Ever imagine what it would be like to live where zombies are status symbols?  Well…me either.  But you can experience that kind of world in Fido, and it is pretty amusing.  This movie is kind of a mix between Shaun of the Dead comedy, “Leave it to Beaver” time period, and a “Lassie” plotline.  Did I confuse you, or make you more intrigued?  I hope it’s the latter.   Yes, it’s another dark comedy.  Zombies eating people for laughs usually falls under that category, and for me personally it doesn’t get old…just like in Shaun of the Dead.  Fido also takes place in an idyllic time period, the 50’s.  Where women stayed at home and husbands earned the money…hence “Leave it to Beaver” – not to mention all the costumes remind me of that TV show too.  Now, how did I get to “Lassie” you might be wondering, well that’s kind of the plot of the movie only replace the dog with a zombie named Fido (Billy Connolly, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events).  You still have the kid named Timmy (this time played by K’Sun Ray) who is always finding himself in tight spots and needs rescuing.   

So now that I’m done with my comparisons, on to the actual plot of Fido.  The Zombie Wars have ended, and a company called Zomcon has figured out a way to employ the zombies in every day activities by having them wear collars that control their bloodlust, and let humans have control over them with a remote.  Not all zombies are employed though, as some are banished to the Outlands.  Most families though do own at least one zombie (the more you own, the richer you must be) and zombies are also employed in many different jobs like paperboys and milkmen. 

The Robinson’s live in this community but are the only family on the block to not own a zombie.  Bill Robinson (Dylan Baker, Happiness) is obsessed with funerals, since they bury the dead person’s head in a lead box therefore preventing it from coming back as a zombie.  He also would rather play golf then spend time with his son or wife (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix).  One-day Timmy’s mom brings home a zombie to impress the new neighbors.  At first the zombie annoys Timmy, but when he saves him from some bullies they become fast friends. Everything is going great between Timmy and Fido, until his collar goes off and he eats one of the neighbors.  Oops.  Now Timmy must keep Fido’s bloodlust a secret, but in the end this secret will bring the whole family together. 

I found this movie to be quite funny.  I especially enjoyed Tim Blake Nelson’s (The Good Girl) character as the family’s neighbor who comes to Timmy’s aide more than once. His interactions with his zombie were some of the funnier points of the movie.  But this movie isn’t just a comedy, or even a zombie movie; it’s more of a satire on America.  It really shows how people want to do things just because other people are doing it, like owning a zombie – surely that can’t be safe.  Zomcon could be almost any big name company nowadays, hiding the truth from the people for their own gain and benefit.  Of course this movie is nothing compared to George A. Romero’s work, but the writers (Robert Chomiak, Dennis Heaton, and the director Andrew Currie) still do a nice job.

I’d probably rate this movie B.  It was definitely funny, and had sweet moments but things kind of fall apart towards the end.  If you were a fan of Shaun of the Dead, I’d recommend giving Fido a viewing.