The following article contains spoilers forHawkeye.
Fast-paced action, impressive CGI, and the lingering nostalgia of mixing those two with some of the world’s most recognized fictional characters have made theMCUthe media juggernaut that it is. Nevertheless, in recent times Marvel Studios has been embracing a refreshing down-to-earth approach in its action sequences andHawkeyeis the full proof of that.
Throughout its long history, the biggest showcase of this style of action was usually theCaptain Americafranchise since Steve Rogers, despite his super-soldier abilities, could not fly or shoot powerful energy beams like some of his peers. However, more recently his friends Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes picked up on that trend duringThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, andShang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Ringstook things even one step further with its Hong Kong cinema inspirations.
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Captain America: The Winter Soldier’shighway fight scene is one of thebest battle sequences the MCU has to offer, so it’s no wonder then thatHawkeye’scar chase scene stands out for many of the same reasons, albeit with a slightly more comedic tone quite fitting forDisney Plus’ holiday Marvel series. Up until that point,Hawkeye’saction scenes were probably hitting well under par, with most of them being used to highlight the contrast in skills between the seasoned Clint Barton and day one superhero Kate Bishop.
In all honesty, this made perfect sense because Kate should be clumsy in her new role and Clint just isn’t really Hawkeye without his trusty bow and arrows. Episode three, “Echoes”, throws this premise out the window once Clint gets his bow back so that the duo can make a run for it and escape the Tracksuit Mafia’s hideout as Hawkeye starts landing every single arrow exactly where he wants it.
From then on, just likeThe Winter Soldier’shighway scene, once that red ‘72 Dodge Challenger appears it marks the beginning of one of the episode’s -and so far the series’- best sequences.Hawkeye’scar chase scene starts off with a one-take style that makes the viewer feel like they’re sitting on the back of the car while Clint and Kate take care of things, all in a way that’s very reminiscent of many legendary action movies.
Park Chan-wook’s Korean masterpiece,Oldboy, and its epic hallway fight is one example of this, but even Marvel has some background of this kindthanks to Netflix’sDaredevilwhich features plenty of raw hand-to-hand combat and whichHawkeyeclearly loves paying certain nods to. Even then,Hawkeye’scar chase scene is perfectly adapted to Clint and Kate because it’s used to move forward the relationship between these two characters in a way that’s very organic and natural.
Fromthe moment Kate meets her heroshe wants to learn how to use trick arrows, this is her chance. Conversely, Clint’s hearing disability is deployed perfectly across the entire scene because throughout it the audience gets to see a slightly weakened Avenger having to rely on his new partner and fall back on an unconventional form of communication that’s perfectly tailored to fit the action taking place.
Hawkeye’scar chase is simply brilliant from beginning to end, the warehouse setup, the carjacking, the camera panning, the back and forth dialogue between a near-deaf Clint and Kate, all the different trick arrows Marvel fans have never seen before, the shootout at the bridge, and even the totaled red Dodge Challenger. The fact that the car is in itself aHawkeyecomic book easter eggis simply priceless.
It’s obvious a lot of CGI and special effects are still used inHawkeye’smore grounded action,such was the case forShang-Chi, but using these tools to portray what is, in essence, a more “believable” MCU more akin to traditional action films is a welcome change after something like Ikaris’ Superman-like powers inEternals.
The final moments of the scene include anAnt-Maneaster egg and even proper payoff for the plunger arrow Kate laughs off just a few minutes ago, and yet, the best moment might just be the one that follows once the duo enters New York’s subway. After the impressive showcase of driving and archery skills fans have just been treated to,Hawkeye recognizes Kate Bishopas someone worth fighting alongside,almost aYoung Avengermaybe.
Hawkeyeis far from a perfect show, yet it does bring a lot to the table by giving Clint Barton a prime showcase where he can flaunt his skills and prove he’s just as cool of an Avenger as the rest of his friends.Black Widowfailed to do the same for Natasha in many ways, however, she would be happy to know her good friend is not only kicking some serious over on Disney Plus but also getting to spend some quality time with his family too, or at least he’s heading that way.
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