Igor Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
"Igor" is a playfully irreverent comedy that brings a new twist to the classic monster genre. In a world filled with Mad Scientists and Evil Inventions, one talented evil scientist's hunch-backed lab assistant has big dreams of becoming a Mad Scientist himself and winning the annual Evil Science Fair.
| Steve Buscemi | Scamper |
| John Cleese | Dr. Glickenstein |
| John Cusack | Igor |
| Arsenio Hall | Carl Cristall |
| Sean Hayes | Brain |
| Eddie Izzard | Dr. Schadenfreude |
| Jay Leno | King Malbert |
| James Lipton | Himself |
| Paul Vogt | Fly-headed Guy |
| Jennifer Coolidge | Jaclyn |
| Molly Shannon | Eva |
| Anthony Leondis |
6.20 out of 10 (894 votes)
Visitor Reviews
terrible movie
posted on 12 Aug 2009Unfortunately for this movie, the idiots from the production team that planted "good reviews" about this movie on here are not enough to save it from a complete terrible movie.Nothing in these movies is the least bit entertaining. If any of the people who gave this movie positive reviews actually enjoyed it, I truly feel sorry for you. Lionsgate should be ashamed for putting this garbage in theaters, and the two idiot writer/producer wannabes should take their millions and disappear, and save us from any more torture.There's nothing to actually review about this movie. It goes from one stupid, completely non-funny scene to another. Please do not even pay to see this movie to see how horrible it is. If 9 out of 10 people see this movie to "see how dumb it is" then that's more than enough for them to keep making this garbage. It's sad when a movie is so stupid that making fun of it is not even enjoyable.
Cute if you're OK with bald plagiarism
posted on 31 Jul 2009I can't tell whether the gross theft of characters and settinngs in this work was supposed to be homage or just plain old appropriation. So much of the look of this animation was cribbed almost unaltered from dozens of sources of great animation ( the most obvious of which is Burton and least of which is Gloomcookie comics) that I can only give it a lame four. And those stars are for having snagged all that great voice talent. The writing was cute, but not memorable. This is where they might have saved the film, but even the slightly sick humour wasn't very funny. They could have really milked the Annie references into something hilarious -- but it never happened, why??Just don't know how all these resources didn't get better handling.
Yes Master !
posted on 27 Jul 2009John Cusack , such a great experience for him ... Igor is the historical character that we all know about but we know Igor in the dark horror movies but that's a new one ... he works as an assistant or let me say as an Igor for the evil scientist Dr. Glickenstein who died trying to invent a new dark monster ... so Igor become a scientist and made Eva but it goes in a wrong was and instead of making an evil creature he makes her a good one ... Dr. Holzwurm is the bad one he wins the competition which is made every year but he is a thief , any way he try to take Eva and win with it but it turned out at last that good is the everlasting path for all the world ... for me i gave it 7/10 and for you , you better watch this cause it's a wonderful one .
Average
posted on 19 Jul 2009Igor felt like a Tim Burton film. It had the same Gothic feel and same kind of humor. But it didn't have the same charm. I laughed a few times but the Annie references and musical numbers totally ruined the movie for me.If you see this with the kids don't expect the cute characters with the fuzzy fur. John Cusack voices Igor, the hunchback who wants to a evil scientist. Steve Buscemi voices Scamper, the suicidal Bunny who can't commit suicide. Sean Hayes as Brain, Igor's invention who is not so smart. This movie seems like a horror movie for kids.I don't recommend Igor. It could have been one of the best animated movies of the year but it just didn't have the charm or spark. It had good animation, good voice acting and a good story but it just didn't work. I give Igor....5/10
Jack Skellingoton and Victor van Dort are crying.
posted on 19 Jul 2009Dear God, I love this movie. It's called Igor, and it may be the best animated B-movie of the decade. Fortunately, it really is one of those "so bad it's good" titles. Perhaps by virtue of its terribleness, you should give it a viewing. It's a wonderful film to watch after a stressful event. Prepare for what I'm going to reveal of the plot. I promise that I am not fabricating any of it. Igor is set in once-peaceful Malaria, ruled by King Malbert, when suddenly a climate change forces inhabitants to create evil machinations of torture to survive. I'm not sure why they have to do this, but maybe they sell them to the US government. People who create these devices are called "Evil Scientists." Each has an "Igor" or hunchback to assist him. These Igor are treated like slaves, must speak in garbled Eastern European English, and have no authority to invent. Finally, after all this unnecessary exposition, the protagonist (also creatively named Igor) is introduced. This Igor is remarkably intelligent and has created a sentient robot which he calls Brain and a Ren and Stimpy-inspired rabbit (I think) creature called Scamper. After Igor's master dies one day, he decides to enter the latest "Evil Science Fair," and earn respect for his race. He plans to enter an evil golem he creates but her "evil bone" doesn't function. Igor decides to have her brainwashed (which is a booming industry in Malaria), but Brain conveniently intervenes and the golem thinks herself to be an actress. Igor bestows the name Eva to his creation and rumors of her criminal capacity spread, despite her innocence. These whispering reach Dr. Schadenfreude, winner of the last seventeen contests, and he plans to steal Eva (despite knowing the inherent danger of such an operation). Dr. Schadenfreude has everyone under the impression that he is a great scientist when he's actually a fraud. Imagine that; a Malarian scientist would steal another inventor's idea. The doctor hopes to become king of Malaria once he wins this year's contest. Why he didn't do this earlier isn't explained, but who cares? Through his assistant, Schadenfreude convinces Eva to leave Igor and become evil. Igor, Brain, and Scamper set off to rescue her and discover that King Malbert created a weird weather machine which constantly creates storm clouds. Just in the nick of time, Igor arrives, saves Eva, and is crowned king after defrauding Schadenfreude and Malbert. You'd think I wrote this review while intoxicated, don't you? I assure that I was not, but Chris McKenna must have been when he composed this screenplay. Several cute but unnecessary scenes are included. In one scene, Dr. Schadenfreude attacks Igor with a shrinking gun, but is unsuccessful. The ray gun never reappears, but the bad doctor shrinks himself. How else does Schadenfreude shrink himself to the size of an ant but reappear normal-sized in following sequences? How else does a large weather-altering machine go unnoticed? For that matter, what does this have to do with King Malbert's rise to power? Malarians would worship the Weather Channel I guess. I've seen many comparisons between this movie and Tim Burton's animated works. Let me dispel you of any remaining doubt you may have. Igor is not the same pedigree as The Nightmare before Christmas or The Corpse Bride. While Tony Leondis and his animation crew have emulated Tim Burton's artistry, they neglected his humor and memorable characters. Igor, Brain, and Scamper are interchangeable cynics who attempt macabre humor endlessly. None has his own identity. All of them are vehicles to present another torture or death joke. I felt underwhelmed. The entire film gratuitously satisfies itself and hopes its audience will enjoy the spectacle. I find this odd, as children may not understand the humor, and parents may find such humor inappropriate for a children's film.In both of Tim Burton's animated features, protagonists are placed in incredibly unusual situations and humorously escape them. Actual tension is created as secondary characters who romantically pursue the hero find little success. Igor has a love story as well, but it's far too predictable and contrived. It is secondary to the death jokes and Igor's attempt to learn about the weather system. There is little indication of Igor's interest in Eva as anything other than a creation for the majority of the feature. If you're looking for a non-Tim Burton Gothic children's film, I wouldn't look here. Igor is a collection of unfunny jokes that younger audiences may not understand and paper-thin characters that only serve to spew even more dead humor. My recommendation would is that you watch Danny Phantom, an animated show in similar style. It's not as polished as Burton's work, but not as cheesy as this film. Some episodes are presented in reference to previous ones and character development occurs. Nothing of that sort is present in Igor.
Another classic CG film!
posted on 11 Jul 2009Well apparently most 'reviewers' are taking this film to heart without realising who the intended audience was. But it still doesn't stop them from writing paragraphs of pointless bile about apparently how bad this movie is. So lets see, the storyline as far as I know and have seen for many years is unique, a little too horror orientated well, 'gruesome' I guess for the younger generation but nevertheless brilliant in my eye's. The cast of voice actors was fantastic! I knew I could expect brilliant things from this film as soon as the respectable John Cleese makes his character appearance. The animation style was reminiscent of- (as the last reviewer states) the nightmare before Christmas which in retrospect was another brilliant film heh. The comedy was subtle and works well for children and adults, and well some of the one liners still makes me laugh now! So, bring your children or see for yourself or.. don't either way it wont stop me from watching it again.
A Nutshell Review: Igor
posted on 25 Jun 2009With a barrage of ultra cute characters ruling animated worlds these days, one wonders if macabre characters would appeal if not coming from the creatively dark mind of Tim Burton. With wonderful animation flicks like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride being tentpoles for animation touching on darker themes and realms (as with festival darlings such as Fear(S) of the Dark), Igor would find itself in good company, and it lives up in certain terms to belong.Voiced by the excellent John Cusack, Igor is a typical hunchback and because of his physical disability and rights (or lack thereof) in the land of Malaria, Igors in general have a single career path, and that is slave to the scientists of the land. Yearning to be one of the greatest scientists one day despite societal perception and prejudice, opportunity arises when his master kicks the bucket, and he seizes the opportunity to do what the scientific community cannot do - create life.Of course in order to clinch the yearly accolade of scientist of the year, the creation must have a mean killing/horrific streak, but Igor's creation of Eva (Molly Shannon) is actually that of a kind soul with an addiction for the theatre and the arts. Not very suited to scaring and beating up opponents. So in a tussle between the actual being and her intended role comes an unlikely romantic story that somehow managed to touch the hearts, resembling how in relationships one tend to change the other subconsciously (or consciously for some), and vice versa.Adversary comes in the form of scam scientist Dr Schadenfreude (Eddie Lizard) and his chameleon wife Jacklyn (Jennifer Coolidge) who scheme to steal Eva away from Igor and fulfill her intended evil purpose, and it's up to Igor and his crazy creations and sidekicks Scamper (Steve Buscemi) and Brian/Brain (Sean Hayes) to save the day. Some of the best lines were reserved for the banter between Scamper and Brain, and I thought these two characters actually lift the movie when it fell prey to the tried and tested story formula, providing some genuinely funny moments when you least expected.The animation here really challenged the notion of having everything aesthetically pleasing. Here, the filmmakers went for god-awful ugly, but yet having the magical effect of making it appealing. As a reminder not to judge a book by its cover, one can often feel repulsed by the lack of proportions in Eve's build, but what she lacks for on the outside, gets immensely compensated by the good on the inside. And it is this cheery disposition in spite of a gruff exterior, that exudes throughout the movie as well.With a surprisingly star-studded supporting voice cast with the likes of Christian Slater, Jay Leno, John Cleese and even Arsenio Hall, Igor may not have scaled new heights in animation techniques nor with its fairy-tale story, but for what it lacked it made it up for with plenty of heart. And I guess for an animated story, that will always be premium and will always matter.
A fun little film, not the best in its genre but still worth watching
posted on 03 Jun 2009As a fan of CG animation and cheesy horror, I was really looking forward to this one. It wasn't as good as I had hoped, and not nearly as good as it *could* have been, given the talent. But the premise was nicely original, and the actors put in some good performances. Steve Buscemi steals almost every scene he's in, and Eddie Izzard was really good. Jennifer Coolidge was another standout, as was Sean Hayes. I think Cusack made a very funny character, certainly more fun to watch than the Disney lead in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The animation style is very reminiscent of The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was a nice break from the steady diet of comic book films and action films I've had this summer.
The Potitical Correctness police strike again
posted on 24 May 2009What happened to just enjoying a movie for its humor, action, or suspense. Why do movies have to have to follow the arrogant view of political correctness. I mean really, if you observe scampers he was already dead (tire tread). Igor resurrected him gave him immortality and intelligence. Its a classic oxymoron that here is a creation that wants to end his existence but he can't die. This movie is a playful and funny outlook where most people can relate that your best laid ed plans just don't go the way you want them too. If people think that this movie is too dark for children then you better put blinders on your kids.
Good Fun
posted on 22 May 2009I absolutely loved John Cusack and Sean Hayes performances in this film. The digital animation was splendid. Great to hear Arsenio in the film. Jennifer Coolidge caught my attention. Her performance was colorful and was executed masterfully. I do feel the film is directed at adults and older children, even though younger children will love the visual surroundings in this animated film. They may not understand much of the actual banter in the film, but the characters are definitely out there and really easy to mesh with.In conclusion, I think although this film is not the best film I have seen, it does draw in the audience with the brilliant performances by the cast, and the sheer genius of the animation.
Dark and witty. Definitely for the admirer of the genre.
posted on 16 May 2009I went in to this movie with no real expectations. This was a nice surprise for a Saturday matinée. The humor is dark and quirky, something that one wouldn't expect kids to understand, unless you're talking about a very cynical 5 year old or a pre-goth 11 year old.This movie's message was substantial in that it demonstrated several themes, at least to me. The first is that stereotypes are something that should be thrown out of the window and that through getting to know someone who isn't like you can open your eyes. Second, people have different abilities - and some may be too shy or scared to really shine so it's difficult to know them. Third, we choose who we are and that we all have the propensity for malicious decisions, so we must make our decisions with conscientiousness and wisdom. Fourth, real loyalty and friendship overlook individual differences and can't be swayed.The animation was at a level one expects this day and age - excellent. Steve Buscemi's (Mr. Pink as he will always be known to me) role as the Rabbit kicked butt. Oh, and of course, schadenfreud (the act of taking pleasure in someone else's misery) deserves a mention. Never did I expect that to be worked into an animated movie.There was some intensity in the movie, and one of the main characters "turns on" the evil in the end, which can be frightening and perhaps confusing to small kids.It was good to watch on the big screen, and I'm looking forward to its release on DVD for at least rental, and a probable buy.
Far too derivative of Nightmare Before Christmas
posted on 14 May 2009This movie looks far too much like Nightmare Before Christmas. The King looks like a cheap knock-off of the Mayor, even. Kids will enjoy it (even my 6yo liked it, but not enough to watch it again) even if some of the themes are a little dark.The trouble is, it's hard to get past the fact that this feels like a rip-off. John Cleese is great, but in it far too little. Even the few Frankenstein/Young Frankenstein references aren't enough to save the movie.I'm not sure who the movie was directed at, it doesn't really seem to speak to young kids, pre-teens, teens, or adults.
Too many misses than hits in the comedy department.
posted on 08 May 20092008 has had its fair share of animation comedies from the rather lacklustre Ugly Duckling & Me to the mesmerising WALL-E, and while newest arrival Igor (That's "eeegor") is certainly an original effort akin to the rather clumsy style of Ugly Duckling, a distinct lack of focus and, well, laughs, hurts the film in the end. So despite having a wonderful cast, all of whom give brilliant performances, a sketchy but consistent score and a unique sense of style in the animation department, all these elements more or less go to waste through the lumbering, only sporadically amusing screenplay that fails to capitalise on its best features. Nevertheless, as far as children's entertainment goes, Igor isn't the worst production of the year, and although the laughs are few and far between, younger viewers should still have a lot of fun with the zaney, off-the-wall characters dreamt up by writer Chris McKenna; yet this doesn't mean that they'll want to revisit the experience on DVD, probably opting to put Kung-Fu Panda and WALL-E on that Christmas list instead.Following the untimely death of his evil scientist master, loyal servant Igor (John Cusack) takes it upon himself to impersonate his master in order to show the world what an evil scientist he can be. With his companions the suicidal bunny Scamper (Steve Buscemi) and brainless brain-in-a-jar Brain (Sean Hayes) -or, Brian, as he misspells it- at his side, Igor goes on to create life- evil life. Well, not really. You see, something goes wrong and instead of wanting to destroy the world and kill everyone, she (yes, she) wants to sing, dance and entertain the world as an actress. Desperate to win the prize for most evil invention however, Igor then takes it upon himself to try and use Eva's (Molly Shannon) uncompromising ambition to his advantage. So what follows from here, is exactly what you'd expect from the genre, and the premise. In fact, despite the film's rather alternative look and feel, the script disappointingly fails to live up to what the visuals suggest. Sure there's some decent comedy throughout, and the story, although extremely formulaic and at times, tedious, may manage to get across the usual themes of believing in yourself and sticking to the ones close to you, but this can't help to overcome the abundance of "so-what?" material.What's most apparent about this distinct lack of focus in the writing department however is how director Anthony Leondis and his cast manage to scrape some personality out of it all. Despite some rather mundane dialogue and one-liners that feel too outdated for such a feature, Leondis takes these elements and transforms them –at times- into moments of genuine amusement. This is particularly the case with Dr. Schadenfreude played by comedian Eddie Izzard, who more often than not steals the show with his sharp responses and witty remarks more likely to get much of the older audiences laughing. Of course all involved give it all they have too, helping flesh out their caricature characters into something a little more dynamic than the script provides, yet for all the good that Buscemi, Hayes and Cusack do, the anchor that is the pacing, plotting and general writing from McKenna is what constantly keeps such rays of lights from truly shining.Kudos must be given to the animation department however for coming up with a look and feel that in turn rivals this year's visually arresting Horton Hears a Who! in terms of trying something new. Igor is by no means is a pretty film as such as Horton was, but the rough, jagged edges to everything; the shadows; the lighting; the exaggerated forms and bizarre creatures that occupy the world present here are more than enough to keep the eyes from getting bored. However, while there's no denying that Igor is a visually interesting piece of entertainment, it's a shame that the same cannot be said for the production as a whole; burdened with too many misses than hits in the comedy department and a story that fumbles along rather than flows, Igor certainly wants to make something of himself, and he sure enough tries, but ultimately this comes off as a botched effort. Children will probably have fun with the characters (as much as you can with a suicidal bunny), and the silly, one-liner humour is sure to get a few laughs here and there, but there simply isn't enough to warrant a look from anyone but the most avid of animation fans.- A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)
Disappointing animated fare; rent "Mad Monster Party".
posted on 08 May 2009IGOR (2008) ** (Voices of: John Cusack, Molly Shannon, Steve Buscemi, Sean Hayes, Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Coolidge, Jay Leno, John Cleese, Arsenio Hall, Christian Slater) Disappointing animated fare attempting to do what SHREK did for storybook characters this tries for classic horror characters ; to wit: the titular hunchbacked assistant to mad scientists (a game Cusack) decides to create his own 'evil' monstrosity and the end result is a gi-normous patchwork gentle giantess named Eva (Shannon also a good sport) who is far from being what he wanted her to be. The look of the film cribs liberally from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and its awful puns fall like bricks thanks to a logy screenplay by Chris McKenna. Best suitable for the wee ones ; for everyone else rent "Mad Monster Party". (Dir: Anthony Leondis)
Not wonderful, not terrible, kinda fun
posted on 04 May 2009King Malbert (Jay Leno) rules the world of mad scientists with flashy clothes and dark storm clouds. As such, the mad scientists all clamor for the honor of winning the royally-sponsored "Science Fair". Each scientist has their own right arm, an Igor, with optional Lorre-esquire manner. When one scientist's efforts leave nothing but his actual right arm, however, his Igor (John Cusack) sees a chance at greatness, in activating his own monster. But is he too good to be evil? This one's a sleeper in every sense, which is kind of a good thing. Although it's a grand year for animation, with ambitious offerings from many studios, sometimes you look for something a little simpler. Igor excels at that. There are just a few things that keep it out of the "great" category, so let's point those out first. Technically, there are a few instances when the lip-sync is off, probably due to shuttling, as noted below. A noticeable number of the jokes (and a couple of songs) have the feel of being recycled from other animated films, which is never good. This being an animated comedy, that naturally hampers the story a bit. Although pop culture references (a recurring complaint on various message boards) are kept to a bare minimum, the ones used...well, grate on the nerves a bit.The good parts: the film is beautiful to look at, in a "Tim Burton" fashion. The tight animation is well-serviced in digital; a feat in itself, since the credits reveal that this thing was literally made around the world. Visuals of the environment are consistently stunning. The stylized design does help to endear you to the characters, who themselves are a parade of great ideas, with voice talent that shows some thought. Examples include Igor's pals: the surly Scamper (Steve Buscemi), a reanimated roadkill rabbit, with the tire track to prove it, and Brian (Sean Hayes), a disembodied brain in a machine, named by way of dyslexia. There's also invisible talk show host Carl Cristall (voiced most appropriately by Arsenio Hall) and the villain's girlfriend, a shallow, multi-personality fashion plate called Jaclyn Heidi (well-voiced by Jennifer Coolidge). Even the James Lipton cameo is oddly appropriate.So, in short, what works really works, and what doesn't really doesn't. It will likely be a welcome dollar peep once Halloween is closer.
Couldn't make up its mind
posted on 28 Apr 2009When the permanent stormclouds came to the country of malaria and wiped out its capacity to feed itself, King Malbert came up with the enterprising, if somewhat revolutionary, notion of an annual Science Fair for evil inventions, the winner of which would be used to blackmail the rest of the world. So Malaria is a country of mad scientists, each of which is assisted by an Igor. The Igor who is the main character in this story aspires to be a mad scientist himself, and has already created a rather stupid robot brain and a suicidal but unkillable rabbit. His next creation is a Frankensteinian woman: however, instead of being evil, she is simply Eve. Instead of wreaking mayhem, she wants to be a star of musical theatre. Factor in the machinations of one of the evil scientists who wants to depose the King, and you have the main ingredients of the story.The main problem with Igor is that much of it is pitched at an adult level, the humour and production design especially, while it remains essentially a children's film. It accordingly falls between two stools, being too dense and above their heads for kids, and not satisfying enough for their parents. The 7-year old I took fidgeted throughout, and fell asleep just as the climax started.Having said that, there is much to praise. The voice cast (John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Coolidge) is excellent, and the movie has a unique and striking look to it - kind of like The Nightmare Before Christmas with the volume turned up to 11. If it had made up its mind what it wanted to be, it could have been a very good film. As it is, it's simply good.
Makes "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" look like "Kung-Fu Panda"
posted on 28 Apr 2009Igor relies solely on childish humor and sucky jokes. And most of the characters are annoying. Scamper, Brain, and The Orfans are the only characters I can stand. Igor is a child living in a grown man's body. The Jennifer Coolage character is just basically a talking background character as he never really does anything important to the plot. the Annie jokes later in the movie are mostly just filler material.And it's obsessed with Insaulting Apes much like Tak & The Power of Juju, Squrriel Boy, & The Mighty B!. In a scary scene I saw, That one Ape Robot or whatever that thing is said to the titled character (Igor) that He going to use his hump as a speed bump!' A different scene had The same Gorilla villain robot thing asking that Igor's master that he didn't create LIFE!!? I was not at all impressed with this that villain. The humor was juvenile, the characters are stupid, and the story completely predictable.BOO!!!!! FIN
What it does, it does well
posted on 28 Apr 2009I expected Igor to be terrible, but it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable film. It's the kind of thing you don't mind watching with your kids a few times. It doesn't break any ground as an animated film, but what it does, it does pretty well. Igor's sidekicks are highlights of the movie; both Scamp and Brain are constantly hilarious. Though I can definitely see why it bombed in theaters. Family audiences might dislike Igor for its black humor, but it's a light kind of black humor - harmless and fun. Nightmare Before Christmas fans might hate it for its visual style, which is at times a complete rip-off of NMBC or Corpse Bride. This is most apparent in supporting characters: the mayor of Malaria resembles the mayor of Halloweentown, Dr. Glickenstein resembles Dr. Finkelstein... the resemblances are uncanny. As for goths, they'll absolutely detest the ending! I detest the ending as well, especially the song they close the movie with. Speaking of music, they use 30s-50s vocal jazz tunes to great effect throughout the film, heightening certain moments.
Ease up a little
posted on 26 Apr 2009Give us a break, will ya? No one expects a movie like this to equal "WALL-E" or "The Iron Giant"! Granted, it rips off "Nightmare Before Christmas" unabashedly (was anyone else as bugged as I by the shameless similarity between Malaria's King Malbert and "Nightmare's" Mayor?); and it has some pretty flat writing in spots. But there are good jokes ("Jaclyn/Heidi"; a "Yes Master's Degree") -- and you gotta love Eva, with the way she riffs on the Frankenstein tradition. Instead of misfit who can't figure out how to act right in a normal world, she's a maladjusted do-gooder in a kingdom of darkness. And that Louis Prima soundtrack -- some songs sounding like they were written just for this movie! I sat through it with a handful of families, and the kids sure liked it a lot. My guess is, it'll become one of those mid-level films like "PageMaster" or "Surf's Up" that some kids watch again and again.Not great; but by no means the disaster it's made out to be in other reviews here. . . .
I have a hunch that genre fans should enjoy this animated fare.
posted on 22 Aug 2009An animated movie that tells the story of Igor (voiced by John Cusack), a hunch-backed lab assistant in the land of Malaria. Malaria is populated largely by evil scientists and their Igors, only really used for fetching parts and pulling switches. Which is a shame as this particular Igor has a knack for inventing. He already has two companions, one of them being a stupid brain in a jar that thinks he's really clever and the other being a suicidal rabbit named Scamper. But nobody will ever take him seriously, nobody will ever believe that an IGOR could actually invent anything of note. Luckily for everyone involved then, Igor's boss man Dr. Glickenstein dies (okay, not so lucky for him) suddenly and it's down to Igor to invent something evil enough to hopefully win the Evil Scientists Fair that's only seven days away. Before you can say "bride of Frankenstein" Igor has managed to create monstrous, terror-inducing, powerful life. Life that seems sadly lacking in evil-ness. But that does name herself Eva. Can a hunch-backed assistant, brain in a jar and suicidal rabbit get Eva to act evil enough in time for the fair while avoiding the scheming, grasping hands of competing Dr. Schadenfreude? Watching the movie is the only way to find out.Igor is an enjoyable, nicely stylised animated movie. It has a great vocal cast including Cusack in the lead role, Sean Hayes in great form as the brain, Steve Buscemi being a brilliant suicidal rabbit (there's another guy who should really do more voice-over work for quality animated movies), Eddie Izzard as Dr. Schadenfreude, Jennifer Coolidge as a number of different-looking women and even Jay Leno as the King of Malaria. What it doesn't have is enough humour. There are many laughs scattered throughout, including some chucklesome scenes involving blind orphans which I am sure some people will be disgusted by, but considering the wealth of material it has to draw upon I was really expecting Igor to be much more jam-packed with gags, sly references and homages. Maybe there was a lot more going on in details that I missed but I don't think so.The film falls between two stools in many ways. It looks great but also feels a bit rough 'n' ready in places (no surprise considering the last-minute script change noted in the IMDb trivia section), it's warm and funny but not warm and funny enough, it has likable characters but you have to wonder if they will be likable to youngsters or simply to people like me who have a fondness for the Universal horror classics and the roots of the genre I so love.A hard one to recommend as a family viewing (it really depends on the age of the kid and how savvy they are) and a hard one to recommend to adult fans of animated fare but I DO recommend this to people who enjoy some dark humour in their "kid's" movies and who like the same horror classics that I look up to as the grand-daddy's of the genre.See this if you like: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Young Frankenstein, Corpse Bride.