“FUBAR” has been available to stream on Netflix for a few days now and is not only a comeback for Arnold Schwarzenegger after a long break, but also his first leading role in a series. And we recommend it to you in the original version.
There are certainly many good reasons to watch “FUBAR” in the German dubbed version. After all, many of you want to know who will be permanently voicing action legend Arnold Schwarzenegger in Germany now that his regular voice actor for decades, Thomas Danneberg, has been retired for some time. This article is not meant to be synchro-bashing, but there is a very simple reason why we especially recommend the original version.
In “FUBAR”, Arnold Schwarzenegger takes aim at himself – and that can’t be dubbed in this form. Part of it is that his character Luke Brunner has the same background as the actor himself: He is actually Austrian.
BENGEL, HOSENSCHEISSER: YOU’LL MISS THIS IN THE GERMAN SYNCHR
It’s been a long time since Schwarzenegger packed such a really thick German accent into his role as he does in “FUBAR” on Netflix. You just miss that in the dubbed version – and it’s not all.
The humour is unfortunately very flat and annoying in parts. But it gets funny when Schwarzenegger turns up the volume and suddenly puts German terms into his sentences. When he calls his counterpart “brat” or “rug rat”, that’s not a joke per se. These moments are made successful above all by the diverse reactions of the other characters. Sometimes people are simply perplexed for a moment, sometimes they ask questions, sometimes they try to ignore it somehow. These moments lose their effect in the German version – yet they are the strongest of the whole series.
Even if you usually prefer German dubbed versions: If your English skills allow you to do so (you can optionally add German subtitles) and you are a fan of Schwarzenegger and/or “FUBAR”, definitely check out the original version! But don’t expect the “Terminator” star to swear in German all the time. The moments are spread out, otherwise they would also wear out quickly.
