Fido (2007)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Boring

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

If you're a zombie-movie fan, you've probably seen the brilliant 'Shaun of the Dead' (and if you haven't – stop reading and watch it now!). On the off chance you haven't caught it yet, I won't go into how it ends, but if you know, you could almost look at 'Fido' as a semi-sequel. Okay, not really, but in principal it's like a continuation.In Fido's world, we appear to still be living in 1950s America. We're never told we are, but everyone still dresses and behaves like they are (plus there isn't an iphone or Twitter account in sight). And, at the beginning of the film, we're treated to some brief (but very funny) black and white newsreel footage informing us that, ten years after the 'zombie wars,' we're now living in a safe society, happily using the undead as servants (courtesy of collars which control their flesh-eating impulses).It's almost an ideal world. You never have to do your own laundry again, thanks to a kindly rotting corpse who will do it all for you (assuming you don't mind your laundry slightly torn and hideously unfolded). If truth be told, the undead, while willing/forced to comply, they aren't that good yet at the tasks they've been assigned.And then we're introduced to the Robinsons – the perfect 'nuclear' American family, living a perfect life – zombie free. However, pressure on society dictates that every good house needs its own undead butler, therefore they bow to public pressure and purchase the zombiefied form of Billy Connolly. What follows is a tale of friendship between the family (or most of them) and their 'pet zombie' who little Timmy Robinson christens 'Fido.' Of course no relationship ever runs smoothly and it's never easy when one party has to wear a collar that prevents him from tearing innocent old ladies apart every time the collar fails.Basically, if you're a zombie fan, not only should you have watched 'Shaun of the Dead,' but you're also probably aware of George Romero's classic 'Dawn of the Dead.' Apart from the cool action sequences, a lot of people admired the social satire he wove in, commenting on a consumer society. Well, if you're in the mood for more than just gore (of which Fido also delivers on), you may enjoy the numerous swipes the film takes at peer pressure, people's frailties about not being good enough and even some touching moments (partially played out by a character that can only groan).I read online that Billy Connolly watched to play the titular role because he was intrigued by the opportunity to portray a sympathetic character with only expressions and movements, i.e. no dialogue. I'm not normally a fan of Billy's acting (I thought he should have stuck to stand-up comedy!), but here he hits every note, as does every one of the cast. A fair proportion of the film is taken up with children and their relationships and it's easy to hate child actors, but here their presence never detracts from the story.What you have here is a refreshing take on a (currently overused) genre with gore, heart and, above all, enough laughs to put it up there with the great 'Shaun.'

Plot : ******* 7/10The film opens with a mock up of the old 1950s style public service announcements, similar to those dealing with topics such as surviving a nuclear war, proper gender roles, or bicycle safety. This particular P.S.A. deals with zombies, giving the viewer details about this post- apocalyptic world, the rules and laws that govern the roles of the zombies within this fantastical society and facts about the primary dealer of zombies, Zomcon. As the viewer leaves this black and white narration, the film opens onto a beautifully colored world and viewers are introduced to the Robinson family. It's revealed that the Robinson's are the only family in the town of Willard without any domesticated zombies and this fact seems to be a bone of contention between Bill (Dylan Baker) and Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss) Robinson, parents to young Timmy (Kesun Loder). The story is driven forward, when Jonathan Bottoms (Henry Czerny), Zomcon's new head of security, moves into the neighborhood, leaving Helen Robinson feeling compelled to buy a zombie in an effort to impress their new neighbor. To the dismay of his father, Young Timmy quickly befriends this new addition, naming him Fido, and treats this zombie much like a pet. Events spin out of control, when Fido (Billy Connolly) is accused of zombie attacks, resulting in a small band of re-animated zombies wreaking havoc on the town. The insurgence of zombies are ultimately hunted down by Zomcon forces, but, unfortunately, this is only the beginning of the trouble for Timmy and Fido. The incident provides Mr. Bottoms with the perfect opportunity to confiscate the lovable Fido and Timmy soon learns that, while his family had been told Fido had been destroyed for his apparent crimes, he was, in truth, being held at Zomcon with plans to reassign him with another family. This leads to a final confrontation between Bill Robinson and Jonathan Bottoms with Timmy caught in the middle. Themes : ******** 8/10Although Fido deals with two of life's most serious issues, it manages to do so in a fun and entertaining way. First, and most obviously, we are confronted with the issue of slavery, servitude and exploitation. We see these zombies domesticated and largely treated as pets, or, as in the case of the neighborhood playboy Mr. Theopolis (Tim Blake Nelson), as love slaves. Most of the people of Willard, however, treat the enslaved zombies as property, looking down upon them with disgust, ridicule, and contempt. Secondly, somewhat more subtly, we see a society obsessed with death, possibly mirroring the fear that has plagued our own society in recent years. When we hear Bill Robinson remark that he is saving up for his son's funeral fund, as opposed to the college funds most of us establish for our children, we begin to see just how preoccupied they have become with the subject of death and the undead. We see the internal struggle of the characters with their own mortality, as the decision of whether or not to allow their bodies final rest is debated and contemplated. Finally, this theme of a death obsessed culture is driven home when we see Bill Robinson reading a magazine, which has a cover resembling Life magazine but, instead, is entitled Death.Conflict: ****** 6/10Fido presents the viewer with several points of conflict throughout the film. First, we are faced with the internal conflict of the characters, each of them trying to determine whether it is better to pursue a funeral, which will guarantee a final rest, or to return as a zombie, so that their loved ones can continue to have them in their lives. Is this conflict ever resolved? No, but, by the time the end credits roll, the viewer feels that the Robinsons at least have learned better how to deal with death and with the living. The primary conflict grows out of a combination of Mr. Bottoms intrusive presence in the neighborhood and the bond Timmy has formed with his beloved Fido. The relationship between Fido and Timmy alarms the officious Mr. Bottoms and, as situations spiral out of control, he sees an opportunity to be rid of Timmy, as well as Fido. It is finally in this final confrontation that we see another conflict resolved, a struggle between an often absent father and his approval-seeking son, as Bill Robinson comes to Timmy's rescue.Overall: ******* 7.5/10Fido is a fun, enjoyable film with minimal gore, an easily followed story, and a likable cast. From the very moment of the opening sequence, throughout the entire film and until the end credits roll, director Andrew Currie succeeds in transporting the audience to a simpler time when zombies knew their place was in the service of the living. In Fido, we can escape to a time (and even an alternate reality) where the living have trained the undead to perform our most menial tasks for us with few accommodations. It is only when Timmy, feeling bullied and alone, befriends the family's first zombie servant that we begin to see the flaws in this system and it is this upsetting of the status quo that propels the story into a humorous jaunt of suburban life and zombies.

Following a '50s style sci-fi zombie apocalypse, ZOMCOM develops a collar to tame the zombies for domestic use. Communities live in fenced off middle American towns. The Robinsons (Carrie-Anne Moss, Dylan Baker, Kesun Loder) get a new zombie (Billy Connolly). Mr. Bottoms (Henry Czerny) is the head of security for ZOMCOM who has just moved into the neighborhood with his daughter Cindy (Alexia Fast).It is a really cool idea. However after the really cool idea, it needs something more compelling. It doesn't have the needed biting comedy. It cruises along with a ultra-light monotone satire. The odd thing here is that they have muzzled Billy Connolly who is one of the funniest comedic voice around. It's not funny enough to be a light comedy if you're going to use zombies. It needs to have a much darker undertone, and it's never exciting enough as a zombie horror movie.

Fido (2006) ** 1/2 (out of 4) If LEAVE IT TO BEAVER ever had a pet zombie then this is what it would have been like. Cute comedy about a young boy who doesn't get enough attention from his father so he begins a friendship with his zombie servant named Fido. You see, after the original zombie outbreak, ZomCom designed a neck brace that you could put on zombies to turn them into your slaves to do whatever you want. Most people use them for chores and its this attitude that makes this film stand out from so many other zombie movies. It's hard to call this thing a horror film because the entire attitude and style makes one think of those squeakily clean morality shows from the 1950s. I think director Currie has a lot going on in the screenplay that ranges from a cute father-son relationship to some other messages like putting your job in front of your kids as well as countless other items. I don't think this is a flawless movie but the imagination is so on the mark that you can't help but enjoy it. There are several good ideas thrown out there including one where when people die they have the option to have their head cut off so they're really dead or they can return as a zombie. We also get some pretty fun scenes with zombies doing stuff humans wouldn't want to like mow the lawn, various other garden items and even some making food. The idea of zombies doing the everyday chores of humans was a funny idea but we also get some more tender moments when it comes down to the little boy not getting enough attention from his father while the zombie is always there for him. Carrie-Ann Moss is very good as the sexual mother and Billy Connolly makes for a very memorable Fido. K'Sun Ray is good as the little boy and the rest of the supporting cast fit their roles nicely. There's some minor gore scenes but if you're looking for a straight, Romero type film then you're going to be disappointed here. The entire idea of zombies being trained to do normal things might sound stupid but this film actually makes the idea work. This certainly isn't a masterpiece or anything ground breaking but it's pleasant enough for fans of the genre.