|
RATING |
| 7 |
| DIRECTOR |
| Andrew Currie |
CAST |
Henry Czerny
Carrie-Anne Moss
Peter Stormare
Tim Blake Nelson
Billy Connolly
Dylan Baker |
YEAR |
| 2006 |
RUNTIME |
| 91 minutes |
DATE REVIEWED |
| 9 / 03 / 07 |
SHOPPING |
| BUY THIS FILM |
| REVIEWER: FrighT MasteR |
|
RATE THIS MOVIE:
|
RATED BY:
31 FAN(S) |
CURRENT RATING:
7 SKULL(S)
|
 |
|
Fido
In a long line of zombie films, there's one that stands out above all others and that's Fido. This is a Canadian horror comedy that slipped under many people's radar, due to the fact that it pretty much received no advertising in the US, and only opened to a little over 60 theaters back in June. They probably just had a hard time finding the right audience, so they chose not to market it. I mean, it's rated R and doesn't offer enough scares or gore for the horror crowed, and isn't a full blown comedy either. However, it is a creative and entertaining zombie feature that offers a lot of interesting ideas and doesn't fall into the usual zombie mold of mayhem, shotguns, and the tearing of flesh (at least not until the end anyway). This is mostly a movie that pokes fun at both the genre and the ridiculous lifestyle of what was once considered the dream family back in the 50s. A lot of viewers who were lucky enough to catch it in festivals came out with nothing but rave reviews.
The story in this feature starts off in an alternate past, set in the 50s, where "space particles" have created a cloud around the earth that somehow causes the dead to rise from their graves. Thus, the "zombie wars" begins, and if it wasn't for a scientist at a company called "Zomcon," people would never have discovered (we're to assume anyway) that it just takes a bullet to the brain to cause them to die (again). Cities begin to rebuild within gated barriers, with the outside dubbed the "wild zone", where zombies roam free. Within the barrier houses the suburbs, where zombies are domesticated and turned into slaves by the use of a collar which controls their need to feed on human flesh (also created by Zomcon). They're now walking our dogs, delivering the paper, dropping off our milk, and even greeting people along-side the road.
We follow a family who've just received their first zombie, cleverly-named "Fido" by the son "Timmy". Hesitant at first, the boy begins to consider it his friend, and the wife, and close companion, thanks to the distant husband always away with work or golfing with friends. An attachment towards Fido blossoms, but he won't be around for long, thanks to a mishap with the collar. After the collar is mistakenly turned off, he takes a bite out of an old lady, which later leads to the lady coming back and taking a bite out of a man walking his dog. Just when we think an awesome breakout is going to occur, the local Zomcon police take care of the stragglers and pinpoint Fido as the source of the near-outbreak. Now the boy must figure a way to get his beloved Fido back, before he's lost to him forever, but at what cost?
Although the film is clearly also a comedy, I personally didn't really find much of it all that funny. Regardless, I still enjoyed it and loved the whole look and feel of the 50s. They spared no expense at creating great sets and costumes, and the actors brilliantly captured a comedic look at how “perfect” life was seemingly like in the 50’s, especially if zombies had been domesticated. Of course the movie is not without its flaws – there are a lot of unanswered questions like, what about the stench of rotting flesh? and what of the moral issues using someone's loved one to do such menial tasks? It's also not really revealed as to the extent of this domestication. Though, questions like these aren’t meant to be answered, as we're forced to just accept how things are and go with what's given to us. It's a "zombedy" and films like these obviously aren't meant to be taken seriously.
The film was originally slapped with a PG-13 rating, before the MPAA changed their minds and gave it an R-rating (probably due to the hint at necrophilia with one character), which meant some of the violence that wasn't in the other version would return. Though, the movie still seemed PG-13 since the violence and blood that it did have was very cartoony; thanks to this we're given very little gore, which is another oddity for this particular sub-genre. Either way, I enjoyed watching this smart and original zombie comedy. Look for this on DVD late October.
OVERALL
This is a clever and original horror comedy that pokes fun at the sub-genre and delivers a hilarious 50's take on the "perfect life," with zombies! What the movie is lacking in gore, makes up for with an interesting premise and characters, and although the comedy didn't really work for me, I enjoyed the light and cartoony tone that's apparent throughout the feature. Worth a check, but don't expect your usual zombie fair.
|
|
