Impy's Island

Lore & Background

The plot is set on a magical tropical island called Tikiwoo in the 1950s. A fun-loving group of misfit animals and people discover a baby Mamenchisaurus that had been frozen since prehistoric times. They name him Impy, and he bonds with his new family while exploring the strange new world. However, a king from a faraway country vows to capture Impy for his private collection, forcing the island's inhabitants to unite to save their friend.

Reader's Guide

The film features voice talents including Wigald Boning as Professor Habakuk Tibatong, Anke Engelke as Wutz, and Oliver Pocher as Schusch, among others. For the American release, different voice actors were used, such as Lisa Ortiz and Emlyn Morinelli McFarland voicing Impy the Mamenchisaurus in different dubs. The DVD was released in Germany on 12 February 2007 by Warner Home Video under their Family Entertainment label. The film is significant as an adaptation of a classic German children's novel and as a computer-animated feature that led to a sequel, Impy’s Wonderland, in 2008.

Did You Know?

• The film is based on the children's novel Urmel from the Ice Age by Max Kruse.
• The baby dinosaur is a Mamenchisaurus.
• The island in the film is called Tikiwoo.

Origins & Source Material

Impy's Island, known in its original German title as Urmel aus dem Eis, is a 2006 animated feature film that brings to life the beloved children's novel Urmel from the Ice Age by author Max Kruse. The adaptation translates Kruse's written world into a full-length animated experience, preserving the spirit of the source material while expanding it for a theatrical audience. The film's success paved the way for a direct sequel, Impy's Wonderland (titled Urmel voll in Fahrt in German), which arrived in 2008. This two-film arc established the Mamenchisaurus character as a recurring animated property in German children's cinema, giving young audiences a multi-installation story to follow. The 2006 release positioned the film squarely in the mid-2000s wave of computer-animated features aimed at family viewers, and its German production roots gave it a distinctly European flavor compared to the dominant American animated films of that era.

Plot & Story

The story unfolds on Tikiwoo, a magical tropical island set in the 1950s, where a colorful community of misfit animals and people go about their daily lives. Their world is upended by a remarkable discovery: a baby Mamenchisaurus, frozen since prehistoric times, has been unearthed. The inhabitants take in the young creature, whom they affectionately name Impy, and he quickly settles into his new family, eager to explore the strange modern world around him. The central conflict arises when King Pumponell, a monarch from a distant country, declares his intention to capture the lovable baby Mamenchisaurus for his private collection. This threat forces every resident of the island to unite in a collective effort to protect their new friend. The narrative is structured as a classic underdog story, pitting a diverse group of unlikely heroes against a powerful external antagonist who views the creature as merely a trophy to be possessed.

Voice Cast & International Adaptation

The German-language cast features a roster of well-known German voice actors lending their talents to the ensemble. Wigald Boning voices Professor Habakuk Tibatong, Anke Engelke takes on the role of Wutz, and Florian Halm brings to life Diener Sami. Christoph Maria Herbst appears as Doctor Zwengelmann, while Kevin Iannotta voices Tim Tintenklecks. Stefan Krause lends his voice to Ping, Oliver Pocher to Schusch, and Domenic Redl to Urmel himself. Frank Schaff voices Wawa, Klaus Sonnenschein delivers King Pumponell, and Wolfgang Völz provides the voice of Seele-Fant. For the American release, the film underwent two separate English-language dubs. The Image Entertainment version cast Lisa Ortiz as Impy, while the HanWay Films dub featured Emlyn Morinelli McFarland in the same role. Other American voices include Zoe Martin as Ping the king penguin, Maddie Blaustein as Shoe the shoebill, and Sean Schemmel as King Pumponell the 55th. Character names were also adapted for English-speaking audiences, with Professor Tibatong becoming Professor Horatio Tibberton and Doctor Zwengelmann becoming Dr. Zonderburgh.

Release & Distribution

Impy's Island made its home video debut in Germany on 12 February 2007, when Warner Home Video released the DVD under their Family Entertainment label. This distribution strategy positioned the film squarely within the family-oriented programming that Warner Home Video was known for, making it accessible to young viewers and their parents in the German-speaking market. The timing of the DVD release, coming roughly eight months after the 2006 theatrical window, followed the standard pattern of giving audiences time to experience the film in theaters before it became available for repeated home viewing. The film's presence on the Warner Home Video Family Entertainment shelf placed it alongside other animated features targeted at children, reinforcing its identity as a family-friendly property. The existence of two separate American dubs through Image Entertainment and HanWay Films further indicates that the film found distribution channels in the English-language market. The film's inclusion in lists of animated feature films and computer-animated films on reference sites like IMDb underscores its recognition as a notable entry in the broader landscape of animated cinema.