Dr. Nandor Fodor (Simon Pegg) is a world-renowned paranormal psychologist. Along with his assistant, Anne (Minne Driver), he travels far and wide to find evidence of things that cannot be explained. Hearing of the strangest thing from a colleague, Dr. Harry Price (Christopher Lloyd), Dr. Fodor’s investigations take him to a small village where the locals are entranced by the existence of a talking mongoose. However, Dr. Fodor’s pursuit of the truth starts to unlock a little more about himself.
Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose is an eccentric comedy written and directed by Adam Sigal, inspired by the true events of which the real Dr. Fodor may have been aware. However, despite the lavish production values, beautiful cinematography and cast of recognisable faces, there isn’t much that connects.
Depicted as a comedy, Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose has elements that would make the audience believe that they were watching a light hearted British comedy. The inclusion of Pegg and Driver gives the audience an intriguing pairing while the cameo from Christopher Lloyd is bound to raise some smiles.
However, it feels a little drier than perhaps it should be and as it moves towards its conclusion and Dr. Fodor’s true intentions, audiences may start to realise that it wants to go deeper. This means that what could have been a whimsical comedy about the strangeness of life turns into a theological discussion of the difference between belief and scientific fact.
Somewhat cleverly, the mongoose is never really seen, only heard through a voice who communicates with anybody who wants to listen. However, the more intellectual pursuits of the script distract too much from comedic moments like these.
The cast do their best, but it is Pegg who is at the front for a change rather than being the Hollywood sidekick in an action blockbuster. Fans of his work will of course enjoy seeing something else from the self-proclaimed geek, but it’s hard to deny that his attempts at blending the real Nandor Fodor’s American/English accent are less than successful.
In the end, Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose could have been a crowd-pleasing comedy with lots of memorable characters. Unfortunately, its greater ambitions weigh down the plot.
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