The Wasteland Reviewer

Fixed (2025) Written Review

How many of you love animals? Pet ownership is such a significant element of society today to the point that people refer to themselves as the parents of their said pets. Yeah…that is certainly an interesting choice, but it reflects the love and connection that people can have with their little critters. There are even rivalries amongst people with the types of animals that they have. Dog people. Cat people. You can even love them both (you don’t need to choose). Filmmakers have leveraged this love with plenty of films and especially in animation with films like The Secret Life of Pets. But it is time to focus on the sex lives of those animals…at least it is time according to animation creator Genndy Tartakovsky with his latest Netflix release, Fixed. 

Does Tartakovsky have another win on his hands? You would expect that with his track record of Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, and more adult orientated efforts like Primal. But this is his project with the most adult content to date because these dogs are horny as hell and want to get down. That might be a bit disturbing to phrase it that way…but this film is quite disturbing as well. This is a shocking turn from Tartakovsky as Primal might be violence, but he never targeted the lowest brow of humor or subject matter. Luckily, Fixed does still have that distinct animation style that made Tartakovsky stand out in a period of animation excellence. The film also moves with its kid pacing (but don’t get this confused…this is NOT for kids). High energy for sure, Fixed is a bonkers experience that goes for anything they can find to gross out the audience and get some laughs. The grossing out part really works…the humor does not. There will be contingencies among the audience that find these hilarious (probably teenage boys) but this film just is not funny. Most of the humor falls leaving a strange and uncomfortable cinematic experience. 

Why does this film fall so flat? The writing is just so weak. Tartakovsky and company focus on the cheapest laughs possible. You know what kind of film this is when the film opens with the canine protagonist (Adam Devine’s Bull) trying to have sex with grandma’s leg. The amount of detail this film goes into related to the sexual intercourse these dogs have is just ridiculous. Most of the time, it is simply not funny. Fixed will certainly gross out the audience but not with a significant effort. The content is all the lowest hanging fruit possible, and a teenage boy could have written this film with the same level of finesse and maturity. The narrative is so overly basic as well with Bull just trying to get laid (with Kathryn Hahn’s Honey) before he gets neutered. What ensues is a series of gross and unnerving shenanigans that are not really entertaining at all and lean into lazy comedy cliches (dogs hate cats everyone!).

Are there at least redeeming qualities for Fixed? There should be a lot of credit thrown the cast’s way. Devine is doing his thing with big loud energy. Idris Elba tries hard (as he always does) to make the most of this strange film. Hahn is so entertaining and committed (as always). Fred Armisen, Bobby Moynihan, Michelle Buteau, and others make their impact. They are all throwing curse words around, sexual discussions, and poop/pee jokes but they do make the most of it. The music is also catchy and gives the film so much personally (outside of its gross out shenanigans) thanks to composers Tyler Bates and Joanne Higginbottom. Throw in some great needle drops and the film has at least some personality. 

Is Fixed worth the stream over on Netflix? Not really. You can see the personality that Tartakovsky is known for shining through and gives the film some merit. The animation captures his vision and personality for sure. But this film feels so uninspired and out of left field for this acclaimed animation filmmaker. This film is more like a Rogen and friends’ type of project, and this does really feel authentic in Tartakovsky’s hands. In the end, Fixed is a disgusting and unfunny experience that is a struggle to process.