classicswim | [Genndy Tartakovsky’s Fixed]

This was going to be in theaters.

Yeah. Zaslav.

When there was little to no exposure for the film beyond a promotional banner with headlines “Genndy’s making a theatrical movie,” it was easy for me to back this then.

The drawing of Bull’s face in that stage was all the public eye had seen. It gave me some confidence of quality. Flintstone looking dog that I had envisioned to behave like a traditional cartoon character.... just with the obvious sight gag and neutered shtick.

I was a very naive man.

This film was co-written by Jon Vitti.

Not to say Genndy didn’t have his own hand in writing a lousy script. But even bias aside — that... display of dialogue was never shown to be his style.

Before this film, Genndy’s only two examples of full-fledged adult animation were Korgoth and Primal. Korgoth at the time of Adult Swim screening the standalone pilot, was the most intense product they had ever brought to air. Both by budget and material.

Before you find this to be an excruciatingly unfair comparison... Korgoth had plenty of grotesque comedy. In fact, the pilot was filled with it.

Difference?? Korgoth knew when to SHUT THE FUCK UPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!

I swear, six minutes in I physically wanted to hand this movie some Ritalin.

I couldn’t have the patience for some of the lines even if I was completely loaded.

It’s a bad look when the director’s always crowned himself with “less is more” in terms of dialogue. This would go for both comedic and simple storytelling by Genndy.

Samurai Jack was a comedy too. Both the original run and the Adult Swim season, the comedy served as an equal breather that never had to try too hard to please.

Watch almost any episode of Genndy + McCracken era Dexter’s Lab or Powerpuff Girls, and I guarantee you that the comedy from either show would talk down to you less like Fixed did for 90 minutes straight.

“FUCCCCCKKKK!!!!!” “BALLLLLLSSSSSS!!!!!” “SHIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTT” “YOU’RE EATING YOUR OWN SHIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTT!”

So desperate and utterly tired. It got so exhausting before it even reached ten minutes into showing.

It wasn’t until Bull left his home (half hour in) that the film suddenly took some sense of urgency in being purposed for entertainment.

The alley cats attacking the three dogs struck me only because the animated trope was always dogs being the main aggressors against cats. You never saw Tom beat Spike to a pulp. Garfield could only kick Odie off the table because Odie resembles a sentient bone with ears and legs.

What seemed so anti-Genndy for me was how they seriously had one of the dogs say “dog whorehouse.” You’d think, if they wanted to make a funny scenario of cartoon dogs gathering to their own strip club, they’d just do that without proclaiming such. But no. They had to mutter the words “dog whorehouse” like you are in fact twelve years old... and cannot possibly fucking comprehend with your pea brain that they REALLY want these dogs to go wild!

My initial reaction to the very little I had seen the trailer before was Fritz The Cat esque Bakshi sexual frustration.

The soundtrack to Fixed was ridiculously good. Way more than it deserved, but that also wasn’t on accident. You can tell this thing really wanted to emulate and try to go retro adult animation (Bakshi) while also writing Sausage Party tier trash.

And hey, you always gotta give Fritz credits on being the first X-rated one, right?

Thing is, I can detest and fail to recall Fritz as being well done all I’d like. It had equal motivation problems quite like this.

I can’t imagine anyone being attached to the love story in this motion picture about dog ballsacks. Not me dismissing and saying that there isn’t anyone... I’m just saying...

So if you’re looking at this through Bakshi tribute lens... congratulate yourself. You’ve just watched the tap water equivalent of Fritz The Cat.

I think the bad reviews for this film were more or less earned. I don’t believe to be any signal that Genndy can’t make comedy, because he has before. This was just particularly not good.

I see it as a good “how you like them apples” for the crowd that bitched constantly about every other cartoon not being or looking exactly like Ren & Stimpy. Most if not all adult cartoons are so below them because of w-w-w-w-writers! “Simpsons was never good because it doesn’t look like something Chuck Jones made! And it’s not something else!”

Well, here you go. Now you have something in Hollywood that’s drawn/animated precisely to your standards... but it sucks! Because maybe good comedy writing has its own importance and is often needed, huh?