The author Robert Scucci
| Published
Of all the action stars who came to prominence in the '80s and '90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger has the most staying power because he's always been the most self-assured tough guy from his graduating class. An Austrian oak best known for its innate ability to keep a straight face while laying down thick one liner after one liner. FUBAR. Plays like a crossover Meet the parents and Commando, FUBAR is by design, self-aware in all the right ways, and is a shining example of how even the most clichéd action movies can be effective when everyone on board knows the task at hand.
Arnold is the hero of Geriaction
FUBAR was on my must-watch list for months before I finally decided to give it a try because I was worried it was going to be one of those series that didn't live up to its hype. After all, Schwarzenegger is on the wrong side of the 70s, which led me (wrongly) to think he'd be coming in for a paycheck, pretending to relive his glory days as if he were Al Bundy meowing like him. Scored four touchdowns in one game at Polk High School in 1966. Fortunately, I was wrong, and I'm happy to say that Schwarzenegger still has the X-factor that makes him so likable.
Traffic with parents
Similar to Robert De NiroJack Burns of the Meet the Parents franchise, Schwarzenegger portrays Luke Brunner, a CIA agent on the verge of retirement after his last successful sting operation. Always tight-lipped about the true nature of his work, Luke has lied to his family for decades under the guise of owning and running the gym supply company Merry Fitness with Barry (Milan Carter), who also works for the CIA as a technical specialist. operations officer. Luke's secret double life has torn his family apart, leading his wife Tally (Fabiana Udenio) to file for divorce before the events that unfold FUBAR.
While Luke wants to put his CIA life behind him so he can reconnect with Talia, his relationship with his daughter Emma (Monica Barbaro) is just as worse for wear.
In FUBAR's In the opening episode, “Take Your Daughter to Work Day,” we learn that Emma has a secret life of her own. Everyone, including Luke and her boyfriend Carter (Jay Baruchel), is under the impression that she travels the world to do humanitarian work, such as providing fresh drinking water to the people of La Guajira, Colombia.
When Luke is called out of retirement to extract an operative codenamed Panda from Guyana, he learns the hard truth: his daughter is Panda, and she's trying to take down arms dealer Boro Polonia (Gabriel Luna). Luke's confidence is shaken when he learns that Barry, along with fellow operatives Roo (Fortune Feimster) and Aldon (Travis Van Winkle), knew about Emma's involvement with the CIA but were sworn to secrecy. Luke also has a history with Boro, having murdered his father when he was just a boy and acting as a mentor to him in secret.
A father/daughter bond in counter-terrorism
FUBAR there are a lot of moving parts, but it keeps the viewer moving along without ever seeming patronizing as it skips through every action movie art you can think of.
First, we have the “we're not so different, you and me” dynamic between Luke and Emma. Emma clearly has daddy issues (her words not mine) as Luke was absent as a child, forcing her to be superior. Luke feels guilty for lying to his family and worries that his daughter's personal life will fall apart as he does as she devotes herself more and more to her work. When they butt heads during a mission, they begin to appreciate each other anew because Luke was one of the CIA's best agents, and his little girl is clearly doing a great job of following in his footsteps.
We also see a lot of “Zero Hour” tropes in play throughout the eight episodes, as there's always a bomb to disarm, a runaway train about to derail, and Boro, who always seems to be one step ahead of the CIA on the run.
My favorite action comedy FUBARhowever, there is a clever banter between Luke, Emma, Barry and Roo. Roo is foul-mouthed, speaks her mind, and always has to wear less-than-flattering disguises to carry out her mission while offering Barry relationship advice.
Even more so when Luke and Emma are forced to visit an occupational psychologist named Dr. Pfeffer, they immediately start calling him “Dr. Pepper” and names other soda brands to get under his skin. After being called out for making an outrageous amount of puns, Luke simply tells Dr. Pfeffer (Scott Thompson) that he must be “fantastic size,” proving that our favorite action hero still knows how to smartly break out late in his career. .
FUBAR streaming on Netflix
If you grew up watching Arnold Schwarzenegger in his action movie heyday, then FUBAR is the next episode you should watch Netflix. Schwarzenegger and company approach their secret spy lifestyle with a wink and a nod in every scene, and the action sequences are feature-length, making the series even more enjoyable. Between every explosion and gunshot, FUBAR is very warm thanks to the family dynamic and has a laugh-per-minute ratio that you wouldn't expect if you went streaming series with zero expectations like I did.
FUBAR is a Netflix Original series and can be streamed with an active subscription. And if you like what you see, Season 2 is slated for mid-2025.
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