Combat leaves a scar on everyone. Sometimes the wounds are physical. Often, the wounds experienced in combat run deeper. You can’t see them, but they dig at those who’ve returned day after day. And it can drive them to make sweeping changes when returning.

It’s those tough wounds that stick with people the longest. That’s at the heart of The Fix, a new drama that opens on Friday. It follows a group of CIA soldiers who, after things fell apart in Afghanistan, carry plenty of wounds back to their every day lives. They look fit on the outside, but they carry the scars of their actions and of what might have been with them all the time.

In the film, we’re introduced to Tucker (Zachary Levi). He leads a team of topflight operators in Afghanistan. They work for the CIA Chief, Larry (Liam Neeson), whom Tucker has worked with for years. They have a bond born of the work. On their last mission in country, things go poorly. After it’s over, Larry urges Tucker and the rest to get out while they still can.

Flash-forward to a few years later, and Tucker is trying to carve out a life. He still carries the guilt and scars of his actions in combat. It prevents him from feeling at home and connecting with his son. When Larry’s mind starts to slip, he drops clues to a secret buried treasure from his days in Iran. Tucker seizes on it as an opportunity.

Tucker brings the team together for a new mission. They’ll recover the treasure and use it for good. Along the way, they have the chance to free a radical who is being held behind enemy lines. It’s a chance to put things right, but it quickly turns into more than they bargained for in the process.

We’ve seen Neeson enter this late phase of his career in some forgettable action films. While he’s only a bit player in this one, it feels on par with that stage in his career. But this is led by Levi, whose Tucker is at the heart of the missions and the heart of the narrative with this one. It’s meant to be a deeper reflection at times of America’s war machine, what happens to those used on the front lines, and more. It ends in a curiously dark spot but that doesn’t really befit what comes before.

Much of this feels like a standard action film on a covert mission. There’s a heist element. There’s some espionage elements. There is the occasional romance. But it’s hard to say what the overall goal is with The Fix, which also meanders in its 142-minute run time.

I like Levi and have enjoyed him in many parts. He has a natural charm and usually brings some comedy to his roles. There’s no space for that with Tucker, which is what in part makes it feel kind of soggy at points. Director Guy Moshe, who co-wrote the script, has a feel for the action sequences. But the drama and the story beats don’t hit like they should. That makes this a bit rough at times.

There is some potential here, and I like the cast, which includes Neeson and Titus Welliver. But those bigger names are sidelined for most of the run. That combined with a lack of urgency keeps this from rising to the level it could have been.

The Fix is in theaters nationwide on Friday, September 11.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.