The Fix

by Mike McGranaghan

The Fix opens with a Biblical quote, goes out of its way to take a swipe at Jimmy Carter, and thanks the U.S. Department of War in the end credits. It’s going to be a very popular movie in red states. This action drama from director Guy Moshe has a little more on its mind than political button-pushing, though. The story attempts to look at the moral complexities of tension in the Middle East. A worthwhile ambition, for sure. Unfortunately, Moshe loses control of the narrative, leading to a muddled, often confusing picture that ultimately feels more manipulative than insightful.

Early scenes show a mission gone awry in Afghanistan, where CIA operatives Tucker (Zachary Levi) and Larry (Liam Neeson) are supposed to rescue an informant. The failure of that mission effectively ruins Tucker’s career. A few years later, Larry, now suffering from dementia, begins uttering memories of a source he once had in Iran, as well as $25 million dollars they hid, which was never found. Tucker reassembles his team and they sneak into Tehran, hoping to find the source’s daughter and bring her to safety. In exchange, they will learn where the money is located. The operation proves complicated on many levels, from double crosses to the ever-present danger of being discovered and consequently tortured.

I wish I could explain the plot of The Fix better than that, but summarizing this thing is almost impossible. The film introduces way too many characters and goes in too many directions at the same time. Information comes at you so fast that it’s a struggle to process, especially given that logic is not always a primary concern of the screenplay. By the end, it feels like the movie is simply introducing random twists and hoping nobody will realize how preposterous they are.

Moshe could have lost a full hour from this 142-minute thriller and it wouldn’t have hurt. We don’t need the clichéd subplot about Tucker being an absentee father to his kid because, doggonit, he’s just too traumatized from Afghanistan to be a good dad. Nor do we need an unearned love scene between Tucker and the Iranian woman he’s hired to be his guide through the country. That bit is present solely to provide a dumb “gotcha” moment at the end. Other scenes go on too long, belaboring points that have already been made.

Zachary Levi is badly miscast here. He’s not convincing as a tough guy warrior. Neeson only has a supporting role; he disappears for large chunks of time. Whenever he is onscreen, the actor is required to chew a lot of scenery, most notably during a somewhat embarrassing scene where an injured Larry starts badly warbling the national anthem from the back of an ambulance.

The supporting players fare much better, with Quincy Isaiah making a particularly strong impression as Clay, the new guy on Tucker’s team. His character reveals unexpected layers as the story progresses, and Isaiah makes them believable. I also have to give the movie credit for its production values. The locations are very authentic, helping to fulfill the idea that Tucker and crew are sneaking through Iran. Action sequences can be a touch chaotic, but they do provide excitement.

The Fix has successful elements around the edges. The center, however, leaves you wanting more. Overstuffing itself with plot twists and trying to say something politically relevant leads it to feel weirdly unfocused. And two-and-a-half unfocused hours makes for a tough sit.