. Jo works a dead-end job in fast food, while Raissa feels guilt about leaving her friend behind to attend Caltech in America. The moment Raissa tells Jo she is leaving is highlighted as a rare, quiet scene where real emotion surfaces. The plot kicks into gear when Jo discovers a portal to the magical island of Nakali and accidentally brings Raissa with her.
A Quest with Amnesia
Awakening 12 hours later with no memory of their actions, the pair embark on a quest to discover what they did and find a portal home. This amnesia-driven narrative is compared to the film The Hangover. On their journey, they befriend a wacky, shapeshifting dog named Raww, voiced by Dave Franco.
They also confront a scary memory demon called Batiba, voiced by Jenny Slate, who resembles Jabba the Hutt. Batiba may demand precious memories in exchange for their freedom. Another figure they meet is the terrifying Manang, voiced by Lea Salonga, who may have hidden vulnerabilities.
An Algorithmic Resolution
The review concludes that the story develops and resolves with algorithmic efficiency, leaving the viewer with a strange sense of emptiness. It frames the entire production as another example of soulless, hyper-energized animation that dominates the field.
