Super Pumped Trailer: Book A Bumpy Uber Ride With Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Showtime has released a new trailer for "Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber," a series starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and you might want to just walk to wherever you're going after watching it.

I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and maybe this won't glorify former CEO Travis Kalanick and a company that's had such highly publicized issues. I hope not, anyway. Look, I usually don't send people to Wikipedia pages, but go ahead and peek at the exceedingly long list of "criticisms" and "controversies" in the table of contents. The only reason I say this is because I, unlike so many people, really hated "The Wolf of Wall Street." Yes, it had great performances, and technically as a film, it was well made. I just hated how they seemed to glorify Jordan Belfort, even including him in a cameo role.

In the intro alone, they flash a lot of descriptors on the screen about the true story this is based on, including "wild," "loud," "cocky," "shady," "reckless," "excessive," "ridiculous," "damaging," and "outrageous," and if you don't know the history of this company, I would encourage you to look it up. Yes, it helps you get home from bars without driving — but there is a dark side to rideshare companies. 

I'm definitely getting those "The Wolf of Wall Street" vibes here, especially when Travis says, "If there is something that's going to kill Uber, then I have to remove it." Kalanick was the CEO of Uber from 2010 until 2017 when he resigned. He gave up his seat on the board of directors in 2019 and sold most of his shares in the company. He's super rich now — like, billionaire rich. Make of that what you will. 

Of course, none of this means "Super Pumped" won't be a great series. Of course I'll watch it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has that smirk down pat, and if he's in it with Kyle Chandler and Uma Thurman, it's likely going to be worth checking out — at least from an acting perspective. But it doesn't mean I'll be taking an Uber any time soon ... and don't even get me started on surge pricing.

Here is the official synopsis for the show:

Based on a true story. Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber will depict the roller-coaster ride of the upstart transportation company, Uber, embodying the highs and lows of Silicon Valley. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Uma Thurman, and Kyle Chandler. Watch the series premiere Sunday, February 27th on SHOWTIME.

"Super Pumped" will air on Showtime beginning on February 27, 2022.