Igor’s bumper sticker
Around these parts, an Obama bumper sticker will get you a funny look and your car keyed. I saw one today when I picked up my kid from his 4K program. It’s like seeing a nun in a whorehouse (or maybe vice versa, although I think the latter is far more likely).
After three weeks of solid work, I promised the boy we would spend some time together today. We went for lunch, to a movie, and then out for ice cream. We went to see Igor, a movie the kid enjoyed and I thought was fair at best. Frankly, in terms of movies that appeal to both kids and adults, I’ve not been impressed with much I’ve seen in the past two or three years. That said, Igor in the movie theater here is a lot like an Obama bumper sticker.
How you ask?
Well, here’s the basic premise: The kingdom of Malaria is a land filled with peaceful, if not entirely prosperous farmers. The king finds a way to cast a perpetual cloud over the nation, destroying all the crops and putting the people in constant darkness. He convinces his people that this development is in their best interest. Thus is established a society in which evil (but rather stupid) scientists are the nation’s heroes, their dutiful pawns (all named Igor) do most of the heavy lifting, and prosperity and acclaim can only be achieved through being the most evil bastard in the kingdom. All the while, the people of the kingdom await a American Gladiators-style live reality show to determine which evil scientist’s invention is truly the most evil and destructive. Whoever is the most evil has the best chance of taking over the Malaria throne.
Because it’s Hollywood and ostensibly a kid’s movie, I’ll let you figure out how it ends. The premise alone, though, is one I find nearly depressing. What’s more, I’ve seen that movie before. I think it plays on CNN every night of the week.
If there was one bright spot in an otherwise okay movie, it was the character Scamper (Steve Buscemi), an existentialist rabbit-ish invention that has been created with the special power of being immortal. I think the joke speaks for itself. If it doesn’t, I suspect I know what bumper sticker is on your car.
