Forgotten Island Movie Review

I saw Forgotten Island last night. It was my second time watching it, and it still got me.

The movie is about a pair of best friends, Jo and Raissa, who meet at school shortly after Jo transfers over from another school. Their friendship quickly builds up, told through flashbacks, each one earning a trinket on their friendship bracelet. Jo's lola is also heavily involved, as she serves as Jo's adoptive parent while her dad is in the US. Lola's tales of Nakali island and its magical creatures entrance the two youngsters, and they make it their goal to explore it someday.

Fast forward to now: lola has passed, and the two are at a crossroads. Raissa is off to Caltech, while Jo is stuck working at a fried chicken joint called Chicken Yum Yum. Jo hates the idea of Raissa flying off to California. They have a quick argument by the beach, a portal key appears, and suddenly they find themselves in Nakali. There they make friends (and fiends) of a cast of wacky mythical creatures: the Askal (street dog, okay maybe not mythical), Sarimanok (a colourful bird), Duwende (dwarf), Kapre (tree-dwelling giant), Batibat (the spirit behind bangungot), Kataw (merfolk), Tiyanak (a very scary baby) and the Manananggal (a flying vampire that splits its upper torso from the rest of its body at will).

I won't spoil the rest of story, but I'll say it was a wild, funny and emotional ride I thoroughly enjoyed. My only gripe was a few details being slightly off. Like, who even dances tinikling at parties? Who says "Tayo na" these days? "Tara na" would have been more apt. And if my ears didn't deceive me, tiyanak was pronounced "chonok". The kapre, in my head, was always a giant humanoid smoking a cigar. But I guess like any Hollywood movie, things get embellished at the risk of bending some facts.

The reviews for Forgotten Island have been nothing short of amazing. It hit 100% on its first 54 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, until an outlier gave it one star and pulled it down to 94%. Still, the movie managed a Fresh stamp of approval. I don't have high hopes it'll make a killing at the box office, just because Pinoy culture in mainstream film still has a long way to go. It may end up one of the lowest earners in DreamWorks history, but I'm glad it was made. It's high time the world knew more about Filipino culture and folklore, even if only for a couple of hours.

I still hope it does well and every Pinoy or Pinoy at heart around the world supports it. If it's any sign, people around me (including myself) were clapping and cheering loudly as the end credits were rolling.