Igor

Igor is a 2008 French-American computer animated horror comedy directed by Tony Leondis and written by Chris McKenna.

Plot
Lab assistant Igor (John Cusack) dreams of becoming a mad scientist like his master, Dr. Glickenstein. When the doctor runs afoul of his own invention, Igor seizes the chance. With the help of his friends Scamper (Steve Buscemi) and Brain (Sean Hayes), Igor plans to win the kingdom's annual science fair by building the most-evil monster ever. The problem is that Eve (Molly Shannon), as the monster is called, is sweeter than sugar and would rather be an actress.

Why This Igor Can’t Be An Inventor (Bad Qualities)
While the animation is decent and not bad in general, it tends to be rather uncanny at times.
 * The film can't seem to get its demographic right, as it can't decide if it wants to be dark or lighthearted.
 * The film is too dark and inappropriate for younger audiences, here are points that’ll make you question how this is a kids movie:
 * Scamper, the immortal rabbit, trying to kill himself and dying in various occasions.
 * Speaking of which, he wants to commit suicide in a kids movie!
 * The characters have the worst deaths:
 * Dr. Glickenstein's death is a explosion of his failed rocket ship (revealing he's a robot because of his arm).
 * King Malbert's death is by getting crushed by the weather ray.
 * Several women are seen with extremely low cut dresses, including "they're going to pop out" styles.
 * The relationship between Dr. Schadenfreude and Jacyln, one scene between them where Jacyln calls him daddy seductively. Woah, there!
 * Igor and two of his friends get caught on a conveyor belt that slowly takes them toward an incinerator. They luckily escape unharmed.


 * Some character designs come off janky and rather rigid.

There are some unlikable and clichéd characters at times:
 * There are some noticeable animation errors such as lip syncing being off at times.
 * There are some scenes that are noticeably reused, such as the opening and ending of the Evil Science Fair.


 * The brain is a pointless comic relief character who's a simpleton.


 * Glickenstein is a clichéd incompetent scientist.


 * Dr. Schadenfreude is a clichéd faker who takes credit for other inventions,

It tries to parody Frankenstein but fails.

Some parts of the humor can be stale and inappropriate jokes, such as a gag where Scamper tries to kill himself.

All of the Igors in the movie are tormented and abused throughout the movie. the most abused Igor is Schadenfreude's Igor.

There are plenty of Plot holes:


 * Why do all Igors have to be named Igor if it confusing to tell the others?


 * How was Eva the first time someone has created some life?


 * During the climax, we see that at least two other scientists have created living inventions, like the giant plant monster or the ball of slime, so clearly Eva was not the first example of life.

The Louis Prima songs don't fit with Patrick Doyle's score.

False advertising: Igor is wearing a purple jacket in the poster but the jacket is black in the entire movie.

Good Qualities

 * 1) Decent animation.
 * 2) Igor, Eva, and Scamper (to extents) are all decent characters.
 * 3) Most of voice acting is good for the most part.
 * 4) Some funny and decent jokes such as Scamper almost calling a blind kid blind at the end.
 * 5) Nice music and score.
 * 6) The ending isn't so bad.
 * 7) Nice moral about how positivity rules over evil, and that it’s better to be a good nobody than an evil somebody.
 * 8) It might be a good movie to watch if you're feeling nostalgic.
 * 9) "YOU MADE!! MY MONSTER!! AN ACTRESS?!" "PULL THE SWITCH!" and "Do NOT yell at me" are funniest quotes.

Critical Reception

 * Igor received mixed to negative reviews from critics. According to Rotten Tomatoes, "critics say the film is something of a Frankenstein's monster, stitching together recycled parts from Shrek and The Nightmare Before Christmas. [...] While the pundits say Igor has moments of Tim Burton-esque visual invention, it's a pretty mediocre affair, filled with shopworn pop-culture references and manic action but few laughs; plus, it's probably a bit too dark for the wee ones." The site reports only 39% of 93 professional reviews being "fresh" as of December 2019; while the film holds a "mixed or average" aggregate score of 40/100 on Metacritic based on 19 reviews as of the same time. While The Age called Igor "a fun time-killer for kids aged tween and up;" The Austin Chronicle panned it for being uninspired in all aspects, such as animation, story, and voice acting; and The New York Post labeled it as "an excuse for a wearying parade of pop-culture references and voice cameos by celebrities," also calling its influences used more for "desperation than inspiration."

Box Office

 * The filmed underperformed, grossing $30.7 million on a $25 million budget. This was probably due to it's macabre nature and themes.

Trivia

 * It was MGM's first theatrical animated film after All Dogs Go to Heaven 2, and their last until Sherlock Gnomes.

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