^{Credit: Forgotten Island (Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation)}

After Puss in Boots: The Last Wish defied every expectation, I imagine that DreamWorks owed directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado a blank check to pursue whatever project they pitched next. The duo cashes in with Forgotten Island, which isn’t just one of DreamWorks’ funniest and most heartfelt movies to date. In terms of worldbuilding, this is perhaps the closest that the studio has come to channeling Spirited Away. The film transports us to a world that functions like a visual rollercoaster, stimulating us with every frame. While Forgotten Island is constantly in motion, it’s rooted in a meaningful friendship that gives the astounding and often hilarious imagery onscreen life.  

H.E.R. is Jo and Liza Soberano is Raissa, BFFs since childhood who seem like opposites in some respects. Jo leaps without thinking while Raissa maps out every move. They balance each other out, though, with Jo encouraging Raissa to take chances and Raissa preventing Jo from making too many bad choices. Both also share quirky personalities, bonding over music, Schwarzenegger action movies, and stories of Nakali, an island grounded in Filipino folklore. Although Jo comes off as the more daring of the two, she’s stuck in her ways. Raissa, meanwhile, plans to take the biggest step of all, moving to America to attend Caltech. Their last night together takes an unexpected turn when they stumble upon a portal, getting swept away to the forgotten island Jo’s grandmother always spoke of.

The island lives up to its name. Raissa wakes up with half her head shaven, Jo is wearing a crown, and neither remembers how they wound up on a mystical beach. The filmmakers clearly borrowed a page from The Hangover, and quite frankly, Forgotten Island is the sequel we deserved! Ironically, Crawford and Mercado became friends while working on Kung Fu Panda 2, which came out the same day as The Hangover Part II. Hangover II opened #1 at the box office, but DreamWorks is getting their revenge with Forgotten Island.

Where Hangover II had a monkey, Forgotten Island has a were-aspin named Raww voiced by Dave Franco, who continues his run of unhinged voiceover performances after Hoppers. Raww recounts how the three became a more literal wolf pack the previous night, tattoos and all. In addition to her new hairdo, Raissa is also strapped with a pair of wings that originally belonged to a dreaded Manananggal (Lea Salonga). Although Jo and Raissa try to flee before the Manananggal comes looking for her wings, they lost their ticket home. The two thus retrace their steps, along the way encountering a giant baby (Manny Jacinto), a merman (Kevin McCann), and mushroom creatures led by Ronny Chieng.

Forgotten Island is a fun road trip movie that consistently catches the audience off guard with its world and narrative twists. At times, it risks throwing too much at us, with some characters disappearing for gaps of time. Overall, though, the film is just the right amount of adrenaline-induced insanity. It also manages to be something deeper. There’s an especially poignant subplot involving an agoraphobic tree dweller voiced by Jenny Slate. Afraid to leave her home, she instead feeds off the memories of others. It’s basically the equivalent of someone who spends all of their time looking at photos on social media, living vicariously through others. Nakali may be a fictional place, but its rich Filipino influence does inspire the audience to travel, preferably with a friend.

The chemistry between Jo and Raissa is what truly makes this film unforgettable. Even if their arcs can touch upon familiar tropes, Forgotten Island is presented in a way that makes the audience feel as if they’re experiencing this story for the first time. Funny how movies can play with memories like that. Between Forgotten Island and Leah Nelson’s Tangles, 2026 has been a strong year for animated movies about memory, which can be as powerful as it is fragile. Memories can easily slip away, but Forgotten Island is a film that’s going to stick with people. It will also have them coming back, hopefully in a sequel. If The Hangover could get two, why not this?

Awards Prospects:

Best Animated Feature (Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA)

Best Original Song “A Parallel World” & “BFB” (Oscars, Golden Globes)

Best Original Screenplay (Oscar)   

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!