Computer-generated animated films that don’t come from Pixar, Blue Sky or Dreamworks tend to feel like a slap in the face. They look uglier, run clunkier and are nowhere near as entertaining as their predecessors in the big three (which is really the big one and two that are hit or miss). “Igor” comes from the depths of CGI entertainment and you can tell right away, despite some of the best voice talent in any animated film. The animation is inconsistent, the story, while amusing, is kind of boring, and it misses what should be a wide target audience (kids and the young at heart) by a country mile.

The country of Malaria is where all the mad scientists and evil doctors gather each year for the Evil Science Fair. These crazy geniuses are aided by Igors, hunch-backed assistants who are discarded for parts if they fail their masters. Our Igor gets a chance to strut his scientific know-how when his boss dies in an accident. Igor thinks he can create life and that his monster will be the baddest of the bad at this year’s fair. Unfortunately, a brainwash doesn’t go as planned, and his monster thinks she is an actress. Meanwhile, a really bad evil scientist, who wins the fair every year by stealing the best invention, is after Igor’s monster.

It’s a cute story, but the best things in the film are Igor’s sidekicks – Brain, a mobile, idiot brain in a jar, and Scampers, an immortal bunny rabbit with suicidal tendencies. Yeah, my 3-year-old didn’t get it, but he wasn’t terrified either.

“Igor” aims to be like “A Nightmare Before Christmas,” but it is missing nearly everything that made that movie great. Aside from the animation being worlds apart, “Nightmare’s” droll, dark sense of humor is replaced by something a little too adult. For a comedy, “Igor” isn’t all that funny, either. There are not a lot of laughs to be had and that is kind of sad when you have people like Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Coolidge, Jay Leno, Molly Shannon and John Cleese giving voice to these characters.

Overall, you can do a lot better than “Igor.” Maybe not at the theaters right now, but just go over your DVD collection and stay at home. You’ll save some gas and money and you won’t be nearly as frustrated by a movie that so obviously misses its mark.

*1/2

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