Super Pumped: The Battle Of Uber Season 1 Episode 1 Review: It’s not a ground-breaking show but Gordon-Levitt delivers a knockout punch

Story: ‘Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber’ is about the quest of Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, to make the ride-sharing app a success in every corner of the world.

Review: To be honest there is nothing in ‘Super Pumped’ that you have not seen before. You boil ‘The Social Network’, ‘Billions’, ‘Silicon Valley’ in a cauldron for a long time and the result is ‘Super Pumped’. The plot of a driven tech guy (an amalgamation of genius and mad) out to take on the world that is hell-bent upon bracketing him in norms is nothing new. If the first episode, which has been made available by the streaming platform, is any indication be prepared for a plot that has a resemblance with David Fincher’s ‘The Social Network’. At the same time, it would be utterly preposterous and far-fetched to assume and deduct anything about this series as Brian Koppelman, the man behind ‘Billions’, ‘The Girlfriend Experience’, and ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’, share credit as the series creator.

The show begins on a high note when Travis is shown interviewing a candidate for his company. His question – Are you an a@#$%&a? states the intention and the tone the series intends to follow. And true to the beginning, the pace and the impetus remain the same till the end of episode one.

The good thing about the series is that it doesn’t waste any time and maintains an extremely fast-paced momentum. This keeps you engaged and hooked. There is every possibility that this series will be forgotten after it has been aired but one thing this series can be proud of would be the fact that it does an image makeover of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It completely strips him of his ‘goody’ image that we have seen in plenty of his films. In ‘Super Pumped’, he is shown as a driven man ready to take on the world and twisting things as per his convenience and what suits his tech company.

Needless to say, Gordon-Levitt puts in a spirited performance and his act is award- worthy. Such a performance from Gordon-Levitt was just not expected and that itself is a winner. Another actor in the series who matches him in every step (by remaining on the opposite side in terms of mannerism) is Kyle Chandler as Bill Gurley, the investor who pumped money in the ride-sharing app. Chandler, in his performance, brings in all the nuances that angel investors are known for. He is direct, curt, and benevolent at the same time.

The series is based on Mike Issac’s best-selling book – The Battle for Uber – which shows Travis Kalanick as a ruthless and difficult man. The series successfully captures this aspect of Travis Kalanick and while this facet might be something that might not appeal to others in real life, it’s a different ball game when it comes to their depiction on the screen. Think of the films that revolved around Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. Both the films made a riveting watch. The series also boasts of actors like Uma Thurman and Hank Azaria (both missing in episode one) and with their presence in subsequent episodes, it would certainly be a smooth ride.

After the end of the first episode, Super Pumped looks unpredictable and this is what tilts things in favour of ‘Super Pumped’. If nothing else, enjoy the complete metamorphosis of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It’s a good detour for the actor as he gets plenty of opportunities to showcase his talent. It’s not a ground-breaking show, but it surely entertains and promises a good ride.