FIDO (a review)

FIDO (a review)

FIDO is a 2006 zombie/comedy starring Billy Connolly (as the zombie), Carrie-Anne Moss and Dylan Baker.

The story: it's the 50's and the dead are rising as zombies! But fear not, because the corporation Zomcom is helping keep people safe by putting collar on zombies that make them as docile as pets and keeping a secure fence around communities to keep the wild zombies out. The story focuses on the Robinson family, who aren't wealthy but buy a zombie (slave? pet?) to keep up appearances when their new neighbors move in with their several zombies. The Robinson's son, Timmy, who gets picked on by bullies, befriends their new zombie and calls him FIDO. However, Fido's collar malfunctions and he kills the mean woman next door. Then she comes back and Timmy has to kill the her zombie version and hide the body. Things escalate until head of Zomcom security (their new neighbor) figures things out and takes Fido back to Zomcom headquarters to be detroyed so Timmy has to break in to save his beloved zombie.

It's a clever story, like a boy and his dog, but with zombies and a lot of 1950's satire. And there are big chunks of the movie I liked a lot. The biggest problem was that while it felt like it was supposed to be a spoof of the 50's I wasn't sure what it was supposed to be spoofing. The Robinsons buy the zombie to keep up appearances, but there isn't really anything else about keeping up with the neighbors. A lot of the middle of the film (once Fido has killed and they are trying to keep it a secret) plays like the early Peter Jackson film, DEAD ALIVE, but that movie has a much tighter focus. And there isn't the clear social statement like in a movie like PLEASANTVILLE. And there weren't many real comedy bits like in SHAUN OF THE DEAD.

Overall it was okay. I liked boy and the zombie bonding and some of the play on the 50's, but it felt like there should have been more to the satire especially, which in the end made the film feel a little empty.

** SLIGHT RECOMMENDATION **

Movies I'd recommend more: for horror/comedy -- Evil Dead 2, Dead Alive (Peter Jackson), Toxic Avenger. For social comedy - Heathers...can't think of any others right now.