Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first streaming series is a by-the-numbers effort that fails to do much with the spy genre.
Plot: A CIA Operative on the verge of retirement discovers a family secret. Forced to go back into the field for one last job, the series tackles universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, action and humor.
Review: Over the six decades of his acting career, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been in comedies, dramas, action movies, and horror flicks, but until now, he has not starred in a television series. The biggest stars in Hollywood are now starring in their own small-screen series, thanks to streaming services that are as powerful as any movie studio. Schwarzenegger’s Netflix series FUBAR- tries to recreate the best elements from the iconic actor’s filmography, blending humor and action with some new talent in the form Top gun: Maverick‘s Monica Barbaro. FUBAR aims high, but feels like a network television spy show that could have been much better given the talent involved. Sure, there is fun to be had with this series, but it is not like the Schwarzenegger projects of old, which found the muscle-bound icon battling bad guys physically instead of as part of a crew.
Watching the eight-episode first season of FUBAR, I could not shake how much this feels like an unofficial sequel to True Lies. If not for the mediocre CBS reboot that was recently canceled, FUBAR could have been repurposed as a continuation of Harry Tasker’s adventures saving the world. Schwarzenegger is Luke Brunner, a 40-year veteran in the CIA. Luke, who is nearing retirement, hopes to rekindle the relationship he had with his ex-wife Tally, played by Fabiana Udenio, and spend more quality time with his children, including Emma (Monica Barbaro). Luke is called back into action when he discovers that the undercover agent spying for Boro (Gabriel Luna) is none other than Emma. Through the first episode of FUBAR, the father, and daughter contend with having lied to each other for years but work well as a team. The plot of FUBAR follows a buddy cop format from the second episode, as Luke and Emma embrace each other’s abilities as agents, while also becoming closer as a couple. Each episode follows the team as they undertake missions to stop Boro using a nuclear weapon while also encountering separate missions that are connected to the main goal. Luke and Emma are counseled along the way by CIA psychologist, Dr. Louis Pfeffer. (Scott Thompson), and have to deal with their personal relationships. Emma struggles to balance her career with her relationship with Carter (Jay Baruchel), and Luke struggles to accept his ex-wife Donnie’s relationship. Boro is also searching for two people who he believes are responsible for his failure, and the three of them begin to collide and overlap. The missions mainly focus on Emma and Luke learning to trust each other’s instincts, which both help them on their individual mission and reflect on their personal lives.
is structured so that each episode ends on a cliffhanger, which is resolved at the start of the subsequent chapter. Each episode features a lot of action, including gunfights, fistfights and out-of control trains. The action is mainly relegated Monica Barbaro who, at 75, is still quite mobile. The action is still pretty small in comparison to what we see in a Schwarzenegger film. Arnold has made a lot movies, but FUBAR-feels to be the most dialog-heavy effort that the actor has ever done. This is also more of a comedy than I anticipated, with a reliance on generational humor, sexual jokes, and many references, including some well-placed jokes involving Schwarzenegger’s films Twins and Predator. Hearing Arnold joke about “choppers” and Danny DeVito made me smile, even if some people may find them a bit forced.Series creator and showrunner Nick Santora (
Reacher) follows the formula of television espionage series without raising the bar. This series is smaller than many other spy series that have been released in recent years. The action is often restricted to indoor sets and warehouses, despite the fact that the series is set all over the world. The formula becomes more apparent with each episode, and the series begins to feel a little rote. The series directors (Phil Abraham Steven A. Adelson Holly Dale and Stephen Surjik), who are all experienced television directors, never give the series any sense of scale. Arnold Schwarzenegger is still funny and charming as a leading actor. Monica Barbaro can play more than just Arnold’s daughter. Gabriel Luna is a formidable villain, even though his motivations can become whiny over time. But, whether it be the repetitiveness of the series or the imbalance between the action and humor, FUBAR feels underwhelming.I will always be a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I definitely found myself warming to his performance in this series more than I have in most of his films over the last decade. The comedy in
FUBAR- is some of the best that Schwarzenegger’s done in a while, but the formulaic nature of the show and the action do not detract from the overall quality. The first episode was a bit dull, but I enjoyed the rest of the episodes. Halfway through the season FUBAR- began to live up its title. The finale teases future seasons, but I think it needs to try something new and dynamic to be worth my time. FUBAR boasts a solid cast who are all well-suited for their roles, but they could do with a bit more originality in the story they are trying to tell.FUBAR
premieres on May 25th on Netflix.6
