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Igor Our rating: Your rating: 1 2 3 4 Your Comments: see all MPAA rating: Not Rated (for some thematic elements, scary images, action and mild language) Genre: Animated, Comedy Theater release: September 19, 2008 by MGM Directed by: Anthony Leondis Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes Cast: John Cusack (Igor), Steve Buscemi (Scamper), Sean Hayes (Brain), Molly Shannon (Eva), Eddie Izzard (Dr. Schadenfreude) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

Like it often seems in monster movies, the land of Malaria only has two real professions: mad scientist or lowly lab assistant. Obviously, one career is far more revered. In fact, in this land of evil laboratories, all mad geniuses' helpers are called by the same name: Igor.

But one of those Igors (John Cusack) longs to be something greater. Sure, he's got a hunchback and his Yes Master's Degree, but he's also got dreams of being his own master and becoming an evil scientist. When his cruel master abruptly dies before the annual Evil Science Fair, Igor gets his shot.

John Cusack provides the voice of Igor

While this is a seemingly fun and clever turn on classic monster movie conventions, Igor doesn't go far beyond being only a promising premise. There are several problems that keep the cartoon from working for kids or adults. In fact, a small girl sitting behind me helped me identify the three major issues with Igor through three telling in-movie comments to her mom:

That's what the girl behind me said during an early scary scene when Igor unveils his idea for the science fair: an evil Frankenstein-like monster. I don't blame her for being scared. For a cartoon aimed at kids, the movie is entirely too dark.

Igor is clearly influenced by Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas (it goes so far as mimicking the film's stop-animation look with computer animation), The Corpse Bride and Young Frankenstein. But those weren't kid films. Igor is—and it goes way too far for a movie aimed at younger kids.

Jennifer Coolidge voices Jaclyn

The film is full of creepy things, scary situations, shockingly violent moments and character deaths (see the lengthy Family Corner below). Igor has a sidekick named Scamper—a road-kill rabbit that Igor made immortal with some invention. The problem is that Scamper doesn't want to be immortal so he continually stages grisly suicides that are played for laughs. In addition, Igors routinely get "recycled" or chopped up and used for their body parts. And when Igor's creation, a large awkward female, turns out not to be evil, he tries to "teach her to kill" by brainwashing her to be an axe murderer.

So the girl asked her mom when Scamper comments that this is the one thing he won't help Igor's Franken-female deal with. This isn't the only adult subject matter in the movie. Like many children's films, there are a lot of jokes that kids won't get. But the difference here is that much of this out-of-place adult humor (some sexual) won't just go over kids' heads but possibly confuse them. They will pick up more than the filmmakers may think.

The cartoon's adult content and darkness is confusing because Igor is certainly made for kids. For instance, it hits on the typical children's film lessons like being yourself and achieving your dreams. Indeed, this kiddie plot—lessened by convoluted plotting, a slow middle, and animation that often looks like a bad computer game—won't hold adults' attention. It's too adult for kids and too kiddie (and drab) for adults.

This intriguing question from the young girl made me realize how confusing Igor may be to concrete-thinking young children.

Steve Buscemi voices Scamper

Igor's homeland of Malaria used to be sunny, beautiful and profitable for farmers. But then, dark clouds blotted out the sun. The crops died and the town's mayor convinced his citizens that their only means of survival was to now do evil. And so, Malaria's only industry became the invention of horrible devices (monsters, robots, giant killer teddy bears) used to ransom the world.

Malaria's cultural standard is to be evil, murderous, and cruel. Igor, who of course really isn't these things, has been tricked by the world around him to think that's how one should live. It's all he knows. It's actually an intriguing setup to explore the idea of not conforming to what the world says is "normal." It's especially relevant for Christian kids who live in a culture that will tell them that what is cool and "normal" is far different than their beliefs. Like Igor, church-going kids live in a world that's been tricked to think that evil is OK. Questions from kids about why Igor would want to be evil could lead to good conversations.

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