I am a fan of the 1970s semi-genre of throw-back style detective movies. My favorites are Robert Benton's "The Late Show" and Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye". "The Big Fix" doesn't come close to those films. It's watchable but only barely. Richard Dreyfuss does a nice job but the story is weak and uninteresting. Dreyfuss' character is strong but he's surrounded by a bunch of bland or unnecessary supporting characters. "The Big Fix" does have a few nice moments but not enough to make it worth while. Dishonorable mention: the annoying Aunt.

There is a structure and a mood for most thrillers of the 70s, and if it's a light-hearted comedy, as long as it has a good script with witty lines and memorable characters, it's going to stand the test of time. But when they try to have too many themes and different moods, then they don't hold up as well. "The Big Fix" was a little hit in 1978, and for Richard Dreyfuss, coming off his Oscar-winning role in "The Goodbye Girl" as well as "Close Encounters" made him a hot actor. He basically is playing the same character that he played in "Goodbye Girl", and while he's still wisecracking, he's gone from actor to a private detective, from New York City to Los Angeles. An ex-girlfriend of his, Susan Anspach, involves him in a case concerning an old protest buddy of theirs from the 1960's, Andrew turns into a wild adventure that ends up with murder. As if he doesn't have enough on his plate, ex-wife Bonnie Bedelia keeps harassing him for child support but barely let him see the kids. Boss John Lithgow harasses him and he ends up being chased all over L. A. by some mysterious man and the cops, and he's determined to solve this case as well as come out of it alive.

A great use of vintage Los Angeles locations (not the places that you usually see in Southern California set movies) takes Dreyfuss on too many adventures, and it's interesting to see how much the City of Angels has changed. Rita Karin is very funny as Dreyfuss's outspoken aunt, a Russian Jewish immigrant who has Todd Dreyfus everything he knows about fighting for social injustice and being considered subversive. That's where the plot leads us to, political machinations and other unforeseen twist, with a lot of interesting supporting players and a steady Pace. The first half is a lot funnier than the second half, and going from the mixture of action and comedy to very serious action as the plot comes to its head. F Murray Abraham, Nicolas Coster and Fritz Weaver have good supporting roles. A funny scene in a federal penitentiary has two life term inmates distracting the guards by singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" while they pass information to Anspach and Dreyfuss. There have been better political comedies that have stood the test of time, but Dreyfuss's performance and non-stop activity makes this worth seeing even if it is a bit dated.

This is not your usual detective story. It also is not your typical conspiracy political thriller either. So I understand if people have their issues with how the movie was made and with the pace it has. But if you like the craziness and down to earth performance by the cast (especially Richard Dreyfuss, Richard being a name that can has a nickname that might remind one of a slang word for detective - just as a side note) ... well you are on to a good start.

Talking of starts, the movie does start with our main character on a stakeout. And he acts a bit childish one might say ... not a wrong observation. While there adult themes and there is a real story to his broken wrist/hand, many things are utilized for the story or the characters purposes.

Not a masterpiece I reckon - but still a very well made movie to say the least. And tension filled from start to finish ... even if it feels a bit uneven.