peter0969

Look, I like Genndy Tartakovsky as he has shaped animation to new levels and grounds in the 21st century. But...boy oh boy, this movie was pure obnoxious, and rough in many edges.

Tartakovsky clearly is reminiscing the adult animated comedies clearing having it's influence from Judd Apatow, Ralph Bakshi and Harmony Korine. However, "Fixed" unlike having a clever satirical concept and atmosphere, the writing and concepts suffers from the notions of shock value without purpose, and poor humor, uninteresting writing, and a really messy sense of atmosphere. It's pretty much like Sausage Party, where it's animation qualities are pretty solid, but it's forced with humor that isn't funny, annoying characters, and with a atmosphere and structure that serves the purpose to become edgy and creating shock value, without substance. Which creates a dreadful and cringeworthy experience.

Throughout, the animation designs, colors and presentation offers some good models and structures, as it does remind you a lot of the 1990s and 2000s animation area. However, the good animation can't be saved when the voice performances are annoying, the characters are extremely unlikeable, and it's humor and atmosphere, as mentioned, feels like a edgy person thinks constant sexual jokes and repetitive nature is the best form of humor and comedy in the world. Interlaced with pretty awful musical score, sound designs, and some of the worst dialogue I have heard in an animated movie in sometime. There are some animation moments where the vocal performances and lip reading don't match the lips properly as well.

Alongside with it's messy pacing and some really rough editing, Tartakovsky direction is emotionless and all over the place. I honestly don't understand what was Tartakovsky trying to prove with this movie. Was it meant to be a social commentary or deep insight metaphor animated movie that uses cringe humor to create something unique and bizarre? Because if that is the case, it failed badly. I don't mind adult animation like works of Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, Persepolis, and so on have been great and meaningful. But movies like this really are an insult to good animated stories.

Nevertheless, this was a bad bone and one of the most cringeworthy movies I have seen in 2025.

What could have been a well-explored tale about the horrible conditions women suffered during the early eras of China and the historical background, ends up becoming a tedious, boring, and messy approach which takes away from it's purpose and message.

Director Peter Chan has good intentions to explore the story about the themes of womanhood, justice, politics and the tragic era during the early ages of China. However, the storytelling, interior atmosphere and structure doesn't do a service to it's themes because it kind of goes all over the place. Resulting it into becoming a messy, unbalanced and repetitive story that struggles to maintain it's atmosphere and tension. Included to be shoved in with poor production designs that fails to reflect it's time period and poor pacing.

Zhang Ziyi comes a solid performance as she is doing her best to what she is displaying and offering for the character and story. However, the characters weren't interesting at all as many of the characters development and engagement felt too disoriented and one-noted to fully connect. Making it difficult to believe many of the characters motivations and ideas when poor development, some bad acting, and bad dialogue is presented. It makes it bland, predictable, and at times, unintentionally hilarious in the worst ways possible.

The editing is one of the worst aspects as the editing feels choppy, messy and all over the place. As if the editors had no idea how to make a movie. This is one aspect I dislike about Modern Chinese cinema. Oftentimes they try to replicate the Hollywood and box-office approach and many times, they come off as poorly made, annoying and pure embarrassment. Art-house independent Chinese movies are a must need of support.

I am aware a continuation of this movie will occur to explore more of it's characters and development but a movie like this doesn't need to be that long, and could easily become one movie. Overall, one of the most tedious and overlong movies I have seen in some time.

I feel like I'm a little in the minority on this one because I do like what Zach Cregger offers with this concept and atmosphere, however, I did found the movie to be a tad underwhelming.

To start off, I thought Cregger's previous feature Barbarian was solid, not amazing or grand but it did have a good concept and energy. Here, Cregger's approach on the story about missing children and the investigation behind it is solid. As the atmosphere, production designs and the creepy structure surrounded within the characters and setting felt purposeful. It's themes and atmosphere feels like a dark and twisted version of the Brothers Grimm tale, included with some comedic twisted tones and sequences that does work with his direction. The writing from Cregger is pretty interesting as there are some concepts and developments that are creepy and interesting. However, while I do understand what the writing and purpose is going for, the way certain choices were made and how certain concepts were handed felt a bit too silly (especially the third act) and a little predictable to craft a lasting horrifying impact. Which unfortunately creates certain concepts and moments that doesn't fully make sense the more you sit with it.

All the performances are pretty good. Julia Garner and Josh Brolin were really good with their emotions and personalities. Alongside with Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams and Amy Madigan (whom I believe is a very highly under appreciated actress who deserves much more recognition). However, the characters didn't really nor peaked my full interest and I found myself not really connecting with them and because of this, it made the development feel a bit lackluster nor engaging at times. Including some children performances that aren't very great.

Alongside with the great soundtrack and sound designs, there are some good horror practical and special effects, and the uses of the color presentation is impactful. Including some good dialogue conversations.

Overall, despite my grips and some flaws, I think this is a solid fun pop-corn horror movie. With Barbarian, I believe Cregger has a good sense of direction and creative approach, but he does need to work on the writing, especially with third acts to become better.