FUBAR (Netflix series, 2023)
FUBAR is a brand new action-comedy crime series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first leading role in a live-action series.
It is about a C.I.A. agent Luke Brunner (Arnold) who is on the brink of becoming a pensionado after one last job in of all places Antwerp (Belgium) but who has to return for another ‘one last job’ after finding out the life of his daughter is at stake. If you think that sounds familiar you’ve probably been reading my reviews of Mother’s Day and The Mother.
But fortunately, this is about a father and daughter who quickly start working together because Emma (Monica Barbaro) is also working for the CIA, so basically they have been lying through their teeth to each other for years. Some family trait, I guess.
So all in all this action comedy series is much more lighthearted than the other titles I just mentioned.
Just look at that poster. This is what True Lies looks like when your star is 75!
FUBAR is created by Nick Santora and means as much Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. It’s not an original term, it’s been used for a long time and there have been other shows called FUBAR as well. But seeing as it is produced by Skydance Television and that it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger it is the biggest FUBAR by far.
Apart from Schwarzenegger it also stars Monica Barbaro, Jay Baruchel and Gabriel Luna in leading roles, with able direction by Phil Abraham and some fine cinematography by Craig Wrobleski.
There are a lot of jokes about family, cause when Luke and Emma learn the truth about each other, they realize they don't really know each other very well.
And they better start learning fast, since both their lives are at stake, because the evil Boro (Gabriel Luna) has it in for both of them.
Why? Because a long time ago Luke killed Boro’s father. I know, I know, this is another very old plot device and I do wish screenwriters in general will start coming up with more original ideas, because if they don’t, well, at some point the robots will take over.
Schwarzenegger looks like Huggy Bear now, but he is still able to crack a quip or two between the action and explosions, even if his new catchphrase ‘that’s it and that’s all’ gets a bit weary after a while. Still, he gets able support from Barbaro, who was also great as the female fighter pilot in Top Gun: Maverick.
The first couple of episodes are a fun enterprise and not a FUBAR at all. So even if the story is not that original there is enough hope for the rest of this eight part series to keep watching.