Fixed
Critic Alec Toombs is no prude, but he found "Fixed" to be quite crude.
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I know noted animation director Genndy Tartakovsky more by reputation than his work itself. I’ve never watched “Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Samurai Jack,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” or any of the “Hotel Transylvania” flicks. (My animation viewing diet these days pretty much consists solely of shows such as “The Simpsons,” “South Park” and “Archer.”) Even though I’m unfamiliar with Tartakovsky’s filmography I was curious about his adult-oriented, canine-centric comedy “Fixed” (now streaming on Netflix after a series of delays) as I’m a cynophilist and a big fan of Josh Greenbaum’s similarly-themed, live-action vehicle “Strays” from a few years back. Suffice it to say “Fixed” would need some fixing to stay with “Strays.”
Adam Devine voices the hump-happy, 2-year-old pup Bull. Bull’s the envy of his buddies Rocco (Idris Elba), Fetch (Fred Armisen) and Lucky (Bobby Moynihan) as he’s still got his balls … for now. Bull’s given Granny’s leg one too many thrusts and his family is sick of his shtick … and lipstick … so they’re looking to get him fixed. Bull wants to keep his boys so he can bed the bitch next door who just so happens to be his bestie, Honey (Kathryn Hahn). Honey’s a show dog who seems destined to be with Bull’s romantic rival, the snooty, self-involved Sterling (Beck Bennett). It’s now up to Bull and his buds to live their best lives for one night before he has to say ta ta to his testicles.
As scripted by Tartakovsky and longtime/onetime “Simpsons” writer/producer Jon Vitti, “Fixed” isn’t very funny and is mostly just gross. I don’t think of myself as a prude, but this most assuredly is crude. “Fixed” is far more obsessed with dog’s buttholes than most dogs themselves. In spite of all of this, there were elements of the movie I enjoyed. The voice cast does a nice job and I liked almost all of the canine characters. The film also takes place in Chicago – a city that’s near and dear to my heart – and I dug its animated depiction.
“Fixed” definitely isn’t for children, but I’m not sure it’s for anyone else either. It probably should’ve stayed in its developmental hell doghouse.