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REVIEW: “Hawkeye” has a lot more to offer than just trick arrows

Summary

Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye (2021)” is an original new series set in post-blip New York City where former Avenger Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), a 22-year-old skilled archer and his biggest fan, to unravel a criminal conspiracy. 

What to Watch Before:

The following films are ranked in importance to watch from msot important to least important to understand the full plot of “Hawkeye.”

  • “The Avengers (2012)”
  • “Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)”
  • “Avengers: Endgame (2019)”
  • “Black Widow (2021)”
  • “Captain America: Civil War (2016)”

Breakdown

“Hawkeye” may not be as flashy or stylistic as “Loki (2021)” or “WandaVision (2021)”, but a year later, the show is still a great way to celebrate the Christmas season in true Marvel style. 

This is the first time since the Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2008 that Clint Barton has gotten the spotlight. Barton’s story is a great redemption arc from becoming one of Earth’s mightiest heroes to losing his family to the snap and donning the mantle of Ronin to take justice into his own hands to 5 years later trying to make up for all that lost time with his family. 

Renner seizes the opportunity about being the lead in his own show and acts his heart out. However, Steinfeld is the stand out actress in this show. She does a great job at growing her character from an immature college student to an Avenger. The chemistry between Renner and Steinfeld makes the perfect buddy-cop show. 

Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop and Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

From trick arrows to hand to hand combat, the fight scenes are epic. Most of the fight scenes are paired with a Christmas song that adds another level of holiday magic to the show. There is a car fight scene in episode 3 of the show where it is one continuous shot for a good while, which shows the dedication to making something special. 

“Hawkeye” was also the first show where we got to see how the world was doing after The Blip. It showed while many were thankful to The Avengers for saving the world, that there are some who thought that Thanos was right, giving perspective outside of what we have seen in the other films. 

We also got a Christmas present from Marvel with an Avengers version of “Hamilton” called “Rogers: The Musical” which graced fans with a musical rendition of the battle of New York.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I absolutely loved “Hawkeye” in all of its Christmas glory. From trick arrows to musical numbers, “Hawkeye” has it all. While “The Guardians of The Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)” might have more Christmas spirit, “Hawkeye” has a down to earth Christmas vibe. This show is one I will rewatch every December to get into the Christmas season. I give season 1 of “Hawkeye” a 5 out of 5 film reels. 

Episode Reviews

  • Episode 1 – Never Meet Your Heroes – 3.5 out of 5 film reels.
  • Episode 2 – Hide and Seek – 3.5 out of 5 film reels.
  • Episode 3 – Echoes – 5 out of 5 film reels.
  • Episode 4 – Partners, Am I Right? – 5 out of 5 film reels.
  • Episode 5 – Ronin – 4 out of 5 film reels.
  • Episode 6 – So This Is Christmas? – 5 out of 5 film reels.

Image 1: Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Image 2: Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Image 3: The Pizza Dog in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Image 4: Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Image 5: Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Image 6: Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Image 7: Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

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