I watched Forgotten Island last weekend and as a Filipino American, I enjoyed it immensely. Will non-Filipinos enjoy it as much? If this movie will have any kind of legs, it must appeal to a broad audience. Here is my review that tries to look at it from both viewpoints.
One initial warning: if you are sensitive to bright flashing lights, be careful about seeing this movie! It has a similar look and feel to the Spider-verse animated movies. I personally liked that look and feel.
From a Filipino standpoint, the cultural references absolutely delighted me. From food and folklore, spotting those Easter Eggs provided a lot of joy. I won’t spoil it too much, but like many people have said, I felt “seen.”
Of course, being “seen” and cultural references to a particular group aren’t enough to keep it and future Filipino themed movies in US theatres. In my opinion, the core story of friendship and memory is universal enough to people of all cultures. Is the movie perfect? No. I felt a few items were left hanging at the end. I also thought that there were some Deux ex Machina moments, which I personally think are poor plot devices.
H.E.R. really impressed me. I didn’t know what character she voiced until the end, and she definitely didn’t sound like a musician trying to be an actor. I later found out that she acted in a Nickelodeon movie before she became famous as a singer and musician.
Forgotten Island has been doing rather poorly at the box office (definitely worth a separate post). If you want to see it, I suggest you see it soon.
