FUBAR's Episode 2 Train Scene Gives Off Keanu Reeves Speed Vibes
This post contains spoilers for Netflix's "FUBAR."
What's a good spy heist thriller without a set piece on a moving train? Even better if the train cannot be stopped for some reason, immediately skyrocketing the stakes of the mission while endangering innocent passengers aboard, who have no clue that they're hurtling towards imminent death. From "Unstoppable" to "Bullet Train," many films have employed this trope to create thrilling, dangerous scenarios — next in line is Netflix's comedy-action thriller, "FUBAR," with none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger leading a risky interception mission to stop an illegal arms dealer from blowing up the world. Schwarzenegger plays veteran CIA operative Luke Brunner, who has just found out that his daughter Emma (Monica Barbaro) is also a covert operative, adding to the stress of an already messy situation that could potentially lead to disaster.
To quickly explain the situation in episode 2, Luke, Emma, and their team are aboard a train en route to Nur-Sultan whilst working undercover, as they need to stop arms dealer Boro (Gabriel Luna) from pumping out Celsium 137, which he intends to use to make a nuclear bomb. The CIA team is already aware of a chokepoint wherein Boro would attempt to extract the nuclear waste. As chaos ensues, the gang decides to accelerate the train after it cannot be manually overridden. Unfortunately, an accidental miscalculation sets them on a path to a sure-shot collision with a settlement at the end of the tracks.
It is impossible not to think of Jan de Bont's subway sequence in "Speed" while this particular segment in "FUBAR" unfolds. While there's no ticking time bomb involved here, Luke does a Keanu Reeves-esque maneuver to accelerate the train when it cannot be stopped. Let us delve deeper into the parallels of these disparate, yet similar sequences.
The end of the line
"Speed" is the kind of film that transforms a major chunk of its runtime into a complex, elaborate set piece — there's no room to breathe or slow down as Jack (Keanu Reeves) hops from one vehicle to another to stop them from blowing up. Annie (Sandra Bullock) finds herself in tight situations twice. At first, she has to drive a bus that will blow up if it dips below 50 miles per hour, and later, she's forced to wear an explosive vest on a subway train that cannot be stopped.
The arsonist in question, Payne (a brilliant Dennis Hopper), is a wild card throughout, obsessed with extorting money via bomb threats and acting erratically whenever things do not go his way. After he handcuffs Annie to a pole, he fights with Jack on top of the moving train but is decapitated by a railway signal in the process.
Although Jack is able to deactivate the bomb, he is unable to free Annie or stop the train from crashing. In order to save her life, he accelerates the train, creating enough velocity to be able to jump the tracks. The duo is miraculously unharmed as the train crashes into a construction site and screeches to a halt on Hollywood Boulevard. The absurdity of the moment is undercut by the sweetness of the kiss they share, relieved to have survived such harrowing events and found love in an impossible scenario. The acceleration maneuver is a literal leap of faith, functioning both on a tangible and emotional level, where tenderness is found at the end of the line.
While "FUBAR" sports a completely different situation, the mechanics of accelerating the train to prevent collision are the same as that of "Speed." If anything, the stakes are higher here.
Another leap of faith
The train sequence in "FUBAR" underlines a string of recurring themes that lie at the heart of the show. Luke's obsession with winning his ex-wife over leads him to spy on her current lover, which inadvertently leads him to open four coolant valves that end up accelerating the train at a speed that cannot be controlled. The double life of a CIA agent can be tricky to navigate and an unfortunate mix-up between the personal and the political literally endangers countless lives during a top-priority mission.
However, in the process of attempting to stop the train from crashing, Luke and Emma are able to work through their mutual trust issues. In order for her to warm up the valve magnets with the nuclear sludge, Emma first needs to climb on top of a dangerously fast train. While Luke is initially (and vehemently) against this plan, he agrees that this is the only way to save everyone on board. With the help of the magnetic vests that their therapist gave them, the duo end up coordinating the move and warming the valves enough for them to slow down the train. The crisis is averted thanks to Luke's ability to let go of his need to control and Emma's willingness to be vulnerable during such a stressful, life-or-death situation.
While the "FUBAR" train sequence does not possess quite the edge that the subway scene has in "Speed," both films embrace the concept of saving the day by taking a leap of faith. Without someone to truly care about, one would never push themselves to do something so reckless and dangerous, and in the vein of well-earned good endings, everything works out and the world is saved (for now).
"FUBAR" is now streaming on Netflix.