Fido

Distinctly silly but generally entertaining, Fido transpires within an alternate universe in which the zombie menace has been contained to such an extent that the undead have become our servants. The story revolves around the Robinsons – dad Bill (Dylan Baker), mom Helen (Carrie-Anne Moss), and son Timmy (K’Sun Ray) – a prototypical 1950s family who slowly but surely discover that their zombie helper (nicknamed Fido by Timmy and played by Billy Connolly) actually has a personality of his own. Director Andrew Currie infuses Fido with an exceedingly bright, Douglas Sirk-esque sensibility, a vibe that’s certainly reflected in the performances (Baker and Moss perfectly capture the glossy superficiality of a stereotypical ’50s couple). Elements of dark comedy are evident right from the get-go (a top-ranking official asks a room full of school children, “how many of you have had to kill a zombie?”), and – for a while – the movie skates by on the sheer novelty of its premise. But the lack of any real depth within the screenplay ultimately prevents Fido from becoming anything more than a mildly-engaging romp (the lack of any parallels to slavery, for example, seems like quite a missed opportunity).

**1/2 out of ****