Director: Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado

Cast: Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate

Synopsis:

While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families. Some of these figures will become friends, some foes. Joined by well-meaning-but- hapless weredog Raww and a small-but-mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must face The Dreaded Manananggal, the most feared creature on the island. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.

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In Hollywood, parallel thought is a funny thing. As in every other sphere, two or more people can have a similar idea at the same time, but when those ideas bloom into movies, their release can feel like a land rush. Which is more firmly cemented in moviegoers’ memories, “Dante’s Peak” or “Volcano”? “Lambada” or “The Forbidden Dance”? “Vice Versa,” “17 Again” or “Like Father, Like Son”? (Trick question: it’s “Big.”)

“Forgotten Island” is the second film of at least five this year with a plot that hinges on some kind of magic portal, but Universal’s delightful animated adventure deserves to be remembered more for the creative and cultural elements that set it apart from its competition than those that overlap.

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