H.E.R., Liza Soberano and Dave Franco head up the voice cast for this most satisfying DreamWorks Animation entry from “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” directors Joel Crawford and Januel P. 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”? Utilizing a dizzying panorama of Filipino mythology, longtime collaborators and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” co-directors Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado tell a familiar but moving story about friendship, brought to life through a vivid voice ensemble.
Grammy-winning musician H.E.R. plays Josephine “Jo” Yuson, an overzealous elementary school student living in the Philippines, who befriends fellow classmate Raissa Molina (Liza Soberano) when they both get sent to the principal’s office. A dreamer whose father abandoned her, Jo conflates her family history with Filipino lore, tracing the path of her grandmother Lola (Dolly de Leon) through the forgotten island of Nakali and believing fervently in its mythical flora and fauna. Fueled by Lola’s encouragement, the two girls escape into an elaborate but imaginary world during adolescence, but with college looming for Raissa in the U.S., Jo is increasingly afraid of being left behind — especially after her grandmother passes.
On the night before Raissa is set to depart for Caltech, Jo convinces her to have one last escapade together, but their celebration is interrupted when she uncovers a magical sand dollar that opens a portal transporting them to the real Nakali. They awakens on a beach with the portal key gone and no memory of the previous night, although Raissa now has wings and they share a tattoo with Raww (Dave Franco), a were-aspin (a dog-human hybrid from Filipino folklore) who insists they asked him to be their island guide. Raww takes them to Batiba (Jenny Slate), a catlike creature who offers to help them return home — in exchange for the matching bracelets they made as kids, which hold all of the memories of their friendship.
Instead, they set out with Raww to recover the magical sand dollar themselves, encountering a series of magical creatures — some helpful, others determined to kill them — as they try to find a way home before Raissa’s flight leaves on the other end of the portal. Though “Forgotten Island” is rated PG, it not only borrows from more mature sources for inspiration (like “The Hangover”) but is unafraid to be a little bit rude (a gastrointestinal phenomenon called “fire-rrhea” figures into the plot), and occasionally even scary. It’s perfectly appropriate viewing for adults and older teens, but guardians of younger moviegoers — who will be mightily tempted by Truffle Wuffle (Ronny Chieng), the irresistibly cuddly king of the Duwende people — should use discretion.
The film’s potty humor, mostly depicted in anime-style 2D, shouldn’t present too many viewers with a challenge, but Manang (Lea Salonga), the fearsome, vampire-like monster who pursues Jo and Raissa throughout the film, is violent and genuinely terrifying. Yet that mix is exactly what makes the film so powerful, as it gently confronts younger children with some of life’s inevitable realities — including sacrifice and death. Jo has maintained her wrecking-ball momentum since childhood, and now that she’s faced with losing her best friend, the movie zeroes in on how painful it is for her to slow down and come to terms with this devastating change.
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