FUBAR: Season 1 – TV Review

TL;DR – Arnold Schwarzenegger’s charisma goes a long way with this spy series, but odd structural choices and a middling narrative hold it back from reaching its potential.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this series.

Explosion

FUBAR Review

Between The Diplomat, The Night Agent, The Recruit, and more, it feels like we are going through a renaissance of Spy shows on TV. This has been a nice turn of events as someone who grew up on Spy shows like Get Smart, Chuck, and Alias. So, When I heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger was jumping back into this genre, well, you know, I had to check that out.

So to set the scene, Luke Brunner (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has worked at the CIA all his life. Because of that, he has become divorced from his wife Tally (Fabiana Udenio) and has a bit of a fractious relationship with his daughter Emma (Monica Barbaro) and son Oscar (Devon Bostick). But after a long career, Luke is finally retiring and can focus on his family and maybe winning the love of his life back now that she has started dating Donnie (Andy Buckley). But before he can officially spend his years doing up his boat, he is called back to active duty because Boro Polonia (Gabriel Luna), the son of an old arms dealer that Luke secretly killed, has started building pocket nuclear weapons. The CIA puts a spy in his organisation, but they are about to get outed, and Luke has to go in because Boro still remembers Luke fondly. All Luke has to do, is go to their compound in Guyana and get the undercover agent out … the only problem is that the secret agent turns out to be Emma. Now from here, we will be looking at the season as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead. 

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Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) – Exploring the Past

TL;DR – While it works as a time capsule of the 90s, so much of this film was left back 30 years ago  

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There are mid-credit scenes

Disclosure – I paid for the Binge service that viewed this film

A henchmen and the Steam roller.

Austin Powers Review

When you have had a bad week, one reflex you do is go back to old films from your youth. The only issue is that the movies of your youth might often not have the narrative legs you once thought they did, or you are just looking at them with new eyes. This week, the film in this situation is the James Bond spoofing Austin Powers.

So to set the scene, in 1967, somewhere outside of Las Vegas, Dr Evil (Mike Myers) is holding court with his minions, frustrated that none of them has been able to kill the famous British agent Austin Danger Powers (Mike Myers). Meanwhile, in London, after a significant musical number during the credits, Mrs Kensington (Mimi Rogers) lets Austin know that Dr Evil has set a trap for him at the Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club. Not wanting to be left out, Austin goes to the club, but Dr Evil is about to escape and has himself cryogenically frozen. In 1997, NORAD is looking at their scopes, and suddenly an object appears, and they discover that Dr Evil has returned, and it is time for the world to need Austin Powers again.   

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