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Forgotten Island review: frenetic animation sidelines friendship and emotional depth
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
The Guardian’s review of DreamWorks’ *Forgotten Island* is sharply critical, arguing that its relentless pace and heavily controlled animation overwhelm the story’s central friendship. The reviewer says the film imitates aspects of Japanese anime without its character depth or quietness, leaving the adventure feeling emotionally hollow.
Set in the Philippines during the 1990s, the film follows lonely teenagers Jo (voiced by HER) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), whose friendship is strained when Raissa leaves for university in the US. After falling through a portal to the mystical island of Nakali, they awaken with no memory of what happened and encounter a shapeshifting dog, a memory demon and other supernatural figures while trying to escape. The film is released in Australia on 17 September, the US on 25 September and the UK on 16 October.
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In short
- A visually frantic adventure that sidelines emotional depth.
- Its central friendship struggles to feel convincing.
- Released in the UK on 16 October.
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Specific quotations emerge from the Guardian's review, describing the animation as "frantically over-energised" and "over-controlled", whilst the studio announces that Dave Franco and Jenny Slate voice the shapeshifting dog and memory demon respectively.
- 2 months ago As the film gains wider attention as a new animated adventure, voice casting details surface confirming HER is an R&B artist, whilst critics broaden their critique to focus on hollow, algorithmic animation production that prioritises pace over authentic character development.
- 2 months ago The Guardian publishes a critical review of DreamWorks' *Forgotten Island*, arguing that its relentless pacing and rigid animation fundamentally undermine its central friendship story, failing to match anime's emotional restraint despite adopting its visual techniques.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Guardian's critique identifies a genuine artistic problem: when a film's narrative centres on emotional connection and character development, the visual presentation should serve those themes rather than overwhelm them. The reviewer's observation that Japanese anime successfully balances kinetic action with character depth and quietness suggests this balance is achievable within animation. If the film's relentless pace prevents audiences from connecting meaningfully with Jo and Raissa's strained friendship—the emotional core of their journey—that represents a legitimate structural failure regardless of technical achievement.
The case against
Animation encompasses diverse artistic philosophies, and energetic pacing serves legitimate storytelling purposes, particularly in adventure narratives. Western animated traditions often employ dynamic visual storytelling to engage mainstream audiences and convey excitement, discovery and danger. A film exploring a supernatural island with multiple fantastical characters may inherently benefit from kinetic visual energy. Different animation approaches can support emotional depth in different ways; the film's style represents a valid choice about how to present a friendship story, not necessarily an impediment to it.
Explained simply
Forgotten Island is an animated film from DreamWorks set in the Philippines during the 1990s. It follows two teenage friends, Jo and Raissa, whose friendship is tested when Raissa leaves to study in the United States.
Jo and Raissa fall through a portal to a mystical island called Nakali and awaken with no memory of how they arrived there. They encounter supernatural creatures including a shapeshifting dog and a memory demon during their attempts to find a way off the island.
The film has been released in cinemas across multiple territories, beginning in Australia in September and expanding to the United States and United Kingdom. The story explores themes of friendship and memory as the characters navigate their mysterious circumstances.
Coverage · 2 sources
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Forgotten Island review – best friends forever trapped in frantic DreamWorks animation”.