Genndy Tartakovsky, the man behind popular action animated series such as Samurai Jack and Primal, tries something different with his latest project. He goes the adult animated comedy route with Fixed. After delays due to cost cutting at Warner Bros. Discovery and issues finding a distributor, the film is finally out for the world to see.
Fixed follows a dog named Bull who discovers he will soon be neutered. In anticipation of his surgery, he decides for one last night out on the town as a complete canine with his friends. As you can imagine, the evening doesn’t go according to plan and plenty of shenanigans are had.
From a visually technical standpoint, the movie is well done. There are so many interesting character designs and the animators make a point to make each dog unique from the main cast to even background characters. The 2-D hand drawn aesthetic is a welcome change to the abundance of computer generated features and shows currently out there. It provides charm and serves as a mature throwback to a previous time. There is also great use of color from the varying palettes and the use of gradients to help convey mood during the night scenes.
The film definitely leans into the adult content. Considering the subject matter, there are plenty of dog butts and nuts. There are also clever and creative analogs in this canine world to our own human world. Though there are comical situations and jokes, too many times the story utilizes shock factor and gross outs to generate laughs and it’s not really effective. It’s a fine line to walk to balance the crude with the humor and it
The narrative is also a mixed bag. At it’s core, the Fixed is a buddy and romance movie. Despite the absurdity of the premise, it packs a big amount of heart. Part of that is due to Adam DeVine’s voice work with Bull. He instills the character with good-hearted lovable idiot energy. A subplot in particular involving Lucky, one of Bull’s friends, and a Dobermann named Frankie is so sweet. The genuine innocence and curiosity it is approached with make the storyline so endearing. However, many of the other aspects of the story occur on a superficial level that it’s difficult for them to stand out.
Overall, Tartakovksy’s foray into adult animated comedy is an enjoyable experience. Look past the shock factor to find a visually great movie with heart.
Watch Fixed on Netflix.
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