Super Pumped (2022– ) User Reviews (61)

Why the negative reviews?

[treydrier · 8/10 · 10 May 2022]

I worked for several Silicon Valley start ups 25 to 30 years ago when the Valley was in its hey day. It's the reason I started my own company - I could no longer stand to work for domineering egotistical management. Super Pumped is a bit over the top in some ways but also an accurate depiction of today's tech start ups. People need to understand the mentality of these 'disruptive' genius's. Guys like Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle) was very much like the Uber founder - a ton of hype and in the end very successful but he did many under-handed things to get there (like shipping blank installation disks in the 90's because the product wasn't ready for prime time despite Ellison saying it was, plus Oracle's misleading and deceptive sales and ads).

Travis Kalanick is what Silicon Valley is today what Larry Ellison was 30 years ago. I do remember Uber going through terrible growing pains and they had to deal with hypocrites and corruption in local governments. I also vividly remember when NYC banned Uber for a short time until locals and businesses fought back against DiBlasio. I did a lot of business in NYC and can verify that the cabs at that time (10 years ago) were God awful. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, had sympathy for them and their broken down beat up unsafe cars and bad attitude cabbies. They overcharged and cabbies were blatantly dishonest. I started using Uber the moment it was available. Uber was a breath of fresh air at the time. However, today Uber has lost its luster imo due to inconsistent rates, unhappy drivers and surge pricing that customers despise. This limited Showtime series accurately depicts Uber's fight for relevancy. I specifically remember their 'Grayball' tactics on the West coast. Everyone was rooting for them at that time and they were very creative in getting around the rules until city after city finally accepted them. I have 2 beefs with this series: 1. Kyle Chandler plays the same role he plays in everything he does. He's ok in this series but not great imo.

2. I enjoy JGL as the Uber CEO/founder but it is highly dramatized and does have that Billions feel to it. He's good though in the role he's playing.

Overall it's a good watch and a *relatively* accurate depiction of Uber's struggle (and continued struggle) for profitability. It's stock price today is about half of the $45 IPO when it went public in 2019. It's been a terrible investment for shareholders. It's a business that burns through tons cash due to the high variable costs of scaling the business to meet demand. This series accurately depicts Uber's struggles and the ego's that get in the way of success.

Billions in Real Life

[lakings97 · 8/10 · 31 May 2022]

Super Pumped is a limited series on Showtime based on the true events for the battle for Uber. The story centers around the cofounder Travis Kalenick who is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt thru all the ups and downs the start up withstood against the public, their employees, politically and to their drivers. The story was intriguing from the start with narration from Quentin Tarantino. I never knew Ariana Huffington was on the board for Uber and she was played by Uma Thurman. Kyle Chandler acted as Bill Gurley who was initially invested in the company and tried to control Travis and his egocentric management style. Half the time I am rooting for him and there are times I was expecting the company to fail. Bill Howe and Elizabeth Shue played Travis's parents. Travis was such a momma's boy, every time he was battling and losing he would cry to either his mom or to Huffington. Damon Gupton (David Drummond) and Chelcie Ross (David Borderman) we're also added to the board of directors and all the members eventually ousted Travis from his own company. Ben Feldman acted as Larry Page along with David Krumholtz as Sergei Brin the co-creator of Google. There were plenty of good actors with small roles from Fred Armisen, Bill Harper as Eric Holder, John Michael Higgins, and Hank Azaria as Tim Cook. Mark Cuban had a cameo playing himself. Overall great series that is better than Billions and definitely learned a few things along the way. Definitely check it out, very entertaining and never boring.

Familiar dialogue

[bobbeckman-93210 · 6/10 · 28 February 2022]

Billions reformatted. Same writers. Same quote laden dialogue in a way that no one actually talks. It gets old. I'm sick of billions and hesitant on this one. I'll watch because I drove for Uber for 5 years, but not sure how long I can take it.

More real than you'd imagine; Not for everyone

[Vic_max · 10/10 · 10 May 2022]

This review will be in the minority here - and I get it. The characters in the show are over-the-top, one-dimensional and almost cartoon-like in the way they're portrayed.

So why the "10"? Because ... that's what it's really like with some founders and their corporate entourage / enablers. If you've lived through that experience, like many of us who've been involved in high-growth Silicon Valley startups, it's scary real.

There are brilliant founders out there with god-complexes and a reality-bubble surrounding them. It's like a distortion field. You get close enough and you start buying into the warped reality they have. The more successful company becomes - the stronger the bubble gets.

Anyway - while this won't be great viewing for everyone, to those who've lived through stuff like this, it can be captivating. To be on the outside and look into the crazy, fevered frenzy that sucks people in like a cult is quite an opportunity for reflection and learning.

So - that's why for me, it has to be a "10".

I was kinda super pumped moving through each episode

[TheTruthofItIs · 8/10 · 11 May 2022]

"Super Pumped" (S01, 7 eps, 1-hr, Showtime) is an engaging docudrama of the rise and fall of Travis Kalanick and his Uber empire. You get to see him at his best and worst where the distance between those two is ever so slight. Whatever you think of him, his story as told here is pretty riveting. BTW, this story wraps with the season finale. I don't see how there's a second season unless it tells another's rise/fall.

Here's what it comes down to..

[mrvino15 · 7/10 · 12 April 2022]

If you're interested in Uber and it's CEO, then you are. If you're not, you're not.

That's basically what this comes down to. Joseph Gordon Levitt is JGL, he's fantastic. The acting is great, etc.

The script is good, the story is .. well, again, "good" if you're into it and "not good" if you're not. I didn't know much about Uber and the crap that the Uber CEO pulled, went through, etc. So, I found this show quite entertaining! It's a hollywood version of the events that went down with him leaving the company he, for the most part, built.

But, in the end, it's a very entertaining watch IF you are interested in this story. Everything (the script, acting, story, etc) is great if you are. If you want to watch a 7 episode story about Uber as a startup until 2017 when Travis Kalanick left, then you're the prime audience. If you don't give a rats a$$ then....

I enjoyed it even though I didn't give a rats a$$ about the CEO.

Nasty guy in intense drama!

[johan-hillnas · 8/10 · 20 May 2022]

You just wanna see this cocky a-hole fail.

And the history of Uber is interesting in itself.

Pretty good characters and environments.

Mark Cuban from Shark Tank makes a cameo.

The show is so in your face you want to binge it!

Go into it with reasonable expectations

[krupocin-1 · 7/10 · 3 April 2022]

I see a lot of people comparing this to The Social Network & Wolf of Wall Street...you know, 2 of the best movies of the 21st century, directed by one of the best directors (Fincher/Scorsese) alive, written by one of the most accomplished screenwriters of our time (Sorkin/Winter), with one of the best scores/soundtracks (Reznor & Ross/standard Scorsese), and great actors in pretty much every role in the movie. Besides maybe Succession & Better Call Saul, what else currently on TV can even be mentioned in the same sentence as The Social Network or Wolf of Wall Street? I guess maybe Atlanta but even that isn't to the same level.

Super Pumped is a fun show about the pretty crazy story of Uber's genesis. I thought they were taking a lot of liberties with the story but besides JGL's portrayal of Travis, it shocked me how much of this actually happened, even scene for scene recreations of certain events. Unlike The Dropout & WeCrashed, which are slightly better shows, this one seems to be sticking to the facts a little more closely when it comes to plot.

I can see why this show isn't for everyone, it's not supposed to be some serious meditation on Kalanick or some cinematic masterpiece like TSN or an Oscar winner packed drama-comedy like WofWS...it's a very specific look at what things were like at Uber, testosterone fueled fast paced corrupt etc and the show reflects that. The pacing is excellent as is the analog synth score. There's a really great cast involved (JGL interestingly is probably the worst part since he's nothing like Kalanick but even he grew on me) and the show is undeniably fun. The show is narrated by an uncensored Quinten Tarantino which I think also tells you more than I could with further description. Those are actually some of my least fav parts of the show but they set the tone perfectly.

I would recommend this show for anyone who is interested in Uber's history and likes a fun fast paced show. This is by the "Billions" guys and the tone is exactly the same. Just like Billions once you get used to the style there's some great stuff in there. Who this isn't for is anyone looking for a more documentary take or even a serious dramatic take on Uber (although the irony is that this is more accurate than TSN or WofWS was by far) but rather a fun retelling of a wild story. I have pretty discerning taste when it comes to TV and I thoroughly enjoy watching this show so I would say at least give it a try...especially since the first episode was the least interesting imo.

The story you thought you knew (but really didn't)

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 12 March 2022]

As Episode 1 of "Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber" (2022 release; 7 episodes of about 50 min each) opens, it is "2011" and we are introduced to Travis. Kalanick, who is trying to get UberCab off the ground. But he is struggling on many fronts, most of all money, as he needs venture capital investment in the worst way. Travis is introduced to Bill Gurley... At this point we are 10 min into the opening episode.

Couple of comments: this mini-series is the latest brainchild of Brian Koppelman and David Levien ("Billions"). Here they take a look at the rise of Uber and what role Travis Kalanick played in it. Having seen 2 episodes to date, I was pleasantly surprised and frankly entertained as a viewer. As it turns out, I knew very little about how Uber came about, and the obstacles it had to overcome along the way. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is cast perfectly as Travis Kalanick, who not surprisingly isn't the most pleasant person to be around. Kyle Chandler is equally up to the task as the venture capitalist Bill Gurley. Travis' mother is played by none other than Elizabeth Shue. Umma Thurman (playing Arianna Huffington) was not in the initial 2 episodes. The production set is tops. For some reason, the initial 2 episodes feature a bunch of Pearl Jam songs, for no apparent or obvious reason. Please note that "Super Pumped" has already been greenlighted for a second season, which will have nothing to do with Uber. But instead will look at Facebook. Can't wait for that.

Episode 1 of "Super Pumped: The Fight for Uber" premiered on February 27 on Showtime. New episodes air Sunday evenings. Once aired, episodes are available on SHO On Demand and SHO Anytime (where I caught it). If you have any interest in understanding the rise of Uber or what it takes to run a company like Uber, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

UPDATE 4/11/22 I've now seen all episodes. I've upgraded my rating to 8 stars. Chilling yet absorbing mini-series that is must=watch, period.

Solid, entertaining show.

[BongoJustice · 10 May 2022]

I don't understand all the people moaning that this is like The Wolf of Wall Street. It isn't and even if it was, they're both about reckless entrepreneurs so what would the issue be? "Waaaah it's like the Social Network". Well they're both about tech startups, genius.

It's solidly acted. It's about things that happened, so again it's unclear why people are whining that it's "unrealistic"?

From the same guys that make the excellent Billions and you can see the stye and the tropes here as well as some of the same actors, which is no bad thing.

It's pacy and dynamic and moves along at quite a rate, doesn't outstay its welcome. Give it a shot.

Cast is good, subject confused

[Arts-student · 6/10 · 27 February 2022]

The cast is great - no surprise. The structure, style and story lacks a point of view that creates a generic narrative of a white guy failing upwards while ignoring the depth, intrigue and complexity of the relationships present. If you love the actors, you can forgive the disinterested ride.

Super... But NOT supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

[JohnRayPeterson · 8/10 · 20 June 2022]

The series creators also created another series I like and follow, 'Billions'. That being said, what I immediately noticed, and in every episode of the first season, was how the series used actual names of individuals portrayed in the series. Lots of well known personalities. The founder of UBER, Travis Kalanik, delightfully played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the key character, is portrayed as an egomaniac, acting like a grownup child with no redeeming values, all hype, and controlling. He sought individuals with equally low virtue or qualifications to work for him, basically anyone who would buy into his cult leader like personality. This is was the start of a... no, not a beautiful relationship, a most unhealthy climate for any business to develop; but we're in the 21st century so no rules like common sense apply anymore. It's full speed ahead and the people the company hurts as it grows, be dammed.

Other characters who were or are in real life who they are in the series, Larry Page, cofounder of Google, Bill Gurley, venture capitalist partner at Benchmark, Arianna Huffington, founder of Huffington Post, Anthony Levandowski, the inventor of the first self driving car, Sergei Brin, cofounder of Google, Tim Cook, Apple CEO, Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur (who doesn't know him) played himself. By the way Cuban and Gurley were not unlikable characters in the series, but I can't speak for how they are in real life; I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. David Bonderman, a billionaire investor cofounder of TPG Capital, played by an actor I always like, Chelcie Ross, was a character who walked a fine line between common sense good guy and sneaky bastard. The series has an abundance of known actors, actors we've seen umpteenth times in variety of roles and movie or series genre; that was a plus for me.

I was not aware of the rollercoaster ride the company, Uber, had gone through before 2020, but now I do. It doesn't make me sympathetic to it regardless. And, I certainly did not know all the connections the odious Kalanik made as he grew the company, let alone all the illegal and unscrupulous maneuverings. It's what made me keep watching. A friend recommended the series to me and since I trust my friend's recommendation, always been on the mark, I gave it a look-see. I am surprised none of the very wealthy characters portrayed, and named repeatedly in the series, haven't sued for showing them in such a bad light; gotta give that US first constitutional amendment some credit for that I suppose. I loved the series, and perhaps some of the delight comes from watching elite SOB's being shined a blue-light on them, a form of Schadenfreude if you will. Then again, one could simply call this exposure dark humour. Okay, I'll go with that, dark humour. Don't we all like to learn the dark little secrets of companies we are suspicious of, and don't we all think those young bravado CEO's are deserving of a good kick in the... you know. If, like me you are in that mood right now, or soon, just watch Super Pumped and release some of your stress in the process.

Insightful view of the CEO

[eileen-mango · 6/10 · 10 October 2023]

The point of view of the CEO is similar to House of Cards, Billions and Wolf of Wall Street. The movie shows the his brilliance and his journey with Uber. I enjoyed the story about Uber. The antics of the bros mentality was exhausting to watch throughout. It was an all around good story that could have been a miniseries of 4 episodes would have been good too.

The silence parts of explaining what happen to the women were overshadowed and could have been portrayed better. Like statistics of what happen to them and how it was resolved.

The supporting characters on the board were superb and all played well.

ughhh Super Annoyed not Pumped

[xnnyavnmb · 4/10 · 1 March 2022]

Apparently every 10 seconds this dude has an epic speech that you know never happened and certainly didn't happen at the level JGL takes it to. Maybe I wanted more of a documentary style show giving us inside info we didn't already know but instead I found myself just Super Annoyed. The creators do a much better job on Billions.

A MUST WATCH!!

[sorubasona · 10/10 · 30 July 2022]

Just finished it and yes I loveddd it!! Everything. In this show is good .. The superrrr pumped acting by JGL as TK is so freaking on point. .all the cast and crew did a phenomenal job.... THIS IS ART..!!!!.. KEEP HUSTLING GUYS!!!

I love it for what it is at least enough for a 9

[UniqueParticle · 9/10 · 7 March 2022]

Superb writing like Billions and narrated by legendary Quentin Tarantino which is glorious! I understand the mixed vibes but the show is worth watching. The acting is riveting business savvy that flows well, it's well filmed, Joesph Gordon Levitt is perfect for the CEO role and I'm probably one of very few excited for more! I will say I'm not much a fan of Uber cause I have autism and the drivers talk to much from my experience.

I guess it's wrong that I love the show geez.

Expectations

[Birajyogi · 7/10 · 28 February 2022]

I have waited for this show a while now.

With an exceptional cast, Uma Thurman is yet to show her face, there should be better things ahead.

And I understand it is just the first episode and Tarantino is the narrater and the show is headed down a less descriptive and comedic version of Big Short, but either the graphics needs to improve or the narrative element itself.

Comparing this show with with something on TV right now, I was getting a lot Succession season 1 episode 1 vibe, hoping for similar level of improvement with subsequent episodes.

I didn't like the first episode but it gets better, I'm hooked now.

[Nutreja · 8/10 · 13 March 2022]

The first episode was meh, but it was entertaining enough to keep watching. Episode 2 was much better and now episode 3 was really, really good. I guess it's gonna keep getting better and better. Give it a chance.

Very solid

[chacewhite · 7/10 · 28 February 2022]

Only 1 episode has been released at the time of this review but it was very good. It feels like a less pretentious version of Billions with more realistic dialogue. Also I loved the music in this.

I really like this...

[JK-WhatsUpWeirdoPodcast · 9/10 · 3 April 2022]

I'm usually a true crime/ horror type person, but I kinda love this. I love the stylized way it's shot and the weird graphics, it makes a techy story less boring and more alive. I love Quentin Tarantino narrating, I love the Pearl Jam throughout, regardless of if you care about Uber, the show has a whole vibe. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is genius in everything he's ever done, and this is no exception. He's magnetic, and makes you want to slightly root for the bad guy, which is I think exactly how they wanted you to feel. I find myself waiting for new eps to drop, which is a rarity. I'm all in.

Great show, Horrible Title

[jamescaine199 · 7/10 · 14 March 2022]

I am really liking the show, but is Larry Page really that weird? JGL is a great actor but I don't see Kalanick in him, he doesn't resemble him at all. Super Pumped sounds like a title you come up with in middle school, how about "Disruption"? Kalanick is a horrible person, how did they gorgeous women fall for a guy without a conscience? But, love the writing, and the acting for the most part. So if Kalanick doesn't write code, what exactly does he do?

Absolutely stunning

[xmike-25541 · 10/10 · 7 April 2022]

Look, idk what is true and what was dramatized for the show purposes but i only rate the quality of the show itself.. i genuely believe that Kalanick was/is relatively like Joseph portrays him (giant douche and intelligent monster) but we should be rating the show and the work of producers, actors and makers..

I can only recommend this show , becauce there´s absolutely ZERO boring scenes , all actors are more then watchable , very detailed and straightforward dialogues , powerful "behind the scenes" intriques..

Kyle Chandler and Gordon-Levitt are strongholds of the show and you must watch it if you like shows based on true events..

Not Taxi, just Uber

[MTNmovieMan · 30 March 2022]

Does anybody really care about how Uber became an app? Super bummed more like. Total bore and should hurt a few acting careers, deservedly so.

The main issue here is the story, there is none. Main characters are uninspiring and simply, nobody cares about your business and why am I asked for a tip every time I ride an Uber? Doing Lyft now, better value and more interesting than this pile of rubbish.

Exposes UBer as it is ! Cancel & Boycott Uber!!!

[petercoleman555 · 7/10 · 13 May 2022]

This is the best show that people who use Uber should watch and take note.

It exposes Uber for their bad practices and sneaky behaviour to take everyone's money and not care about ethics.

I deleted my Uber app after this and will always use alternative companies. Cancel Uber!

Boycott Uber!

Insulting to anyone with a hint of intelligence

[pilotgav · 3/10 · 6 March 2022]

This should have been a great project but it feels like it was written by a junior high school student. Full of grandstanding and cliches. Not as good as it's cast.