THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Was back-to-back press screenings in Dallas on school nights the best idea I’ve ever had? Definitely not. But did I want to see Forgotten Island really bad and couldn’t pass up the opportunity? For sure! With Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado attached to direct (after the success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), Forgotten Island was sure to be a hit, and the trailers promised the same. I was both excited and nervous to see if it would live up to my lofty expectations, and I’m so happy to say that it did!

There was a ton to love about Forgotten Island, but the story at the center was its most uniquely lovable quality. I knew nothing about Filipino folklore (other than the few creatures seen in the trailer) coming into this movie, but I was blown away by the creativity and passion on display in this movie’s world-building. Nakali Island burst to life in amazing color with very cool (and sometimes very odd) creatures, and this mythology played perfectly with the messages that Mercado and Crawford were conveying. I don’t know if you could have picked a better mythology to explore the powers and dangers of memory. I also liked the other nods to Filipino culture, especially the ones that my students and I would recognize from my classroom, like “Bahay Kubo” and tinikling (twice!).

Jo and Raissa’s journey from childhood delinquents to best friends on the verge of new chapters was powerful, and I bet the water works would have started for me if I had seen this movie before leaving for college. Their relationship felt incredibly real—full of love and quirks and tension—and putting their relationship to the test in the land of forgotten memories and pathological liars was a deft move (told you their story fit this mythology so well). Structuring the plot like a “What happened last night?” memory recollection reminiscent of the last night before college was also clever, and made for an engaging quest. I loved how Jo and Raissa were able to see themselves in so many of the characters they met on Nakali Island, and the power of their own relationship was displayed in their experiences with others, especially the Kapre. Every side character on their journey learned from them and vice versa, and though I could’ve gone without a few of the five or so endings they chose to cram in at the end (truly, my only real gripe with this movie), I’m glad no one was forgotten (ha ha) when it came to character resolution.

Aside from the wonderful world-building and emotionally resonant story, Forgotten Island was technically amazing and absolutely hilarious. The script possessed the same offbeat, zany humor of movies like The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Hoppers, and I was laughing for most of the movie’s runtime. I know outrageous bits like these may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they sure are mine. The animation was out-of-this-world, and maybe the best I’ve seen in a DreamWorks movie. The real world and Nakali both looked outstanding and wildly colorful, and there were some shots that used contrasting colors in such cool ways (there’s one Manananggal shot that really impressed me, iykyk). I loved how the animation style changed every time a character was remembering past events with Jo and Raissa—each character had their own style, and they were all expressive and fantastic. Also, I don’t know where else to mention this, but can we talk about Merman? Maybe my favorite side character!

I won’t make this glowing review much longer, but the last aspect of Forgotten Island that I wanted to praise was the music. Yes, the soundtrack was fantastically full of 80s and 90s pop and hip-hop (and used to great effect), but it was how the soundtrack was combined with original songs and a super unique score from the man of many first names, Nathan Matthew David, that impressed me most. I hadn’t heard any of his work prior to tonight, but I already want to hear more. His score was dramatic and inspired and worked perfectly with the soundtrack. Forgotten Island was another DreamWorks masterclass in emotional storytelling and gorgeous animation, but the passion for such under-explored source material is what may make this movie ascend past studio classics like Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon. Did the passion sometimes lead to an overstuffed story? Sure, but I’ll take too much love for your work over uninspired slop any day.