Fubar is a comedy action series created by Nick Santoro and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. I couldn't resist. How often do you get the chance to see your old action hero in action again in a new action series? I was super curious to see how much "Arnie" still holds his own in these modern times, and at his not-so-young age. And is the series itself worth binging? Let's find out!
Luke Brunner (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a CIA agent slowly contemplating retirement. Although he's worked as a government agent for most of his life, he's kept this secret from his loved ones for just as long. After his final mission, he's stunned to discover that his own daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro), has also been working as a CIA agent for quite some time. Because they're both very skilled at their jobs, however, they have to learn to work together as a team. It's no surprise that it's also a shock for Emma to discover that her father hasn't been who she thought all her life.
Yet, both must find a way to work together in harmony and put their differences aside. Together with their team of Aldon (Travis Van Winkle), Roo (Fortune Feimster), Barry (Milan Carter), and Tina (Aparna Brielle), their primary task is to capture the mastermind Boro (Gabriel Luna). But due to a close history with Luke, even this will be no easy task.
Fubar emphasizes lighthearted action and comedy. From the very first scene, you'll recognize the typical "old-school" action that typified early Schwarzenegger films. Don't overthink it, though, because once you start analyzing everything, it's hard to enjoy this series. The CIA team is diverse and certainly not boring, but it does lack a touch of maturity.
Don't think too much because once you start analyzing everything it's hard to enjoy this series.
This makes it very difficult to take the CIA seriously in general. Frequently, strange decisions are made, or our heroes find themselves in life-threatening situations through incredibly stupid actions. Sometimes there's a funny joke, but more often than not, it's more embarrassing than amusing, let's just say.
Fubar doesn't have the most engaging camerawork or editing. When things get tense, we're often treated to an excess of dialogue or a full-blown therapy session in the heat of the moment. It's a comedy, of course, but sometimes it simply misplaces the emphasis. As a result, the tension often completely vanishes if the series tries to take itself seriously for even a second.
The serious moments between Luke and Emma often don't work either. Sure, there's a common thread about family, parenthood, and especially the absence of a parental figure. But there's too much back-and-forth, so constructive discussion rarely arises. Only towards the end does a better conversation arise, but it often feels excessive. It's entertaining in some ways, and you sense the creators trying to give the viewer a big wink. But there's too much to mention that simply can't be taken seriously.
Even Arnold Schwarzenegger, as much as I enjoy seeing him again, is definitely not the action hero he was in his earlier years due to his age. You can clearly see when a stunt double has been used, and his movements are far too slow to be considered believable in a fight with lightning-fast (and especially younger) enemies.
The story also focuses on the home front, particularly Luke's ex-wife, Tally (Fabiana Udenio), Carter (Jay Baruchel), Emma's boyfriend, and Luke's son, Oscar (Devon Bostick). They are all unaware of Emma and Luke's secret lives. The series does a good job of exploring the consequences and risks of their careers regarding family and relationships. Throughout the series, Emma and Luke are often confronted with the consequences of their choices.
The acting is solid. However, the numerous forced dialogues often make it feel as if the actors are forced to say things that don't align with their characters. This is a shame, because this series also has potential, but the script doesn't allow it to rise above a mediocre sitcom level.
I give the series a 6.
The second season of Fubar has been available for a while now, so who knows if the next season has learned from its mistakes?
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
