Igor

The charming animated movie Igor presents a new twist on a classic story. In the country of Malaria the way to succeed is by doing evil. Every year the evil scientists of the nation compete in a science fair to see who can make the most villainous invention to threaten the world with unless they pay a hefty ransom. Every mad scientist needs an Igor and this story centers around one such Igor who has always dreamed of being something more. When Igor’s master accidentally blows himself up, Igor finally gets the chance to prove he not just any other slave. Helped by his previous inventions Scamper (a suicidal rabbit who is immortal) and Brain (not the smartest noodle to be put in a jar), Igor does what no other person has ever done before and creates life. His Frankenstein-like creation named Eva is meant to be a killing machine, but something goes wrong in the process and her special evil bone is not activated. Eva instead wants to be a famous actress and refuses to destroy any kind of life. Igor tells her the science fair is actually an audition for Eva to get her big break. While Igor tries to activate her evil bone, another evil scientist gets in the way and tries to kidnap Eva and enter her as his own invention. Igor’s adventure continues while trying to keep his master’s death a secret and prepare his monster for the competition.

Igor is a delightful cross between Sesame Street, Tim Burton, and Sid Caesar. There is a slight morbid undertone to the story; it is about evil scientists holding the world for ransom. This movie is not really geared toward younger children with all of the monsters, brain washing, and Igors being recycled for their body parts. It is a movie the adults would enjoy watching with their older children because of its wit and humor. Igor has a spooky kind of ambiance which has been very popular recently and is presented in a tongue in cheek kind of way. The characters are fun and inventive and a definite change from the usual tales of princes and princesses. The soundtrack full of swing and jazz music also brings a special light-heartedness to a grim topic. Igor is a great movie for the small part of the population who finds these sorts of kooky themes appealing but is still an endearing story.

Even though the movie centers on how evil someone can be, it still has a moral message relayed in a truly different way. Everyone has an evil bone in their body; it is up to the individual to choose what to do with it. The voices of the characters also add sweetness to the otherwise creepy subject. A monster made up of mismatched body parts and a hunch-backed slave of evil are not usually considered cuddly or cute. Molly Shannon, who voices Eva, and Eddie Izzard, who voices the evil scientist bent on kidnapping her, are two main stand outs in putting a human touch to the movie. Steve Buscemi, who voices Scamper the suicidal bunny, brings his quips and sarcasm that only he can do. Be sure to listen for Jay Leno as King Malbert and Christian Slater as another Igor. John Cusack as the main Igor brings a side to the little hunchback not usually seen in most evil-scientist movies with his friendly voice and unique good heartedness. All together, Igor is a charming story that speaks to the mischievous do-gooder in everyone and its unique take on the traditional story makes it a movie that will not be soon forgotten.