Hawkeye: the Series is Here

Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye (the series and the man) have premiered on Disney+, just in time to enjoy for the '21 Thanksgiving/Christmas season. 

Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, is by reputation a resilient gent, and it appears that this six-part series will accentuate that trait, in addition to his amazing ability to sling arrows. Alas, Black Widow won't be there, and I (as well as other fans) had long hoped for a Hawkeye/Widow theatrical venture. Ah well, guess one can't have everything, but I'm more than content to accept a Hawkeye solo effort, especially when its length equals three movies. (Besides, a Hawkeye/Widow jaunt isn't an impossibility in the realm of Multiverse fantasy.) 

Much of Hawkeye bounces off End Game, but then much of the MCU does these days. Pathos and heroism are natural results of that heated exchange, and they do make for great melodrama. (That End Game remains the biggest money-maker of all time doesn't hurt, either.)

Along with Renner, Hailee (True Grit '10) Steinfeld plays Kate Bishop, a Hawkeye in training. Also along for the ride is Linda Cardellini as Mrs. Barton, and Vera (Bates Motel) Farmiga as her mom. Florence Pugh, who acts as the Scarlett Johansson's sister, Yelena Belova, in the Black Widow movie, reprises her role for added spunk. Alaqua Cox performs as Echo, a Tracksuit Mafia bad gal.  

The series' plot centers on Hawkeye Jr assisting Hawkeye Sr to ward off adversarial forces from his past. Ronin is at the psychological helm, but which Ronin is on the attack? (It doesn't appear that actor, Lee Pace is the one.) So what does this mean? Say, maybe the answer lies in the final episode of Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner (hint, hint). 

The premiere episodes (two so far) are more poignant, reflective and humorous than action oriented (though the action that's served is quality), but give it time. Hawkeye, by command of its titular hero, is bound to deepen its depth while accelerating its pace. My hunch is that the series will more than hold its own with Loki, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier once it rolls. Sure, that's sayin' a lot, but mark my prophetic words on this, and yes, I'll be humble as can be when you tell me I was right. 

I saw Ultron come of age...

Joss Whedon's new Avengers adventure, "Age of Ultron", has arrived, and our favorites are back: Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans); Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr); Hulk/Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo); Thor (Chris Hemsworth); War Machine/James Rhodes (Don Cheadle); Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner); Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson); the Falcon/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)...and a special appearance by SHIELD's fatherly force, Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson). 

New to the mix is Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff (Aaron "Kick-Ass" Taylor-Johnson), though not to be confused with Evan Peter's hero in "Days of Future Past"; the Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and the majestic android, the Vision (Paul Bettany, who also voices Stark's digital butler, JARVIS). 

The computer angle is big in this sequel, with a robot army on the loose, led by the power-hungry Ultron (voiced by James Spader). However, the concept of fickle technology isn't new in science-fiction/fantasy fables. We've seen it depicted in "Terminator", "2001: a Space Odyssey, and "Colossus: the Forbin Project". As far as acrobatic robots dominating the landscape goes, we've seen that, too, thanks to the RoboCop and Transformers sagas, but "Age of Ultron" somehow manages to keep things fresh, despite the recycled trimmings. 

On the flip side, as significant as the mechanical infiltraton is, it never dominates our heroes' presence or their sense of family. Sure, the members possess enough variance to be dysfunctional, but they also subscribe to a common cause: keep Earth safe.

As seized from Hydra's Baron Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), the technology involved is culled from Loki's scepter: its harbored "artificial intelligence" deemed worthy of implantation in Stark's defense project, designed (ironically) to protect us from villainous penetration.

Ultron, a creation fashioned as a learner/watcher of sorts within the expansive program, develops an egomaniacal consciousness, which then constructs a body and breaks free to take over the world with a league of his own. He's also quite a sight to behold: a towering cross between Superman's Brainiac and a pumped-up Terminator prototype. 

Stark is, perhaps, the most adversely affected by the robot rebellion, for having activated the computerized Frankensteins, which leads Rogers to push further toward the Avengers forefront. Considering that Ultron and his army are equivalents to Nazis, Commies, and any other variety of on-and-off-again evil-doers, Cap's prominent presence feels right. After all, this is a war-time mission, and through his cordial relationship with Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), he increases the Avengers' chance for victory with his stalwart perspective. 

With this established, the movie advocates that we, as cognitive, freedom-loving creatures, have full right to combat and destroy such cold, calculating monsters. To fight is essential and all-out war (particularly under the film's harrowing circumstances) a non-debatable necessity. 

All the same, this staunch angle will likely unsettle negotiation advocates, but as the turmoil mounts under Whedon's emotional script and tense direction, "Age of Ultron" can't help but inspire one's righteous angst: the need to shout out a hardy "action not appeasement". Its message, though seemingly simple, should prove profound for anyone with any sort of practical, moral conviction. 

Philosophy aside,the movie is jammed with vivacious action sequences. The prelude is one of the best rendered (and that's saying a lot considering how sleek the Bond intros have been), and the battle between a confused Hulk and Stark's Hulk Buster is a grand feast in it own right, guaranteed to rattle one's senses with rumbles and roars, heightening the adventure to near Wagnerian proportions. 

I can't yet say that "Age of Ultron" surpasses the original "Avengers", which had the charming novelty of bringing the gang together, and it's certainly nowhere near as politically intricate as "Winter Soldier". It does, however, soar consistently high, never losing its momentum even when it dares to spotlight the relationships between Hawkeye and his wife, or the burgeoning one between Widow and Banner/Hulk. (The latter scenarios surely could have derailed the film, as had the superfluous romance in "Amazing Spider-man 2".)

Regardless of what the future holds for the Avengers, this current chapter does an admirable job of nurturing the traditional comic-book format. That should certainly please purists. The movie is also a terrific way to start the spring/summer blockbuster season, delivering thrills, chills and above all, a sense of wonderment. So, don't delay; jump on board and join the fun!!!