Hawkeye S1 Review: Not a Bullseye, But Hits the Board!

I may be in the minority for saying this, but Clint Barton is one of my favorite Avengers. The main appeal to his character is the relatability; he is just a really good shot with a bow and arrow, but has a charismatic personality and deeply cares for his family. He truly is the most underrated Avenger, and his character progression through the MCU movies was pretty interesting. So, with all that said, I was in anticipation for this miniseries to expand on the character further.

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Hawkeye takes place during the holiday season, and Clint Barton just wants to spend Christmas with his family. However, he gets wound up with Kate Bishop, an ambitious archer inspired by Clint’s heroic acts during the battle of New York. For me, there are two particular highlights with this series: further in depth development of Clint’s character, and the shining spotlight on Kate Bishop. Hailee Steinfeld naturally exudes charm and magnetism as the newcomer. Jeremy Renner once again rocks as Clint Barton, and his on-screen Batman and Robin dynamic with Steinfeld’s Bishop is very enjoyable. There are also a few very fun and creative action sequences throughout.

These qualities don’t make this miniseries the holiday treat I was wholly hoping for. While it can be funny and filled with festive whimsy, the moments where it tries to emphasize the significance of its conflict start to lose me. The show includes several core characters in its plot (with some appearing from other Marvel properties), and I can say that only one of them really works. The villain(s) lack the necessary gravitas to prove to be imposing threats or possess distinguishable identities.

Hawkeye pays respect to the character of Clint Barton while giving a grand introduction to Kate Bishop. It includes a few other key moments and characters that excited me, but the series could have benefitted with better pacing and clearer focus. Watch S1 of ‘Hawkeye’ on Disney+ Hotstar here.

‘Hawkeye S1’ Rating – 3/5

Follow Zach (the Author) on Instagram – @pretentiousfilmcritic

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