Hawkeye - Needed a punch but still Pretty Good
Hawkeye is one of the least loved characters within the Avengers. Characters like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are clearly more well written and developed. This show takes his character, and fleshes him out a bit more, and it does it's job well, for the most part.
Firstly, considering a majority of the MCU shows have a dull colour palette, it feels refreshing to see dynamic lighting and vibrant colours in the MCU. The Christmas theme only elevates the visual look of the series as the high spirited feeling of the Holidays just breathes life into the series.
Kate Bishop played wonderfully by the stunning Hailee Steinfeld is a new addition to the Marvel universe, and I found her character more interesting than engaging. She's a young woman living with her mother, and has a fascination with archery when witnessing Hawkeye battling Aliens in 2012, when her house was under attack during the first Avengers film. This event also caused her to lose her father.
I suppose her journey throughout the series is that of becoming a hero. But it wasn't as well executed. I like that she's an active protagonist who actively seeks out her questions and isn't afraid to take action when needed. This makes her an engaging character who we learn more about through her actions. Through her choices she stumbles upon Clint Barton who we initially see spending time with his family.
There's a great scene where we see the delightful "Rogers: The Musical" taking place, and then the perspective changes from that of an active viewer, to that of Clint, who, upon seeing Natasha in the play, is reminded of his memories with his best friend. He feels claustrophobic and walks out to get some fresh air. Clint is easily the most interesting character because his internal conflict is the befitting continuation to his character, and what he had been through.
The chemistry between Kate and Clint works, and it's something we have seen before. The mentor's dismissive attitude towards the more charismatic student who looks up to them; and as the series progresses, they become closer and learn to respect each other. One of my favourite scenes of the show is when Kate and Clint just hang out in his room, and Kate learns that Clint was once Ronin. It's a simple and genuine moment of understanding of Clint's trauma and guilt, and what that caused him to do.
One of the villains of the show is Maya, and her motivation to want to kill Ronin for killing her father makes sense, but it's nothing new or isn't done with any sense of uniqueness. Just like Natasha's sister Yelena, she too wishes to kill Clint for apparently killing her sister. The conflict is too simple, and is easily resolved, which left me feeling emotionally exhausted.
The filmmaking isn't anything special, but there's one scene where we see Thanos' snap from the perspective of the person who got snapped, and the filmmaking then becomes extremely creative as they turn to dust, return and see the place they were in suddenly shift and change and it would be horrifying to be in their shoes and witness 5 years pass by.
The final episode was a little disappointing as the conflicts felt too simplistic. The addition of new characters and the respect they were treated with was less than deserved. Kate's journey doesn't feel earned. I'd love to see more of her, but I think she should've been challenged more on an internal level that forced her to change and accept the responsibility of being a hero.
But in the scene where Kate assists Clint, who has an ear problem from all his battles with the Avengers, writes down what his son was telling him on the phone call is where the heart of the show finds it's emotional fitting, and made me care about these characters.
Overall, it's a good show with a fresh look, with a few interesting characters I would've wished to see more of, and be more fleshed out. Hopefully we Kate in future projects, and I grow to care more about her.
Thank Your for Reading
I hope you liked this blog review, please make sure to comment about your thoughts on the film, or on how I could possibly improve. Also follow my YouTube Channel "Detox with P-Talks Official" where I analyse movies and do other movie related content along with short films, etc.
Comments
Post a Comment