Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the age of 75, makes a remarkable TV debut in Fubar, an action comedy that also features Monica Barbaro from Top Gun: Maverick. It seems that aging action heroes are currently in vogue, with Harrison Ford (80) returning as Indiana Jones and Sylvester Stallone (76) portraying an aging Mafia capo in Tulsa King, his first venture into television. Now, Schwarzenegger (75) joins the ranks by appearing in Fubar on Netflix, playing a CIA agent on the verge of retirement but called back into action for one final mission.
Fubar falls under the category of “not extraordinary, but incredibly enjoyable.” Like the aforementioned projects featuring Ford and Stallone, it strikes a balance: it offers plenty of self-deprecating humor about growing older and being out-of-touch (“Nobody wants to lift heavy weights anymore. Everyone wants to go biking with their digital pals,” Schwarzenegger remarks about Gen Z), while showcasing that the old-timer still possesses impressive skills. The film opens with an entertaining sequence where he smokes a cigar, drives a sleek car, jumps onto a moving fire truck, steals diamonds from a vault, and eliminates a group of villains, all before one can even say, “But the stunt double is clearly 30 years younger than Arnie.”
Schwarzenegger, at 75, looks remarkably fit and is the perfect choice for this role. The plot bears resemblance to his ’90s film True Lies: his character, Luke Brunner, leads a double life, concealing his CIA work from his family. However, when he is dispatched to Guyana to rescue a compromised fellow agent, he uncovers a surprising revelation—the agent in question is none other than his own daughter, Emma (played by Monica Barbaro, who portrayed the female pilot in Top Gun: Maverick).
Much of the ensuing comedy revolves around the dynamics between father and daughter. Luke had believed Emma to be a kind-hearted, virtuous charity worker, but he is taken aback when he discovers her engaging in bare-knuckle boxing with paramilitaries in Guyana. “You’ve been deceiving me for the past decade. And you smoke!” he exclaims, appalled by her behavior.
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The show is at its weakest when attempting to delve into Emma’s grievances against her father—her resentment towards his absence during her childhood, and so on. Additionally, it can become excessively zany, particularly with the inclusion of a Q-like character named Milan Carter, who guides operations and somehow has ties to the Brunner family. Schwarzenegger is not known for his subtlety in comedic performances. However, he is clearly enjoying himself, and if you’re a fan of action comedies, you undoubtedly will too.