Igor
Anthony Leondis

At the annual Evil Scientists’ Fair, the best in the land of Malaria (the awkward name being an example of the writer trying too hard to be funny) battle it out with their dastardly inventions. They are helped by Igors, those born with a hunched back and destined to be second-class citizens.
One such Igor (John Cusack) dares to dream above his station and successfully invents life in the form of the comically proportioned Eva (Saturday Night Live’s Molly Shannon). But her evil bone is not activated and she is instead brainwashed to become an actress who yearns for her big break.
This conceit is the funniest thing here, and Shannon gives a nicely restrained performance. Steve Buscemi as Scamper, the immortal rabbit with a death wish, and Sean Hayes as the none-too-bright Brain, also steal a couple of laughs as the oddball sidekicks.
But the whole is less than the sum of its parts, and like an invention missing the critical spark, the movie never feels fully alive.
(ST)