Forgotten Island Is The Biggest BLUNDER Of The Year.

Forgotten Island Review Summary

Release and Promotion

DazReviews argues that Forgotten Island became one of the year’s biggest blunders partly because its release was mishandled. The UK release arrived long after the US debut, promotion was sparse, and the trailers focused heavily on goofy antics while hinting at a more emotional premise: the longer you stay on the island, the more memories you lose. Daz says that premise isn’t actually the film’s plot.

He also complains that Universal blocked or restricted his videos about the trailers, joking that the studio may come after this review too. His cinema screening was nearly empty—about 15 people in a 300-seat room—and he calls the film a box-office flop.

What Daz Enjoyed

Despite his frustration, Daz clearly has affection for the movie. He praises its Filipino cultural references, the heartfelt friendship between its two leads, and its expressive animation. Small character details—such as how the girls sit and move when they first meet—make a strong impression.

He also likes that the female leads are allowed to be awkward, funny, and weird, and that the film gives familiar character tropes a fresh spin.

The Island Adventure

The adventure takes a chaotic turn when the girls wake up on the island after a night they can’t remember. They encounter a memory-stealing demon, a lonely were-dog man, a baby who draws animated murals, a bombastic merman, and a group of mushroom warriors.

Daz enjoys many of the visual gags and animation styles, but says the side characters and jokes often overstay their welcome. At times, the film feels so frantic that its characters seem to be shouting over one another for laughs.

Spoilers

Spoilers ahead.

The story eventually reveals that the girls’ missing memories are tied to the emotional strain of one leaving for America while the other feels stuck. Daz likes the idea that their friendship itself is offered up as the price for an escape, and he praises the sequence in which memories are revisited as they’re erased.

However, he feels the climax resolves too quickly: the friends reunite almost immediately, the memory demon turns out not to be truly evil, and several mysteries and elements of the film’s mythology remain unexplained. He imagines the premise could have supported a more lingering exploration of what people lose when they lose their memories of one another.

Final Verdict

Forgotten Island has a lovely heart, distinctive animation, and a compelling emotional premise, but too many frantic flourishes and a rushed resolution keep it from reaching the heights Daz expected. He jokes that the title may become fitting if the studio keeps trying to bury discussion of the film—and that delaying the international release may have cost it money too.

Personalities and Characters Discussed

• DazReviews (Daz): The reviewer and narrator.
• The two lead girls: Best friends whose relationship drives the story.
• The were-dog man
• The memory demon
• Demon Demon
• The merman
• The baby
• The mushroom warriors