‘The Fix’ suffers from Hollywood bloat

By Josh Ball

Does it matter how we live our lives? Since the end of the first World War, the dominant answer is no, and the writers of “The Fix” are no different.

During the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, CIA agent Tucker (Zachary Levi) and his team fail to exfil a key source of intel. Five years later, the crew return to Afghanistan as mercenaries hired by their former leader, Larry (Liam Neeson) to retrieve millions tucked away since the mid-80s. But the interesting premise fails to deliver on its promise of a good film.

There is minimal connection between the two missions. At no point is there any clarification on why Tucker and his team go back for 40-year-old money originally hidden to start an insurrection. 

It would have been better to start the movie 20 minutes in and just have the men be mercenaries on a mission. Everything would have made much more sense. The only reason for such a convoluted mess of an opening is to add more plotlines later on that are unnecessary.

Thematically, the film is weak, though not without some moments of depth. Tucker grapples with the guilt he feels over his absence in his son Troy’s (Major Dodge, Jr.) life. His ex-wife, Sophie (Annet Mahendru) forces him to confront his excuses and become a better man. Other moments like this show Tucker reflecting on his mistakes in the earlier mission, and how to fix them now. But his reflection, is impossible for the viewer to comprehend.

The performances are well done. Every character felt real, and the actors Zachary Levi and Elnaaz Norouzi, as Tucker and Zara, played well together. When Tucker gets to business, Zara reacts playfully—creating tender, silly moments that feel natural. Other highlights include the score which underscored important moments and appropriately builds tension during those scenes.

There is just too much of the good things. A movie that should only be 90 minutes is sprawled into a two-and-a-half hour slog. What started as a simple mission snowballed into a convoluted mix of rescue mission, survival and extraction. Worse is the story that unfolds behind the already bloated plot.

The best way to describe the movie is nihilistic disillusionment which manifests as anti-American propaganda. While the events of the plot unfold, the story drives to a climactic moment which renders the previous two hours useless. 

Tucker’s meticulously planned mission falls apart and even his success turns into ultimate defeat. Nothing any of the characters do matters and Tucker learns that nothing he believed in is real. And, of course, the American government are made to be the bad guys in a plot twist that was in no way earned and felt cheap.

To draw the viewer in, the filmmakers rely on shock value. Multiple shots exist only to be provocative, including one scene where all the character work is already established in the interaction immediately preceding. The assault on the viewer’s eyes, while only brief, is still too much.

Some movies are clinical in the time spent between character, plot and story development building to an emotionally intense climax and making moments feel earned. “The Fix” is not one of them. 

From forgettable characters to wasted screentime, it is an example of what not to do when making a movie. Assaulting the viewer’s eyes is the only way the writers knew how to keep the audience engaged. The climax feels empty and the twists are cheap.

Put most simply, “The Fix” tried to accomplish too much and so accomplished nothing. For Zachary Levi,  just watch “Tangled” and for Liam Neeson, watch “Taken.” The time will be much better spent.

Josh Ball is a senior history major. He is more convinced than ever that his actions matter, and still believes beyond doubt in all the causes of his past.

“The Fix” is currently playing in theaters

Images courtesy of Astral Future, Latigo Films, and Dreamtime Films