Monster Island (2017 film)

Monster Island (released as Isla Calaca in Mexico) is a 2017 English-language Mexican animated horror comedy film directed by Leopoldo Aguilar. The film was produced by Ánima Estudios and animated by India's Discreet Arts Production.

The film was first released in the United Kingdom on 21 July 2017, and later in Mexico on 14 September 2017. The film was released in the United States on 1 September 2017 on home media and VOD platforms.

Plot
A teenage boy journeys to a monstrous-like island to find his true form after discovering he's not a human being.

Spanish-language cast

 * Memo Aponte as Lucas
 * Octavio Rojas as Nicolas
 * Pepe Toño Macías as Norcutt
 * Alicia Barragán as Veronica
 * Ángela Villanueva Vargas as Carlotta
 * Luis Daniel Ramírez as Fergus
 * Ricardo Tejedo as Giraldo
 * Alan F. Velazquez & Gerardo Alonso as Shiro and Kuro

English-language cast

 * Phillip Adrian Vasquez as Lucas
 * Roger L. Jackson as Nicolas
 * Johnny Rose as Norcutt
 * Alicia Barragán as Veronica
 * Katie Leigh as Carlotta / Patrick's Mom
 * Eric Larsen as Peter / Ant Monster
 * Michael Robles as Cameron
 * Nancy Sullivan as Dina / Old Lady / Teacher
 * Jenifer Beth Kaplan as Melanie / Cameron's Mom / Patrick
 * Joey Camen as Shiro / Fergus / Mayor's Assistant
 * Wally Wingert as Kuro / Lagoon Monster
 * Chuck Kourouklis as Durgo / Dock Master
 * Erik Brada as Giraldo / Mongo
 * Luis Daniel Ramírez Santiago as Watson
 * Anthony Budai as Mayor

Production
In an interview with El Universal, director Leopoldo Aguilar said the purpose of the film's story is to help the audience understand their roots and learn to accept them. "Lucas is a teenager who lives this path, [and] he makes a trip to accept himself as the monster he is," Aguilar stated. "I think everyone at that age went through that process - to know what place we occupy in the world and try to discover ourselves," he added. Producer and Ánima COO José C. García de Letona mentioned about the film's "comedy and action" tone, in comparison to the Leyendas franchise. "It has elements to differentiate from the Leyendas, and this one, since it is a film designed for something global and[...] the public that we want to reach, there's not much suspense," stated Aguilar.

Animation
The film was animated entirely in computer-generated imagery, done by India's Discreet Arts Productions which has previously collaborated with Anima Estudios' previous films including Guardians of Oz and Top Cat Begins.

Music
The film's original music was composed by Kevin Smithers.

Release
To date, the film has been released in Mexico, United States, and the United Kingdom, as well as Asian territories including China and South Korea.

The release in China marked a new first for production company Ánima Estudios, to which Leopoldo Aguilar stated that the film's story was created for a global setting, and not Mexico where the film was produced. "Narratively[,] we wanted a funny story[...] that walks a lot without locating it in a place in Mexico[.] [I]t can be anywhere in the world[...] that already gives another face to the production," said Aguilar.

Box office
The film debuted at #3 in Mexico, grossing $6.86 million (est. US$0.4 million) on its opening weekend. It grossed a total of $18.9 million pesos.

Reception
The film was met with negative reviews upon its release. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a "Rotten" score of "18%" based on 11 reviews. On Tomatazos, the film has a score of "10%".