'Hawkeye' is a superfluous joy ride

2021 may have been the year of nonstop Marvel, but that abundance somehow hasn’t hit the point of overkill — it is still a gift to play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe almost weekly with new films, shows, and behind-the-scenes specials. That kind of free-flowing content machine lends itself to projects that are not always necessary, but still entertaining. So it goes with Hawkeye, the six-episode miniseries that catches up with unpowered mortal archer Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and his new protégé.

Created by Jonathan Igla, Hawkeye introduces Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), a rebellious teen with a penchant for eavesdropping and getting herself into trouble. We learn through an extremely heavy-handed opening sequence that Kate has been taken with both Clint and his weapon of choice since they saved her from Loki’s Chitauri attack on New York in 2012. A decade or so later, Kate’s a top-tier archer and martial artist, but doesn’t meet her favorite Avenger until a blast from his past brings them together. Executive producer Rhys Thomas directs three episodes, with Bert & Bertie helming the other half.

Hawkeye feels awfully cheesy for a superhero series, and that’s because it isn’t one; it is a Christmas movie, and only if you suspend belief and embrace the magic of the season can you fully enjoy what it has to offer. This is a story about a kid who believes in miracles and a man who just wants to get home for the holidays. The tone bounces from sinister to outright silly and everything in between as only a ham-fisted holiday caper can, all while counting down to Christmas in New York City, which is very much one of the characters.

Merry Christmas to Pizza Dog only!
Credit: Mary Cybulski / Marvel Studios

It’s clear from the start that this is not Clint’s solo outing but Kate’s. This is a superhero origin story and Disney movie to boot, complete with a dead parent, curmudgeonly mentor, and animal sidekick. A winsome Steinfeld slides into the part like she’s been playing it her whole life — an extension of roles like The Edge of Seventeen that take advantage of her impeccable comedic timing so it only charms and never grates, as with her obvious chagrin at bringing a bow and arrow to a gunfight. Director Amber Templemore-Finlayson (half of Bert & Bertie), describes this as a comedy duo, with Clint as the straight man and Kate as his humorous foil. Renner is always deadpan but never quite funny; he relies on Steinfeld, Pizza Dog, and even an exaggerated slow-motion sequence in episode 2 to get the laugh.

Part of the struggle here is that the MCU, up to now, never quite figured out who Renner’s Hawkeye was. He’s a family man and a fierce friend to Nat, but his loyalty falters enough to lead to Endgame‘s damning Ronin storyline. Hawkeye circles back to this, rebranding Clint’s murderous rampage as vigilante justice, casting him as the lovable but grumpy Avenger who wants to live incognito but also definitely went to Rogers: The Musical to see himself on stage.

There’s also the fact that Hawkeye lacks a clear vision; WandaVision was weird as heck but ultra-confident in presentation, while Loki introduced its main conflict up front. Only The Falcon and the Winter Soldier matches Hawkeye‘s energy in the first two episodes, amping up the buddy-comedy vibes without a clear villain or conflict. The premiere episodes reveal suspicious links between Kate’s mother (Vera Farmiga), stepfather-to-be (Tony Dalton), a black market for shady rich folk, and the Ronin suit, which gets everyone in trouble. It’s packed with Easter eggs (Christmas eggs? Eggnogs?) for Hawkeye comics fans, from an intimidating Ukrainian gang to the lead Clint follows into one of the show’s most unexpected and amusing sequences.

Sure, these shit-eating grins aren’t hiding anything.
Credit: Chuck Zlotnick / Marvel Studios

The old Marvel adage goes that even when it’s bad it’s good. Not to say that Hawkeye is bad, but it’s certainly not the best MCU show — and that’s okay. It introduces a more-than-worthy new lead into the MCU, and the end of episode 2 promises more focused plotting with a tangible villain in the picture. It’s a fun holiday caper that scratches that MCU itch with satisfying fight scenes (sans superpowers), wholesome bonding, and nods to Avengers past. It’s about the power of Christmas, dammit, and that’s something even Thanos couldn’t take from us.

Hawkeye premieres Wednesday on Disney+, with new episodes weekly.