MANILA, Philippines?If you?ve seen a Frankenstein movie, then you doubtless know who or what Igor is: He?s the stunted, put-together looking fellow with a hump, who speaks with a lisp (?Yeth, mathter,? etc.), and whose sole purpose is to be a mad scientist/evil genius? general factotum.
Igor is the perennial sidekick/underling, but no matter what?even when his name is Fritz, as it is in his first film appearance in James Whale?s ?Frankenstein? of 1931?he?s always had an undeniable presence.
A movie where Igor finally takes center stage sounds like a good idea, therefore. The premise of a downtrodden individual moving from the sidelines (or from under the boot heels of mad scientists, as it were) and into the spotlight is one that Hollywood has always loved. You can get a lot of mileage from the hump and the lisp alone, if you?re making a comedy.
?Igor,? the MGM/Exodus Film Group CGI animated film, is a horror-comedy that?s based on this promising premise. The story is set in the dark and stormy kingdom of Malaria, once a bucolic farming community before storm clouds came in and blighted the land, leaving its citizens with no other recourse than to follow their king?s plan. King Malbert (voiced by Jay Leno) and his subjects extort money from the rest of the world by making Malaria the headquarters of evil scientists and their dangerous creations.
Dreams
Even in this land of gloom and doom, however, there?s still room for dreams and honest ambition. All evil scientists have Igors to boss around, but one of those overworked, unpaid creatures?his name is, well, Igor (John Cusack)?wants to become more than just an assistant. He dreams of winning the Evil Science Fair?something no other Igor has ever done before. When his master, Dr. Glickenstien (John Cleese) gets taken out of the picture, Igor realizes he now has a chance.
With the help of his two earlier creations, Scamper (Steve Buscemi) and Brain (Sean Hayes), he sets out to create his masterpiece, Eva (Molly Shannon), a giant female version of Frankenstein. Complications ensue in the form of a rival, Dr. Schadenfreude (Eddie Izzard), his shape-shifting girlfriend (Jennifer Coolidge), and a monster who turns out to be completely un-monster-like.
Like the creature that the title character brings to life, the animated feature is a mishmash of elements and styles. Sometimes it works, but most of the time, it doesn?t, because, unlike Eva, who wants to be an actress, this movie simply doesn?t know what it wants to be. And, without a clear vision, even the niftiest CGI tricks lose their charm.
Characters
Not that the visuals always work, either. The film has a visual style reminiscent of Tim Burton?s ?Nightmare Before Christmas? and ?Corpse Bride,? but with a disjointed palette that includes bright red, hot pink and pastels. The characters also look like they come from different storyboards, adding to the visual incoherence.
If there?s one thing that?s consistent in this mildly enjoyable caper, it?s the quality of the character voicing. Cusack is competent as Igor, but Buscemi?s biting sarcasm, Izzard?s hilarious delivery, and Jennifer Coolidge?s strangely compelling accent are real standouts.
