GET READY TO LAUGH AND ENJOY “FUBAR” ACTION

Arnold Schwarzenegger two weeks in a row? The guy still knows how to market himself and in this case he had a documentary about himself released at the same time as his first TV series. Sure, it’s on Netflix but it’s still a series. When I saw this show was on its way I was a bit concerned because the last few shows haven’t been as good as I expected them to be. I had to wonder if Netflix was grasping at straws trying to hit gold based on the overall love of Arnold world wide. I came to find out watching this show that it was more than that. FUBAR is as much action as it is comedy.

Imagine if Hollywood took the movie True Lies – which also starred Schwarzenegger and made it into a TV show. Also, imagine that there are subtle references to his other movies and quirks like catchphrases. Only in this version Arnold’s Luke Brunner is old, his daughter is grown, and he and his wife are divorced. It’s basically an alternate universe where he never got the happy ending as in that similar movie. Arnold plays a CIA agent that is at his moment of retirement and is looking to fix the life he never had outside of the CIA. He takes one last job where he has a target that comes from his past as part of the operation. He finds more than he expects when part of the mission involves him saving his own daughter that is also working in the CIA. The problem is he didn’t know she had joined up. His daughter is Emma, played by Monica Barbaro is as feisty as he is and as good of liar as he ever was too. During the action involved series they delve into the fact he can’t let his little girl go and she can’t forgive him for all the moments in her life he missed and now she knows why. There is plenty of action involved but it’s not all running and gunning. The cast is made up of a group of co-workers and family members that are not just there as add on characters. FUBAR is full of humor and the surrounding cast is brilliant at it.

Barry (Milan Carter) plays Luke’s handler at the CIA and friend of his family. Barry brings some of the best lines on his own, but he doesn’t get all of them. There is plenty of humor to go around with teammates Fortune Feimster as Roo and Travis Van Winkle as Aldon as team support and best friends who play pitch-and-catch with their one liners like a comedy duo. They also know how to bring the action and Aldon is the good looking agent that ladies are going to swoon over. What makes this show so fun is the relationships between the team and their family members that have no idea that they’re in the CIA and not selling workout equipment. The best part is that at no point does this take away from the action or story going forward. It all fits in the “it’s just a TV show” mentality that you have to have. While Arnold is showing his age and can’t be as actiony as he used to be, he can still pull off the humor. The cringiest being when he finds a certain adult piece of equipment that belongs to his daughter. Gabrial Luna plays the bad guy Boro Polonia as a sadistic madman that has ties to Brunner and will really let no one stand in his way to being as powerful as his father was in the crime world. While the only problem I really found with this show is Schwarzenegger’s acting is a little stiff at his age, but still pulls off the tough guy moments. Barbaro is a strong actress who plays Emma as both tough and conflicted. And while both of these characters need to grow as people it takes time and strange situations to get them there. The cast works and the action, drama, and comedy mix well together that anyone can watch these eight episodes and leave feeling like they watched a good show that satisfied them on multiple levels. A fun show with a big star and a side of comedy mixed with a little nostalgia makes it worth watching. Maybe you’ll come out with a catchphrase of your own even if it’s stolen from somewhere else.