Fido (2006)

Director: Andrew Currie

Writer: Robert Chomiak, Andrew Currie, Dennis Heaton

Tagline: Laugh your head off.

Actors: Carrie-Anne Moss, Billy Connolly, Dylan Baker, Tiffany Lyndall-Knight, K'Sun Ray, Alexia Fast, Henry Czerny, Aaron Brown, Brandon Olds, Jennifer Clement, Tim Blake Nelson, Sonja Bennett, Mary Black, Bernard Cuffling

Runtime: 1h 31m

Category: Comedy, Zombie

Synopsis: After passing though a radioactive cloud of space dust, Earth has been the victim of a zombie outbreak! Fortunately, a Dr. Geiger had developed a special collar that is designed to tame the zombie’s need to feed on human flesh. Now, the newly established Zomcom, the sole manufacturer and distributor of the collars, is selling off zombies as slaves/pets to local families. Set in the 1940’s or so, the Robinson family has acquired a zombie slave of their own. Timmy, the Robinson’s son, ends up making friends with the zombie; naming him Fido. One day, while out for a walk, Fido’s collar malfunctions and he attacks Mrs. Henderson, the Robinson’s crotchety old neighbor.

The newly appointed head of security of Zomcom, Mr. Bottoms, and his family move in across the street and ends up discovering that Fido had something to do with the dead/disappearance of old Mrs. Henderson. They take Fido back to Zomcom headquarters and Timmy and a former Zomcom employee, Mr. Theopolis storm the returns line. Fido ends up saving Timmy from the evil Mr. Bottoms, but not before going to town on the man himself. And they all lived happily ever after.

Review: I heard about this flick a few weeks ago and couldn’t pass it up. Being a sucker for a zombie flick, and an even bigger sucker for a zomedy (zombie/comedy…get with the program people), I had to see it. I ended up loving the movie from beginning to end. Not only is this a brilliant new idea but it is a refreshing look at zombie movies in general.

I was not expecting this movie to be set way back in the 40’s (yes…that’s old). I thought that it gave the movie that little extra umf in the comedy area. This happy little suburban town crawling with zombies as slaves to their owners just made me giggle like a little tike on Christmas morning. The story was absolutely wonderful! It was funny as hell and witty as could be. There was even a point were I thought I was watching an episode of Lassie…meets zombies of course. And wouldn’t you know it…Lassie’s owner’s name was Timmy…how about them apples. Fido actually goes and gets Timmy’s mother because he’s in trouble. I was waiting for that infamous line…”What is it boy? Is some one in trouble?” Wow…that’s a special kind of comedy.

The acting was spot on (for all of my British friends out there). Carrie-Anne Moss did a wonderful job playing a naive but strong 40’s mother, and K'Sun Ray (whose parents must hate him for giving him that name…poor kid) looked and acted like he had just stepped out of Leave It To Beaver. Even Bernard Cuffling, who played Timmy’s father did a great job as a paranoid obsessive. Overall I would have to say that the acting was…expert.

The gore factor was not really present…and need not be. This was supposed to be an all-out comedy with zombies in it. Even the shots where a zombie is eating some one didn’t show anything. I wasn’t really disappointed or happy with that but it served it well all the same.

Rating: 20. I would have liked to see a little more blood and gore and maybe some more info on the future of the Robinson’s and the Bottoms’. But other than that I thought that the movie was phenomenal. This is not supposed to be released in the U.S. until June 15, 2007; but when it comes out…SEE IT! (20of25).