Forgotten Island Feature Scores
Explore all 51 feature scores for Forgotten Island, organized into pros and cons.
Scores by Feature
Summary
51 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.028 (55%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.413 (25%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.49 (18%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.41 (2%)
Pros
Sort
-
Animation is the clearest consensus strength, blending polished 3D work with anime, manga, and 2D flourishes in a way that feels unusually inventive and alive.
-
Filipino culture is woven into the setting, language, food, music, family life, and mythology rather than used as decoration, making the film feel specific and welcoming at the same time.
-
The central friendship is the film’s emotional anchor: affectionate, messy, believable, and strong enough to carry a story about separation, memory, and growing into different lives.
-
Its neon palette, mixed-media flourishes, anime influences, and constantly shifting visual language are among its biggest attractions, even if the intensity occasionally becomes sensory overload.
-
The voice ensemble is a major strength, with energetic, expressive performances that keep the friendship and comedy convincing even when the plot gets busy.
-
The film goes beyond a simple friendship lesson to explore memory, identity, separation, grief, cultural roots, and the painful but survivable changes that come with growing up.
-
Even with familiar Hangover- and portal-fantasy ingredients, the Filipino mythology, memory premise, visual language, and friendship focus make the finished movie feel unusually distinctive.
-
Jo and Raissa feel like lifelong friends rather than a scripted pairing, with warm, lived-in chemistry that gives their separation real emotional weight.
-
For many, the friendship-and-memory story builds to a moving or even devastating payoff, though a smaller group feels the frantic structure sometimes blunts that emotional force.
-
The movie is widely seen as a fun, energetic theatrical ride, especially for viewers who enjoy rapid-fire jokes and visual invention; the same intensity can exhaust others.
-
The dense visual details, fast jokes, and emotional payoff make repeat viewing especially appealing to those who connect with its style.
-
The supporting voices provide strong comic color, with several side characters becoming scene-stealers even when their narrative roles are thin.
-
The comedy is usually a hit, ranging from slapstick and absurd creature jokes to rapid visual gags, though some find the juvenile or hyperactive material grating.
-
The soundtrack is energetic and memorable, mixing Filipino music with ’80s and ’90s pop, though the sheer number of needle drops can sometimes feel overdone.
-
Its message about accepting change without erasing the people and memories that shaped you comes through clearly and gives the adventure substance beyond the quest mechanics.
-
The friendship-and-memory core earns substantial praise for heart and sincerity, but the story loses some clarity and force when too many creatures, detours, and ideas compete for attention.
-
The overall critical response in this set is very enthusiastic, with multiple critics placing it among the year’s strongest animated films despite recurring pacing complaints.
-
Its mix of friendship, comedy, folklore, and vivid animation reaches well beyond small children, with particular appeal for preteens, teens, animation fans, and Filipino audiences.
-
Nakali is imaginative and culturally rich, with memorable creatures and environments, though several responses wish the film slowed down enough to explore that world more deeply.
-
The original score is warmly received for supporting both emotion and cultural identity, including the use of Filipino and Indigenous musical textures.
-
The action is fast, kinetic, and visually inventive, giving the island adventure a constant sense of movement without losing its comic energy.
-
The two lead voices are consistently praised for making Jo and Raissa likable, distinct, and emotionally credible through both comedy and conflict.
-
Manila and Nakali are both packed with texture, color, and culturally specific detail, with environments that feel designed rather than merely filled.
-
Most reactions find the finale moving and satisfying, but there is real disagreement over whether its resolution is earned, with some calling the ending rushed or contrived.
-
There is plenty for families to enjoy, but this is a harder-edged PG than the brightest DreamWorks fare, with frightening monsters, rude humor, mild language, and darker themes.
-
The direction is ambitious and confident in its visual storytelling, though one view finds the emotional material less fully developed than the stylistic fireworks.
-
The CGI is a showcase, with richly stylized character work and imagery that stands out even beside recent high-end animated releases.
-
The friendship drama lands hard when the movie focuses on the fear of growing apart, giving the fantasy stakes a surprisingly tender emotional center.
-
As a big-screen animated adventure, it delivers the color, action, emotion, humor, and spectacle expected from the format at a very high level.
-
Despite the supernatural setting, the fear of friends growing apart gives the central conflict a grounded emotional reality.
-
The film’s choice to keep the core relationship centered on friendship rather than forcing in romance is treated as a refreshing creative strength.
-
The central bond stays focused on platonic friendship rather than romance, a restraint specifically welcomed by a family-focused response.
-
The supernatural animation and creature effects—especially Manang’s movement and transformations—are presented as technically impressive and visually memorable.
-
The race to preserve the girls’ memories and escape the island creates real tension, particularly once the darker threat closes in.
-
The broad friendship-and-portal framework is familiar, but the memory-loss structure and cultural setting give the plot enough personality to keep it from feeling generic.
-
Low-angle and wide compositions help the animated world feel larger and more cinematic, adding scale to both the island and its creatures.
-
Music-synchronized cuts and music-video-like passages give the film a rhythmic editing style that suits its restless, mixtape-like energy.
-
The film reshapes Filipino folklore for its own story while still feeling rooted in recognizable classic traditions rather than stripping them of their darker identity.
-
The script can be genuinely funny and warm, though repeated catchphrases and a few lines land awkwardly enough to keep the dialogue from being uniformly strong.
-
The harder PG violence and frightening action give the movie welcome edge for some older viewers, but they make it less comfortable for the youngest audience.
-
The soundscape can add real theatrical punch, but one screening found music and effects occasionally loud enough to obscure dialogue.
Cons
Sort
-
Several reactions argue the trailers undersell the finished film, while a few also push back on superlative marketing claims; overall, the campaign does not fully capture the movie’s strengths.
-
Pacing is the most repeated weakness: the movie moves at breakneck speed, piles on characters and jokes, and often leaves little breathing room even when that energy is exciting.
-
The missing-memory structure is clever but can become difficult to follow as side quests, lore, and rapid exposition accumulate, especially through the middle.
-
At roughly two hours, the film can feel longer than its breathless pace suggests, with some wishing the crowded middle had been trimmed.
-
Jo and Raissa are generally well realized, but many side characters get less room to grow; the crowded creature roster often feels more colorful than fully developed.
-
Language is relatively mild by mainstream standards, but one family-focused response finds even that level unnecessary and distracting.
-
The blend of horror, slapstick, sentiment, and manic comedy is bold but uneven; some enjoy the contrast while others find the shifts jarring or exhausting.
-
The PG label comes with real caveats: older kids and teens are a better fit than very young or sensitive viewers because the villain and darker imagery can be intense.
-
Manang and the darker folklore imagery can be genuinely scary, including body-separation imagery and intense chases; some admire that edge while others warn it may overwhelm younger kids.
-
The screenplay is imaginative and often funny, but reactions split over its structure: the emotional ideas are strong while the crowded plotting and rushed connective tissue can weaken them.
Cast & Creators
-
JoH.E.R. gives Jo a playful, unruly energy while still making her fear of being left behind feel vulnerable and sincere.
-
RawwDave Franco’s Raww is one of the most discussed performances: usually praised for comic timing, energy, and vulnerability, though a few find the voice or character grating.
-
BatibaJenny Slate gives Batiba a memorable mix of sweetness, menace, and personality, with several responses highlighting her as a strong supporting voice.
-
MermahnKevin McCann’s vain Mermahn is a consistent comic standout, with his smug delivery and self-absorbed performance repeatedly earning scene-stealing praise.
-
Director/WriterJanuel Mercado’s direction is praised for marrying Filipino cultural specificity with energetic visual storytelling and a heartfelt friendship story.
-
Director/WriterJoel Crawford’s direction is praised for combining emotional sincerity with bold animated invention, even when the pace becomes crowded.
-
RaissaLiza Soberano makes Raissa warm, driven, and believable opposite Jo, helping the lifelong friendship feel lived-in rather than manufactured.
-
BungiManny Jacinto’s Bungi is often singled out as adorable or scene-stealing comic color, though one response finds the giant baby demon outright annoying.
-
ComposerNathan Matthew David’s score is warmly praised for its beauty and for supporting the film’s Filipino folkloric identity.
-
LolaDolly de Leon brings warmth and personality to Lola, with her performance helping ground Jo’s emotional history and the film’s abundant heart.
-
ManananggalLea Salonga gives Manang a convincingly menacing presence, but reactions are mixed because some feel the film severely underuses her.
-
King Truffle WuffleRonny Chieng contributes welcome comedic color as King Truffle Wuffle, helping the crowded creature ensemble stay lively.