Hawkeye | Screenlife Reviews

If you were to ask most people who their favourite Avenger was, chances are not many would choose the bow and arrow wielding Hawkeye. His new Disney+ show aims to change all that; a Christmas-set thrill ride that focuses on the archer outside of his Avenging duties, beaten up and bruised as he takes on the training of a new recruit. Like a lot of these Disney+ shows it doesn’t quite stick the landing, but with everything else it gets right – charming chemistry between the leads, Christmas atmosphere and incredibly fun action scenes – Hawkeye doesn’t miss, one of the finest things Marvel has produced in recent memory.

In New York for a pre-Christmas bonding trip with his recently returned from the Blip kids, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) relearns that he is never truly off the clock when his Ronin suit – a costume from his earlier days as a cold-blooded mercenary – is unveiled at a local black market auction. Fearful that his identity will be uncovered by associates of the criminals he put a stop to and his family put in danger, Clint sets out to locate the suit, which just so happens to have been taken by Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) – a young archer who idolises Hawkeye and has unknowingly made herself a target for all those who hold a grudge against the Ronin. The pair must team up in order to clear both their names, in the process tangling with tracksuit garbed mafia goons, Kate’s sword-wielding soon-to-be stepfather Jack (Tony Dalton) and Maya (Alaqua Cox), a young deaf woman with a particularly personal score to settle with the Ronin.

Setting Hawkeye as Marvel’s big Christmas show proves to be a stroke of genius; the Christmas carol filled soundtrack and snow-covered New York City creating such an overwhelming energy of fun that is impossible not to be swept up in. Christmas also acts as a powerful motivator for Clint, giving the show a constant undercurrent of tension as we fret over whether he will make it back in time for his first family Christmas in 5 years. The stakes are admittedly low in terms of the MCU of it all; the world won’t end if he doesn’t make it home for Christmas but to Clint, not disappointing his family is everything, and after all he has been through you can’t help but root for him, creating some genuine audience investment in a character who had largely been written of as the joke Avenger.

Those personal stakes also make the action feel that much more intense and meaningful, the desperate struggles of a hurt man just looking to survive each bout if it means he is one step closer to his family. The hand-to-hand combat is choreographed impressively well, impactful and brutal in ways that make you fear for Clint, whilst also managing to be surprisingly funny, with the series taking full advantage of Clint’s tired and frustrated “seen it all before” attitude. Where the audience starts to adopt that same attitude is in the finale; a typically massive, explosion filled affair that, while gripping thanks to our investment in the characters, can’t help but feel a little over-the-top and nonsensical. The entire show has been this somewhat grounded look at these two characters who have been put through the ringer, reeling from every scrape and bruise and suddenly they are taking hundreds of hits and shrugging them off. A visually epic series of scenes sure, but one that doesn’t quite gel with the tone previously established.

Where the show truly shines is in the chemistry between Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, an endlessly endearing relationship that plays off the grizzled mentor/overly-excited student trope to terrific effect. If Hawkeye is a superhero coming to the end of a long, hard career of crime-fighting then Kate Bishop is one at the very cusp of her own, all wide-eyed, chattering excitement at learning the tricks of the trade. Kate feels like such a desperately needed shot of energy that it is hard to imagine how the MCU ever survived without her, Steinfeld constantly firing on all cylinders with an endless supply of smart-ass jokes and an obsession with trick arrows that makes for some truly wonderful pay-offs. Steinfeld’s character isn’t only one of unbridled optimism and she is deeply affecting in those quieter moments when Kate’s entire world is turned upside down, her perception of what her life has been and what it will be going forward completely shifting and forcing her to adapt.

Alaqua Cox’s Maya is a step in the right direction towards on-screen representation but there’s a sense that there is more to her and the show is holding back, saving vital character development for her future spin-off show. While that show might be great, Maya’s appearance here can’t help but feel slightly undercooked, an unnecessary detour from Kate and Clint’s main investigation that adds some depth to his exploits as the Ronin and makes for some great action moments but ultimately peters off with a whimper, her finale appearance feeling obligated to push the character’s profile rather than necessary to the plot. Other character appearances, which we’ll leave unspoiled, add a lot to the show by way of emotional depth and sheer fun factor, and one in particular will have long-time fans cheering from their living rooms; a Christmas present that hopefully will only continue to grow from here.

It’s safe to say that not many people were clamouring for a deep-dive into what Clint Barton does on his off-days from Avenging, but Hawkeye earns its Christmas status as one of the biggest treats of the year; a heartwarming and electric adventure through New York City that gives Jeremy Renner the material he truly deserves and introduces audiences to what will no doubt be a fan-favourite character going forward in Kate Bishop. The small scale and focus on the burgeoning mentor/student relationship make for a refreshingly personal take on the MCU, one that moves beyond its formulaic ending to become one of, if not the best Marvel show so far. He might just be a guy with a bow and arrow, but Hawkeye certainly doesn’t miss here.

Hawkeye stars Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Alaqua Cox, Tony Dalton, Fra Fee & Linda Cardellini – Streaming on Disney+ now.

9/10

It’s almost impossible to talk about Avengers: Endgame, the latest and possibly greatest offering from Marvel Studios, without spoiling it. The film is filled to the brim with the Marvel goodness that fans have come to love and expect over the 11 year franchise and there’s something for everyone to be found here; whether it be the jokes, the bonkers action (on FULL display here) or the perfectly crafted character interactions that make us all feel like kids playing with our action figures again. While the film will undoubtedly please most and shatter box office records, an uneven pace and some odd character choices may leave some slightly dissapointed.

Let’s start with the story, which I can only describe without spoiling things, as truly epic in scope as the Avengers must come to terms with the losses they have sustained and formulate a plan to fight back against Thanos (Josh Brolin). There’s been a lot of talk lately surrounding this film and the term “love letter” has been thrown around a lot. There’s really just no better way to describe it. Endgame works as its own individual story remarkably well, although it’s really a reward for the people who have stuck with the franchise through the last 21 films. The references are numerous and range from the totally obvious to the tiniest easter egg and I can’t wait to revisit the film time and time again to discover new tidbits, as I’m sure most Marvel fans will. The Russo Brothers and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely prove once again just how adept they are at taking the traits that we love about these characters and playing them off one another in new and exciting ways. This shouldn’t be a surprise given how great the character interactions were in Infinity War, but the additions of Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) in particular, inject some new life into proceedings after so much of it was turned to dust. Rudd in particular gets to showcase why his particular comedy senses work so well in the Marvel universe and watching him interact with the founding Avengers was comedy gold.

Speaking of the founding Avengers, they all turn out the usual stellar performances which have been honed since their first stand-alone features, with Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. in particular proving why they are the faces of this truly massive franchise. Downey really gets to play with the psyche of Tony Stark in ways we haven’t seen before and it’s a joy to watch him tip between an overwhelming sense of failure and a rousing desire to fight back. Josh Brolin delivers another impressive turn as Thanos, imbuing the character with a sense of righteousness and confidence which is a hallmark of the best villains: he believes what he is doing is fundamentally right. Whilst Brolin’s motion capture work is extraordinary, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk proves that he is one of the most impressive actors working today to sport the green tights and face dots. He’s given a lot more to work with here than in previous Avengers instalments and it is remarkable to see him stretch his dramatic and comedic acting muscles, displaying so much emotion through facial expressions alone. Speaking of comedy, an interesting decision was made here in regards to the treatment of Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who is saddled with the task of carrying majority of the film’s humour on his back. While he certainly manages it, and believe me there were some big laughs from him, the choice just seems like an odd overreaction of Thor’s response to the emotionally weighty events of the last film, and I can’t help but wish they’d done something different with him which stuck closer to how the character was represented in Infinity War.

Endgame clocks in at a meaty 3 hours and while this is necessary to conclude this chapter of the Marvel story, the pacing of the film suffers as a result. While we start off at a clip, carrying the momentum over from Infinity War, the film almost stalls and restarts as momentum must be rebuilt moving into the action-heavy final act. It’s an understandable shift given the events that happen yet it’s still jarring, and I found myself slightly let down that the film seems to lose the sense of urgency it establishes in the beginning at certain points. The scenes that do feel stretched out are weighted down by jokes and it almost feels at times as if the writers have been forced to meet the “Marvel quota” for laughs. While these scenes never stopped me from enjoying my time watching the film, they did diminish some of the emotional weight carried over from Infinity War. It doesn’t all have to be doom and gloom, but Marvel has proved before that they are more than capable of throwing in jokes that fit with the tone and don’t distract from the story being told.

As far as action goes, Endgame delivers in every way possible with some of the most ambitious fight scenes ever put to film. I won’t spoil anything but the last hour is jaw-dropping and worth the price of admission alone. The Russo Brothers began their Marvel career helming some of the best action set pieces in the franchise (the excellent elevator fight scene in Winter Soldier) and continued to top themselves in terms of scope in the Airport fight scene in Civil War and the Battle of Wakanda in Infinity War. This is easily their largest fight scene to date and it is ridiculously impressive how the duo managed to pull off fights this large in scope, whilst keeping the action completely grounded with the characters. The audience always has a sense of what is going on because the action is always tied to one of the heroes we have grown to love in past films.

Avengers: Endgame marks the end of an era, the culmination of an unprecedented franchise spanning 11 years and 22 films. Whilst not perfect, this is a wonderful celebration of the Marvel universe and a reminder of why we fell in love with these movies in the first place: they allow us to escape from our normal lives and enrapture ourselves in fantastical stories and characters that show us just how great we can be, whilst still being human and relatable at the same time. I felt like a kid again, sitting there staring at the screen in wide-eyed joy with a huge smile on my face for 3 hours. Is that not one of the most pure cinematic experiences you can hope to have?

Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Karen Gillan, Brie Larson and is in cinemas now.