Directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado took inspiration from their own friendship to create Forgotten Island, one of DreamWorks’ strongest films in over ten years. The animation is gorgeous, with a beauty you won’t find in any other film, live-action or animated, this year. Not to mention, the central friendship and Filipino representation illuminate this film, making it one of the most distinctive recent major-studio animated films. It’s pretty easy to get quickly invested in the two main characters and their bond, way before they travel to the titular island.

The lively animation style balances rapid movement and color, and the striking score by Nathan Matthew David does an incredible job of blending global influences and tones at light speed. H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, and Jenny Slate are all great in the voice cast, but it’s the animators who are the true stars here, having created something so eye-popping that it should be seen on the big screen, and it works well for all ages. Anyone who’s experienced friendship, old or young, near or long-distance, will likely enjoy the messages. Even if some jokes are overdone and the middle act does slightly drag, Forgotten Island is equal parts colorful and mature, covering visual, musical, and cultural ground that no animated film has quite like this before.