DreamWorks Animation has spent the past decade mostly playing the sequel game - more Shrek spinoffs, more Kung Fu Panda, more dragons. So when the studio quietly announced an original film with no IP attached, eyebrows went up. Now that Forgotten Island is in theaters, those eyebrows have relaxed into delighted surprise. Directed by Januel Mercado, the film has landed with a 7.9/10 rating on TMDb and a growing chorus of viewers asking the same question: where has this movie been hiding?
A Portal, a Paradise, and a Terrible Catch
The premise is deceptively simple. Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) are best friends celebrating their last night together before high school graduation sends them down different paths. During that bittersweet evening, they stumble through a mysterious portal and wash up on Nakali, a fantastical island that looks like a dream and behaves like a trap.
Here's the hook that separates Forgotten Island from your standard animated getaway: the price of a return ticket home is every memory Jo and Raissa share. Their entire friendship - inside jokes, arguments, quiet moments, the whole messy history - would be erased. The two spend the film racing to find another way off the island before they forget each other completely. It's a ticking clock made of feelings, and it works.
A Voice Cast That Earns Its Stripes
Mercado assembled a genuinely exciting ensemble. H.E.R., better known for collecting Grammys than voice credits, brings a warm, grounded presence to Jo. Filipino star Liza Soberano makes a strong English-language animation debut as Raissa, and the chemistry between the two leads carries the emotional weight the story demands.
Around them, the supporting roster is stacked: Dave Franco as Raww, Lea Salonga as Manang, Jenny Slate as Batiba, Manny Jacinto as Bungi, Dolly de Leon as Lola Fatima, and Jo Koy as Datu. Slate in particular seems born to voice a chaotic island creature, and Salonga - a Disney legend for her work in Mulan and Aladdin - gets moments that will make musical theater fans sit up straight.
Why the Film Resonates Beyond the Kids' Table
On paper, Forgotten Island is a family adventure: 109 minutes of bright colors, slapstick, and wonder. In practice, it's a movie about the terrifying transition out of adolescence, when the people who defined your world start drifting toward different futures. The fantasy device - losing your memories as payment - is just a literal version of what growing up already does to friendships.
That's the trick Mercado pulls off. Kids will enjoy the island's creatures and the comedic chaos, while the adults in the room quietly dab at their eyes during the third act. The comedy lands without undercutting the stakes, and the adventure set pieces keep the pacing tight enough that the emotional beats never feel like homework.
A Win for Original Animation
The bigger story here might be what Forgotten Island represents. In an era when studios treat original animation as a financial gamble and theaters increasingly favor established brands, DreamWorks bet on a new idea with no built-in audience - and the reception suggests the bet is paying off. A 7.9/10 audience rating puts it in the upper tier of the studio's recent output.
It helps that the film has genuine cultural texture. With Soberano, Salonga, de Leon, and Koy in the cast, the movie draws on Filipino talent in a way that feels organic rather than performative. Nakali itself blends visual influences that will reward attentive viewers without ever turning into a lecture.
The Bottom Line
Forgotten Island isn't trying to reinvent animation. It's trying to remind audiences why they fell in love with it - big feelings, beautiful worlds, and characters worth rooting for. Mercado's film delivers all three, plus a premise clever enough to stick with you on the drive home. If you've been waiting for an original animated movie that treats its audience, young and old, like they can handle a real story, this is the one. Bring tissues. Bring a friend. Just don't forget each other on the way out.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
