Hawkeye

“Hawkeye” is streaming on Disney Plus. It received positive reviews from critics, fans and streamers alike. As you may know, a spin-off with “Echo” is in development streaming soon on Disney Plus. Other upcoming shows like “Moon Knight,” “She-Hulk,” “Ms. Marvel” & Secret Invasion” will stream this year.

Todays review contains no SPOILERS. Feel free to read my non-spoiler article.

Positive & Negative Elements

Positive: Jeremy Renner reprises his role as Clint Barton/Hawkeye and he did a fantastic job for his performance.

Hailee Steinfeld did a fantastic job for her performance as Kate Bishop.

Besides Clint, characters from previous movies and shows make prominent appearances.

Newcomers to the MCU such as Vera Farmiga, Alaqua Cox & Tony Dalton (Lalo Salamanca from Better Call Saul) all did a good job for their respective performances.

Jonathan Igla (Bridgerton) mapped out all 6 six episodes. Making sure everything is all according to plan.

Cinematography never succumbs to shaky cam. It was shot carefully.

Humor has some legit funny moments.

Action Sequences are solid for a low threat level in the MCU.

Visual Effects are Class A movie quality.

Chemistry between Clint & Kate serves as the main highlight. Their partnership moves the story forward.

Character Development involving Clint & Kate. Each episode fleshes out their troubled backgrounds and they learn to cooperate as a duo.

Set after the epic finale of “Avengers: Endgame,” Kate meets her idol, Clint. They work together by tracking down an organized crime syndicate known as The Tracksuit Mafia. During the mission, Clint struggles to cope with the loss of a close friend.

Like “Iron Man 3,” Hawkeye is set during Christmas season. Non-Marvel films including “Batman Returns” & “Shazam” are also set around Christmas.

As a result of loud explosions from in previous films, Clint wears a hearing aid. In the comics, Clint is deaf. In the MCU, he’s deaf in one ear.

It’s justified Clint’s former life as Ronin makes a lot of sense as a solution to numb the loss of loved ones.

Hawkeye’s mini-series is influenced by Christmas action films such as “Lethal Weapon,” “Die Hard,” The Long Kiss Goodnight” & “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.”

Christmas related music is played in certain scenes.

Negative: The fourth episode features a “we are done” cliche. Ugh! I hate it when it’s mostly used in buddy cop and rom-com films. You know two people are gonna put aside their differences and finish what they started. I find it predictable.

The last episode didn’t earn a prominent character’s fate properly.

Episode 1 – Never Meet Your Heroes

Fresh: Opening Flashback shows us Kate’s childhood.

Clint and his kids spend time during Christmas Month.

A Broadway musical loosely retells events from the first Avengers movie. Which is played for laughs.

Expired: No cons found.

Episode 2 – Hide And Seek

Found: Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games” is mentioned. Jennifer Lawrence portrayed Mystique in the “X-Men” series.

Clint partakes in a role-playing game. Reminds me of the climatic scene from “Role Models.”

We learn who’s running The Tracksuit Mafia.

Lost: No boo boos spotted.

Episode 3 – Echoes

Right: Echo’s past shows us a glimpse of her origins.

Clint & Kate confront the leader of The Tracksuit Mafia.

A car chase reminds me of “The Raid” movies. I also liked each arrow type really comes in handy.

Wrong: No flaws spotted.

Episode 4 – Partners, Am I Right?

More: A familiar face shows up.

Somebody drinks from a mug labeled, “Thanos is right.”

If you pause, Kate holds a stack of Christmas movies on DVD.

Less: Fourth episode contains a “we are done” cliche. I find it predicable in most buddy-cop and rom-com films. You know two people will put aside their differences and resume what they started.

Episode 5 – Ronin

High: Fifth episode is a breather building up the next one.

A flashback reveals a character’s past.

Another familiar face shows up. Let’s just say you’ll be very happy

Tony Soprano is mentioned. Michael Gandolfini portrayed his late father’s iconic role in the prequel film “The Many Saints Of Newark.”

Run-DMC’s “Christmas In Hollis” is used in scene. It was also used in Die Hard.

Low: Nothing bad happened.

Episode 6 – So This Is Christmas?

Hit: Final episode concludes Clint & Kate’s storyline with the pair engaging battle with The Tracksuit Mafia.

Echo confronts her “supervisor.”

A Mid-Credits Scene is optional.

A Plot Twist is revealed. A better twist than M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old.”

Miss: A prominent character meet his/her end in an unsatisfying way.

The Final Verdict: B, BRIGHT AND COLORFUL!

Hawkeye is another great mini-series alongside “The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.” If you haven’t got a chance to view all six episodes of Hawkeye, I highly recommend it. If Kate Bishop is coming back in a possible movie or series based on “Young Avengers,” I’m open for more stories set in the MCU.