Simon Pegg proves he’s an underrated talent in new movie with the weirdest title
One of the oddest titles of the year goes to this Amazon comedy, Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose. It stars Simon Pegg as a 1930s paranormal investigator who is lured to The Isle of Man after hearing tales of a talking Mongoose (voiced by Neil Gaiman).
This comedic oddity is something that would have been a cult cinema hit years ago, embracing a spooky soundtrack and eerie set design. At just over 90 minutes, the tone is an awkward jumble of comedic and ominous, never quite delving into the big questions it sets up at the beginning.
Still, there’s a wealth of talent to make sense of it all. Pegg is an underrated lead, often starring in unusual tales like this when he isn’t helping solve Tom Cruise’s impossible missions. He’s a charismatic protagonist, working wonderfully with Minnie Driver as Fodor’s assistant, and a twinkly-eyed Christopher Lloyd as his mentor.
The script could have done more with these riches, but it’s nice to see Simon Pegg riff so well with the rest of the cast. Quirky rather than spooky, this light-hearted film doesn’t go anywhere profound, but the meandering mystery is fun when spent in this company.
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