“Igor,” the new animated monster comedy, hardly teems with originality but that hardly seems to matter.
Here, familiarity is a source of inspiration.
Its unlikely hero Igor, hunchback assistant to a mad scientist, steps right out of the Dr. Frankenstein tale.
And although Igor’s mean, evil master Dr. Glickenstein (voiced by John Cleese) is soon dead, the Frankenstein parallels continue when Igor plans to create an evil monster to compete in the tiny, warped kingdom of Malaria’s Evil Science Fair.
Eva (Molly Shannon), a put-together-with-not-quite-matching body parts heroine, is a nod to both “The Bride of Frankenstein” and Fritz Lang’s iconic German silent film “Metropolis,” as well as lesser horror hits such as “Eve of Destruction.”
cw-3 Evil is the missing DNA in Eva’s nature. Mistakenly brainwashed to be a dramatic actress in the ripe Tennessee Williams mode – don’t worry, it’s all explained – Eva is deliriously dim.
Enter “Inside the Actors Studio” guru James Lipton for a cameo.
Once Malaria’s insecure King Malbert (Jay Leno) allows Igor to enter the Evil Science Fair, the homely hero’s malevolent rival Dr. Schadenfreude (Eddie Izzard) goes into a tizzy.
Schadenfreude’s dame-in-waiting Jaclyn (Jennifer Coolidge) has 13 personalities – and the hair and clothes to go with each.
Then there’s Heidi (also voiced by Coolidge), one of those lovable peasant people from those Frankenstein movies who tries to seduce Igor.
Visually and temperamentally, these lovable losers and the film’s Gothic-inspired style owe much to Tim Burton.
Yet “Igor,” directed by Anthony Leondis from Chris McKenna’s original script, has a hip, swift style all its own that should appeal to parents as well as imaginative kids.
John Cusack’s vocal histrionics add immeasurably as Igor is abetted by two laughable sidekicks: sassy bucktoothed Scamper (Steve Buscemi) and Brain (Sean Hayes), who has a human brain in the glass jar on his head.
(“Igor” contains monster themes.)
Rated PG. At AMC Loews Boston Common and suburban theaters.
“Igor” trailer:
