Movie Info:
Writer: Chris McKenna, John Hoffman
Director: Anthony Leondis
Cast: John Cusack, Myleene Klass, Robin Walsh, Matt McKenna, John Cleese, Steve Buscemi, Sean Hayes, Jess Harnell, Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Coolidge, Jay Leno, Molly Shannon
Rating: PG
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: September 19, 2008
DVD Release Date: January 20, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.99
I really had no desire to see the movie Igor. It wasn’t that I thought anything was wrong with this movie. I’d just never heard much about this release. Sure, I’d seen the occasional, brief trailer, but Fox didn’t advertise all that much for this animated feature. I’m not exactly sure why Fox put this animated feature on the back burner when it came to promotion, because MGM could have made a lot more money than it did, had the movie been given the royal treatment.
I knew about Igor merely because we had a chance to review the video game. Still, I didn’t actually play the game myself. That’s why I knew very little about whether the story for Igor was good or not. I had no idea about the plot, the casting or anything else. Coming into this movie I was completely blind to the details of Igor. I had no misconceptions, but I wasn’t prepared for anything either. The only true impression I had of this movie was the one I got from the DVD case. What I got from that was the mad scientist vibe. Of course, this didn’t give me any idea of what it was about.
When I was watching Igor I immediately started recognizing voices. I picked out John Cusack’s right away. I also knew Steve Buscemi had to be in this film. His voice is easy to recognize. I wasn’t so sure about Molly Shannon though I was pretty sure Jennifer Coolidge was voicing one of the few female characters. I went to IMDB to confirm the voices I knew and realized that Igor has a really great, if not diverse, cast.
While this is an animated film, I wouldn’t say it’s primarily for kids. There are some dark themes presented. Some of the humor is clearly intended for an adult audience. Luckily, this humor will pass over most kids’ heads. While I would let my son and nephew watch this with me, I recommend parents or other guardians/authority figures, know what they are getting into before letting their kids watch it. This may mean you will want to check it out first, on your own. Igor is rated PG for a reason.
The Igor Plot
Welcome to Malaria. It’s a bustling village that depends on the crops for survival. With agriculture such a primary part of the lives of the citizens, when the weather and climate change to a point where the crops cannot survive in the conditions, the village falls apart. The people of Malaria are living in poverty. Their only hope is their new ruler, King Malbert (Jay Leno).
The King has the answer to making this dark, dreary world survive. The people of Malaria look to inventions to build their new economy. They don’t invent just anything. They invent weird, dark, crazy, bizarre and mad inventions. The actual inventors are known as evil scientists and they make up one of the upper classes in society, ruling over all the minuscule peons of the village.
A common deformity at birth is that of a hunch on the back. Those born with hunches are required to be laboratory assistants to the evil scientists. All of these assistants are called “Igors.” The Igors are treated as second class citizens. Many assume they are stupid and they are treated as such. The main character in this story is Igor (John Cusack) an Igor who works for the evil scientist of the King, Doctor Glickenstein (John Cleese)
Igor is not only intelligent, he’s an inventing genius. Of course, Glickenstein sees him as a moron and treats him as such. Igor must hide his inventions, creating them on his own time. One of his most successful is the resurrection of a rabbit named Scamper (Steve Buscemi). Igor has made Scamper immortal, the worst nightmare of this cynical, pessimistic animal. The other invention he cherishes is ‘Brain’ (Sean Hayes), who is called Brian because his name was misspelled on the jar enclosing his brain in it. Brain is a brain in a jar that’s been implanted in a life support robot.
Igor is trying to help Doctor Glickenstein win the Evil Scientist Fair that is held every year. He invents a rocket, but dies when it malfunctions. Igor pointed out the error to the rocket prior to getting it to launch, but Glickenstein ignored him and paid the price. Pretending the doctor is still alive, Igor gets to work on his very own invention, which he’ll enter in the competition himself. He creates life itself, something that has never been done before.
What he creates is a massively large monster, who is supposed to be evil. Igor, is at first disappointed that the giant monster, who names herself Eva (Molly Shannon), is actually quite gentle. Deciding to get her an evil brain wash, he takes her in for the procedure. When Eva is supposed to be watching evil, serial killer friendly television, Brain changes the channel on her and she ends up watching The Actor’s Studio with James Lipton. Suddenly, Eva decides she wants to be an actress and wants to change the world with the talent she knows she possesses.
Desperate to do something right, Igor convinces Eva the Science Fair features auditions for the musical Annie. He plans to trick her into being evil. Of course, Igor is starting to like Eva and little does he realize she might be just what Malaria needs to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, Glickenstein’s evil nemesis, the evil scientist, Dr. Schadenfreude (Eddie Izzard) learns the truth about Glickenstein and he has only one thing on his mind. He wants that evil monster and he wants her now.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
The audio and video presentation for Igor had moments of excellence and moments that were good. There isn’t much to complain about here. The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 1.85:1 transfer is not the top of the line Blu-ray, but it certainly has moments that make you believe it’s pretty close. The colors are rich and contain plenty of depth. Likewise, the levels of detail are always good. If you’re looking for Pixar animation you might be disappointed, but it does look just fine in comparison with today’s standards. I did not notice any edge enhancements, compression errors, or other issues. Everything looked great.
The audio is a DTS-HD lossless Master Audio 5.1 track that has moments of greatness. The majority of the movie is dialogue, which comes through loud and clear. The sound effects come through beautifully and the music also sounds just great. Molly Shannon’s voice sounds quite dynamic as she sings “Annie” songs with all the flare of a musical theater diva. The surrounds could have been used more, but when it needed strength and power, the soundtrack offered it. It could have been better, but it could have been much worse. In addition to the English lossless track there is a Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and subtitles in Spanish.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
Like many other releases that we have seen in the past, Igor was given a fairly basic special features section. There are a few things here, but there could have been much more. Still, if you liked this film there may be something here that you can enjoy.
Things get rolling with a commentary that appears to be the most worthwhile of the special features on the disc. The commentary features the producer, Max Howard, the director, Tony Leondas, and the writer, Chris McKenna. It’s not a bad listen because all of them are entertaining in their own way and are capable at holding their own in a commentary like this. They spend a good time talking about the story, the characters in the film, and how the animation was handled. You can hear the excitement about the film and how the three hope that everyone will love it. Unfortunately, that pretty much assures me that they made this before the film was shunned at theaters. Still, fans of the movie should enjoy this.
A short alternative opening is also included, though I have to say this wasn’t really anything special. I preferred the original opening and it’s likely the filmmakers did too, since that’s the one they used. The only other thing here is a set of still galleries that have pictures of posters, the set, storyboards, characters, and production design.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
I didn’t know if I was going to like Igor or not when I first received it for review. Maybe it was because I had not really heard anything about this film. I found out that I enjoyed it quite a bit. The story is fun and the voice acting is nicely done. Fans of mad scientists, Annie, and split personalities should enjoy this quirky animated comedy quite a bit. Still, if you’re not sure how you will feel about this film, you might want to rent this first.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Blu-ray Review, Igor, Mad Scientist, Cartoon, Jon Cusack, 20th Century Fox
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
