Hawkeye (2021) TV Mini Series Review

Title: Hawkeye.
Season: 1.

Rated: TV-14.
Number of episodes: 6.
Release Date: 2021.
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Crime.

Series Direction By: Bert, Bertie, and Rhys Thomas.
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Jailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Tony Dalton, Fra Fee, Aleks Paunovic, and many more!
Original Network: Disney+.

My Overall Rating:

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Also within the Disney+ Marvel Extended Cinematic Universe:
WandaVision (2021).
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021).
Loki (2021).

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The sacrifices of superheroes are sometimes difficultly apprehended by the common mortal. Forever tortured by their past actions, they must live every day looking out for the greater interest of humankind despite the costs and the toll they must pay that can be beyond what they ever thought to surrender. But once you become a superhero, you’re bound to grow accustomed to the act of helping those in need and stopping those who create pain, misery, and chaos. But it’s only when you realize the impact that your actions have on a larger scale that you understand that you’ve become something bigger than yourself, something intangible, something inspiring: hope. Loosely based on the influential Hawkeye comic book series by Matt Fraction and David Aja, this six-episode mini-series serves as both a character redemption arc for Clint Barton and an introduction to a new superhero in Kate Bishop.

What is Hawkeye (2021) about? Set one year after the events in Avengers: Endgame, the story introduces the 22-year-old Kate Bishop, inspired young by the heroic feats by Clint Barton as Hawkeye during the Battle of New York. Excelling in the art of archery and aspiring to become a hero like him someday, she inadvertently walks into a series of sketchy activities leading her to get entangled in a web of criminal activities. Meanwhile, Clint Barton spends time with his family in New York as Christmas approaches as he deals with his own past traumas as Hawkeye and Ronin. As they both cross paths due to common enemies, they slowly learn together to understand the meaning of being a superhero and what kind of heart you need to survive in such a world.

Flowing right into the holiday spirit, the latest Disney+ mini-series brings to the franchise a unique Christmas flavour that gives the story an overarching joyful tone. Interlacing multiple subplots to form an engrossing story founded on a traditional adventure featuring superheroes, this mini-series gives Hailee Steinfield a golden opportunity to shine as Kate Bishop as she aims to become Clint Barton’s partner and her own superhero in this post-Blip era of humanity. While she desperately struggles to reach into Clint Barton’s heart and make him realize the impact he has had on countless people including herself, Clint Barton struggles to come to terms with his own past action. Fortunately, with a bit of help, even the broken master of bows and arrows can learn new tricks.

Defined by fantastic chemistry that could enlighten the darkest of snow days, Kate Bishop and Clint Barton’s journey makes for an entertaining time that sometimes gets stomped over by one-too-many subplots. The action sequences sparingly spaced out throughout the mini-series help accentuate the comedic tone with the unforgettable addition of trick arrows. A couple of key hand-to-hand combat also makes for some fun choreography but nothing that could outshine some of the more martial-arts-based superheroes within this universe. Shot with vibrant colours and a jammy score, it’s difficult not to have a fun time with this story that effortlessly achieves its goal by the end of it. Let’s not forget to mention the addition of our favourite pizza dog who adds a bit more fluff to this story when you least expect it.

This mini-series also integrates a couple of surprise guests with the final one being poorly handled in the final episode. These characters notably bring into play and encapsulate more of the quintessential theme of family in this mini-series. In fact, a lot of this story relies heavily on exploring the balance between duty and family, further exploring the notion of sacrifice that burdens many superheroes. The various plot twists that are often present in these superhero shows are, however, fairly predictable this time around but don’t take away from the overall enjoyable experience. Serving mostly as a character-building exercise and an introduction to a young Avenger, this mini-series also doesn’t have dire consequences in the ever-evolving Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, allowing it to scale down its stakes and focus on the core relationships and personalities of these now-beloved characters.

Hawkeye (2021) is a festive and entertaining introduction to Kate Bishop through her partnership with Clint Barton and their exploration of duty and family.

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All six episodes are now available for you to binge on Disney+!

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Have you read any comic book stories featuring Hawkeye?

Have you seen Hawkeye (2021)? Will you?

Share your thoughts with me!

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