'Hawkeye' review: This archers' tale gets a weak start
Marvel released its next superhero series, Hawkeye, based on one of the original six Avengers, on Disney+ Hotstar yesterday. Themed around Christmas, the first two episodes were dropped on Wednesday but given the hype set by previous MCU shows like Loki and WandaVision, Hawkeye falters a bit. There are six episodes in Clint Barton's (Jeremy Renner) standalone series. Here's our review with slight spoilers.
Makers introduce Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop with care
Although Hawkeye is the titular character, Barton does not get the limelight in the opening episodes. Director Rhys Thomas takes the time to set up an introduction to Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop aka the first female Hawkeye. A rich girl with a tragic story that makes her idolize Hawkeye, Bishop is not entirely likable but becomes somewhat relatable with her awkward babbling.
Ronin's old enemies come to haunt Barton, Bishop
It is Bishop's nosiness that lands her up in trouble, implicating Barton back into being a superhero when all he wants to do is to spend Christmas with his family. Bishop's mistake revives Ronin's former enemies, endangering her too. As Ronin was Barton's vigilante alter ego, Barton assumes responsibility for the issue. Thus, both form an amusing duo (it's raining duos in MCU currently).
The dual energy of lead pair is yet to click
The equation of the leading pair is yet to rub off of me. Bishop is quite enamored after meeting her hero face-to-face while the hero in question would rather be anywhere than in this mess. The thing is, we have seen such an equation come into play several times in Marvel shows. The writing also seems cringy rather than funny at times.
Barton's 'superhero trauma' is touching; hoping the series picks up
What emotionally connected me the most was Barton dealing with the trauma of long years of battle. This fatigue might contribute to him handing down his duties to Bishop later, if he does so. While some things work for the series, more than some don't. Hoping the narration becomes more tightly strung in the upcoming episodes. Verdict: The inaugural episodes of Hawkeye get 2.5/5.
