Two lifelong best friends Jo and Raissa had always dreamed of finding the mystical world of Nakali but will it be worth losing all of the memories they have shared together?
In the opening we get to see how Jo and Raissa first met and how everything built up the years of friendship, with a bracelet and charms that were added to highlight a particular moment. I thought this was such a great way to put the groundwork for the friendship in place, as friendship bracelets used to be a huge thing.
Jo and Raissa should never have really been friends as they were total opposites of one another, but that is what makes those early childhood friends so special. The main issue though is as you get older and that is exactly what this film focuses on, when they are ready to take that step into adulthood with Raissa set to move from the Philippines to the USA for college. This is set in the 1990’s and I think that is probably another reason why I enjoyed it so much.
Fatima who was Jo’s grandmother had told them many stories about the magical island of Nakali and that is a massive part of the friendship, the pair searching for the island and wanting nothing more than to see if Fatima’s tales were actually true or not. As it turns out it was a real place and they are transported to it when they are about to run out of time together. Fate you must say! The island has all kinds of different characters and species which is where the adventure really begins. The friendship is put to the test when Raissa can only focus on missing her flight back home.
Visually the film is absolutley stunning and Dreamworks really need so much credit for how they did that, so much colour constantly across the screen. It is also the first Filipino based film that they have done and I really was impressed with everything about it. Considering I went to the cinema screening not knowing anything about the film at all.
Forgotten Island had such an amazing charm and I think everyone will be able to relate to special moments with a friend from over the years and small memories you still have with them. Although I think it makes you think that some memories do indeed fade and having a token could keep it alive in a different manner.
