Tuesday 30 October 2012

Daddy I'm A Zombie! DVD Review

As it is a spooky time of year with Halloween tomorrow I enjoy watching scary and spooky films.  As well as enjoying classic Halloween and scary films for adults I do have a soft spot for films that combine the magic of animation with a hint of spookiness.  During this spooky time of year I think it is nice to spend time as a family watching a family friendly film with an eerie edge to get in the mood for Halloween.

With perfect timing for Halloween, this week we were sent a DVD of a new family friendly film that claims to be perfect for Halloween.  The DVD, “Daddy I’m A Zombie” is a feature length film of a mysterious adventure through a magical and spooky world with Zombies, Witches, Pirates and Mummies.


The film’s storyline centres on a girl called Dixie; who is an unhappy, misunderstood teenage Goth who appears to be unhappy with her life after her parent’s separation and divorce 5 years previously. 

After being knocked unconscious during a wild storm, Dixie wakes up in a strange world and realises that she has been transformed into a Zombie!  In the mysteriously spooky new world Dixie befriends an Egyptian mummy princess called Isis and a Pirate Cabin Boy called Gonner.  So that Dixie can return home and leave the strange new world she finds herself in, Dixie must defeat an evil witch called Nubulosa with the help of her new friends Isis, Gonner and a wise zombie sage called Vitriol.  As well as attempting to return home Dixie and her friends attempt to save the day from the evil witch Nubulosa who is trying to open a portal between the world of the living and the dead with a mystical item so that Nubulosa and her army of zombies can invade the living world.


Immediately from the beginning of the film the animation is dark and spooky.  I love the animation and think it has been designed beautifully to portray a spooky theme with the odd hint of bright colours penetrating the darkness.  The characters look interesting and quirky, I love that they all have their own unique charms and characteristics.  The animation is very reminiscent of Tim Burton’s ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Corpse Bride’ both of which I love and Daddy I’m A Zombie gets a big gold star from me for its brilliant animation.


The storyline is an interesting, creative story and I think it is good that it is a mind-boggling make-believe story as it inspires children’s imaginations and as it is based around a made-up mysterious world filled with quirky characters it introduces children to spookiness in a friendly way.  The characters are quirky and easy to identify with, bringing the fascinating story to life.  The film is a great combination of funny, emotional and scary moments which is great as it does not make the film too scary or intense for children and I think it is great that it has a heart-warming ending.

With Dixie appearing to be sad and distressed due to her parent's separating I think it is quite a depressing start to the film and I felt very sorry for her, however even though I think it is sad to see Dixie troubled because of her parents separation I do think it is good that this issue is highlighted and that she lives with her father rather than her mother as many children experience this in their lives and it highlights that not all families are 2.4 children or live with their mother after parents separate.

I really like that as well as highlighting divorce this film also highlights other issues that children all over the world go through.  An issue that many children have to deal with is bullying and I think it is great that the film suggests that bullying is happening and how Dixie feels because of it.   I also think it is interesting that the film implies that Dixie feels different and an outsider which is another issue many children will experience in their life as they feel different because they are unique.  I love the fact that as well as including negative issues the film also illustrates positives by emphasizing friendship and working together to complete challenges.

I watched this film with little man and his older cousins.  Even though the film is too old for little man to understand the issues highlighted within the storyline he was transfixed by the animation and characters.  I thought that little man might get scared with the atmosphere and story being very dark and spooky but he seemed intrigued by it and perhaps he is still too young to be bothered by it whereas a slightly older child may find it frightening at times and the dark animation too spooky but I think it all depends on the child as every child is different.  Little man’s cousins who are between the ages of 5 and12 all enjoyed the film and said they did not find the film too scary.  They loved the characters and had a particular fondness for Dixie and her princess friend Isis.  I am glad they enjoyed the film and did not find it that scary and nightmare invoking and it was great to see them giggle often throughout the film, as they enjoyed the humour.


Daddy I’m A Zombie is rated PG (Parental Guidance) and the film lasts 79 minutes which is a great length for children.   It is a great fun and interesting family friendly film to watch as a family for Halloween as well as any other times of the year.

Daddy I’m A Zombie was released by Lionsgate on the 1st of October 2012 and has a RRP of £6.99.  It is available to buy on DVD at leading stockists including Amazon, Tesco, Blockbuster and Asda to name a few.



* Lionsgate kindly sent us a copy of the DVD Daddy I'm A Zombie to review for free, despite this I have written an honest review that contains my own words and opinions unless stated *

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