The Fix

Hollywood's obsession with Middle East-centered action thrillers continues in 2026. Directed by Guy Moshe, The Fix follows an Afghanistan war veteran undertaking an impossible mission for the CIA. The film offers familiar territory for audiences accustomed to recent spy films, but this familiarity sometimes risks getting lost in the shadow of clichés.

The Fix's story begins when an experienced operations specialist who served in Afghanistan is called back for a critical mission to be carried out in Tehran. The character portrayed by Zachary Levi carries the mental scars of war while being forced to undertake one last mission for his country. The screenplay bears traces of a tradition stretching from the Jason Bourne series to the Mission Impossible films. However, the story the film wants to tell over its 142-minute runtime lacks the depth to justify such a lengthy duration. The pace drops in the middle of the second act, and some scenes feel unnecessarily prolonged.

Guy Moshe, a director previously known for small-budget productions like Hollywoodpark, has made his first major action film within the studio system with The Fix. The director's Israeli background and familiarity with Middle Eastern geography is evident in the Tehran scenes. However, the fact that the film was mostly shot in Morocco and Jordan struggles to capture the authentic atmosphere of the Iranian capital. The visual language he created with the cinematographer meets the standards of contemporary action cinema but doesn't deliver breathtaking moments like Denis Villeneuve's Sicario.

Zachary Levi, in a career spanning from the sympathetic agent in the Chuck series to the superhero in Shazam, portrays such a serious and traumatic character for the first time. The actor's physical transformation is impressive; production notes indicate he underwent months of military training for the role and gained 10 kilograms of muscle mass. However, he occasionally struggles to reflect the character's emotional depth. Liam Neeson, as a senior CIA official, appears on screen with his usual charisma. Neeson's comfort in such roles is felt in the film's scenes requiring experience. Supporting actors like Wes Chatham and Titus Welliver manage to add depth to their characters despite limited screen time.

The film's action scenes, particularly the chase sequences through Tehran's streets and the confrontation scenes in the finale, are technically adequate. However, they fall short of the choreographic perfection of the John Wick series or the wild energy of Mad Max Fury Road. The Krav Maga techniques used in the fight scenes contribute to the film's realistic action approach. The sound design and explosion effects are optimized for IMAX format and offer an impressive experience in theaters.

In the music department, a composer from Hans Zimmer's team was tasked with heightening tension throughout the film with minimal electronic tones. However, the music becomes too prominent in some scenes, overshadowing the power of the visuals. The editing adopts the fast-cutting style of modern action films, which sometimes creates moments that are difficult to follow for viewers over 50.

There are interesting details about The Fix's production process. The film's original screenplay was written in 2019, and shooting was postponed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's said that Zachary Levi wasn't the first choice for the role, that the studio initially sought a younger actor, but Levi secured the role through his personal persistence and success in screen tests. Additionally, Iranian consultants were brought in for the Tehran scenes, and care was taken regarding the authenticity of the Farsi dialogue.

From a Turkish audience perspective, The Fix is a production that will generate curiosity, particularly due to interest in Middle Eastern geography and regional politics. However, the film's reflection of the American perspective and tendency to heroize the CIA may create discomfort among critical-thinking viewers. Considering the strong demand for the action genre in Turkey at the time of the film's release, it's predicted to perform moderately at the box office.

In conclusion, The Fix offers a mediocre action thriller experience that meets but doesn't exceed the standards of its genre. The experienced cast and technical competence make the film watchable, but it lacks an original voice or groundbreaking narrative. It can be said that Guy Moshe has produced an acceptable work as his first attempt at a major studio production, but for devoted followers of the action genre, it was fair to expect more.