Review: Igor may not be on the level of a Wall E, but taken on its own terms, it’s a monstrously funny and cleverly animated delight that offers up genuine fun for the whole family.

Story: Yes, Tim Burton has covered this milieu before in animated ‘toons like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, but there’s a certain hip-factor to this amusing flick set in the world of creepy science labs as an homage to the Frankenstein and Dracula films of the ’30s. The film’s central character Igor (of course) is a frustrated assistant, who is dying to become a scientist in his own right and knows he has the smarts for it. Finally, when his very mean mad scientist dies just before the annual Evil Science Fair, the humpbacked little guy gets his big moment – with the help of sidekicks Brain (in a jar – and not too brainy at that) and Scamper, a bunny with a death wish after Igor saves him from the brink of becoming permanent road kill but makes him immortal. Igor unveils his piece de resistance, a creation that unfortunately turns out to be less monster and more, uh, like Annie. She’s a gigantic aspiring actress named Eva who would rather belt out show tunes than do the things lab-created monsters are supposed to do. But there’s a lot more in store for this crazy quilt group of misfits as they uncover an evil plot that threatens the world of Malaria – unless they can use all their ingenuity to save the day.

Acting: Blessed with a superior vocal cast, Igor works in large part due to appealing characterizations. John Cusack brings fun and recognizable human frustration to the title role, while his sidekicks are hilarious, including Steve Buscemi’s nifty vocal calisthenics as the cynical rabbit, and Sean Hayes as the sweet but dumb Brain, relegated to life in a jar mislabeled “Brian,” the butt of a few too many jokes. The mad scientists are played to the hilt by a couple of perfectly cast English vets: John Cleese as Dr. Glickenstein and especially silly work from Eddie Izzard as Dr. Schadenfreude. Christian Slater is along for the ride as the latter’s own Igor, while “SNL” vet Molly Shannon seems to be having a great time bringing the Broadway-bound Eva to life, perfectly awful as she sings ditties like “Tomorrow” while dwarfing everyone else with her plus PLUS-sized frame. Listen also for former late night talk show rivals Jay Leno and Arsenio Hall in bit roles.

Direction: Relative newcomer Tony Leondis has directed with an eye toward over-the-top humor and atmospheric surroundings, making this animation entry always a pleasure to watch. He brings Chris McKenna’s smart, sassy script to life in ways that won’t just appeal to kids, but also their parents, who may even find themselves laughing out loud a couple of times. In fact much of the dialogue is so referenced with pop culture tidbits that a lot of it will probably sail right over the young tykes’ heads. McKenna, who cut his teeth as writer and producer of the sophisticated Fox series “American Dad,” brings the wit with Igor. Even though iconic animation wizards like Tim Burton and Pixar (with Monsters, Inc.) have been down this road before, Igor feels fresh and original and that’s certainly no easy task.

Bottom line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.

Review: This one literally burns up the screen in a blistering and explosive thriller that keeps you nervously on edge for two solid hours. All kinds of intense!

Story: Lakeview Terrace pushes a lot of racial buttons in a melodramatic but gripping story of a young interracial couple – Chris (Patrick Wilson) and Lisa Mattson (Kerry Washington) – who move into a beautiful new suburban house in a hilly neighborhood of Southern California. Trouble starts when the self-appointed lord of the street, an uptight veteran LAPD officer Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson) turns an unkind, suspicious eye toward his new neighbors. As if his relentless patrols up and down the block weren’t bad enough, he aims his super bright light right into their bedroom all night long. When he catches his kids spying on the couple as they make love in their pool, his rage against the pair increases and tensions ratchet up – not helped by a major brush fire threatening homes in the near-distance. Everyone’s patience meets a boiling point as the marriage encounters troubles, and Abel’s flash-point temper gets him into hot water on his job. As the fires burn closer, the not-so-neighborly conflict careens out of control.

Acting: The incomparable Jackson is riveting to watch, even if this pretty straightforward role of a controlling, racist cop doesn’t pose one of the bigger acting challenges of his career. As Abel, Jackson simply commands our attention every moment he is on screen and dominates the proceedings like few actors can. You feel his simmering anger and prejudices, although until the final moments there isn’t a whole lot of back story to add dimension or complexity to the character. He seems to be what he is with no logical reason for targeting the nice young couple next door. Essentially, this is really a three-character piece, which – save for a few scenes of Jackson at the station or on patrol – is concentrated solely in the cul-de-sac. Making up the other two parts of this triangle, Wilson and Washington are quite believable, both slow to burn until given no other choice. Wilson is treading on territory he explored in Little Children and is quite effective, as you conjure up memories of the young Paul Newman, whom Wilson uncannily resembles, especially when shooting pool. Washington continues to show the great promise she displayed in Ray and holds her own in this company.

Direction: Playwright, screenwriter and director Neil LaBute is known for creating tough characters (usually men) and cynical scenarios in his work, so it’s easy to see why he might have been attracted to this material, written by David Loughery and Howard Korder. His direction is so tight and even claustrophobic at times making the film feel like it could have been designed for a theatrical production – an area in which LaBute is well versed. The power of the piece comes from the combustible interaction between the three main actors, and the pitch perfect pacing lets the action peak at just the right moments. By slowly building this house of dominoes, LaBute knows just the precise moment to go for the jugular and knock them all down. In other hands, it all could have been too much, but the director nicely reins things in before unleashing the real fury simmering beneath the surface of this engrossing adult drama.

Bottom line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.