Arnold’s action-adventure is fun … for a while

In this new streaming age, how many episodes do you need?
Many shows try 10; eight is popular, occasionally six. (For whatever reason, even numbers usually prevail.) But for “FUBAR” (shown here) – which arrived recently on Netflix – I would have suggested 1.5.
Okay, maybe 2.5, because the final hour is kind of fun. But the rest is flawed.
“FUBAR” is a big deal for any streamer. Here is a major movie star (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and one-time governor, starring in an eight-hour mini-series with all the things he does best – action, explosions and moments of dry irony.
He plays Luke, a skilled CIA operative. Like Schwarzenegger’s “True Lies” character, he never told his wife what he does for a living. This time, however, that didn’t turn out well. They’re divorced, but he has a warm spot for her, their son and their daughter Emma.
Emma is played by Monica Barbaro, a gifted young star, fresh from “Top Gun: Maverick” and the fun streaming film “At Midnight.” I won’t spoil any surprises, but she and her dad (shown here) are the film’s core.
And that first hour handles it beautifully, zipping with funny moments and great dialog. A highlight comes any time Luke tries to chastise Emma for her language.
And after that? Well, it’s not quite FUBAR (in polite terms, “fouled up beyond any recognition”), but it’s also not particularly good.
It repeats itself often, as Luke, Emma and others keep having the same family-vs.-career debate. Those put Schwarzenegger far from his wheelhouse. He’s best at action and at quick, clever understatement; during long stretches of dialog, he’s reduced mostly to a scowling monotone.
Barbaro, however, is excellent, as is most of the supporting cast. Travis Van Winkle plays a beefy young CIA guy (oddly, for a Schwarzenegger film, the only guy who removes his shirt). Milan Carter and Aparna Brielle are charming as nerdy colleagues; only Fortune Feimster gets a tad one-note.
As the story continues, some flaws are repeated. Villains’ bullets have a remarkable inability to hit a target; good guys keep stop to chat while time is running out.
Then “FUBAR” rights itself. At eight hours, it’s merely OK; at 2.5, it would have been terrific.