Forgotten Island
Dreamworks
It has been a great year for movies, and even a great month, most recently with Resident Evil being a big hit in the horror genre. But the exact opposite of an R-rated gorefest is now the highest-scoring movie of the month with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it has set a record for its studio, DreamWorks Animation.
The movie is Forgotten Island, a new feature that is out in just a few days on Friday, Sept. 25. With almost two dozen reviews, it has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, which is the highest for any DreamWorks animated film ever, including some all-time classics. Here’s what it has passed up:
- Forgotten Island (2026) – 100% critic score
- How to Train Your Dragon (2010) – 99% critic score
- The Wild Robot (2024) – 97% critic score
- Chicken Run (2000) – 97% critic score
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) – 95% critic score
- Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) – 95% critic score
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) – 92% critic score
Here’s the synopsis of the film, which many may not know about given a somewhat limited marketing campaign for it. I only saw it because it played before the Paw Patrol Dino movie I saw with my son:
“While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.”
Here are some of the early reviews of the film which heap praise on it:
Sydney Morning Herald – “It’s dazzling. But impressive as that all is, it’s the thoughtfulness of the story, its genuine heart, and the passion for the culture it depicts that makes this film one to remember.”
Discussing Film – “Directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado continue to raise the bar for DreamWorks Animation with their emotionally complex film about friendship and knowing when it’s okay to let someone close grow a bit distant.”
As a less high-profile film, Forgotten Island is not expected to blow the doors off the box office, with maybe a $15-20 million opening weekend, but if it really is this good, word of mouth could spread and help it become a new-era animation classic, similar to what we saw with The Wild Robot (which is getting a sequel in the hopefully near future).
We’ll see what audiences make of it, but it’s so far, so good with these initial reviews. You can watch the trailer for yourself above.
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