That line hits like a freight train and sets the tempo for Sinners, the new genre-shattering horror-action explosion from visionary filmmaker Ryan Coogler. And movies don’t get much cooler, bloodier, sexier, or more utterly insane than Sinners. This is cinema on fire. Coogler has returned to the silver screen like a lightning bolt outta hell, and he’s brought with him a film so audacious, so alive, so dangerous, that you’ll be gripping your seat from the first note of a dirty blues riff to the final splatter of blood-soaked catharsis.

Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.

Ryan Coogler has already cemented himself as one of Hollywood’s most electrifying voices thanks to the hard-hitting Fruitvale Station, the knockout punch of Creed, and the mythic blockbuster juggernaut that was Black Panther. Now unleashes every ounce of creative fury with Sinners. This is no studio-safe, hand-holding horror flick. No, Sinners is pure, unfiltered grindhouse poetry; a fusion of gangster grit, vampire carnage, and Southern gothic seduction, all spun out to the heavy strum of the blues.

From its opening frame, Coogler lays it all on the line. This is a film born in shadow, sweat, sex, and superstition. It’s 1930s Mississippi Delta, and the moon is high, the air is thick, and two twin outlaws are back in town looking to raise hell. Enter the SmokeStack Twins – two sides of one dangerous coin, both played with wild-eyed brilliance by Michael B. Jordan in his most untamed performance yet. Jordan’s turn as both Smoke, a cold, grizzled war vet with a stare that’ll burn a hole through you and Stack, a fiery, fast-talking smooth operator with a devilish grin is nothing short of magnetic. These aren’t just dual roles; they’re dueling spirits, bound by blood and guilt, fueled by ambition and haunted by the sins of the past. Back from Chicago with bullets in their pockets and ghosts on their shoulders, the Twins have a plan: open their own juke joint, throw the kind of party that echoes through the ages, and finally put their violent legacy to bed. But as that old Southern saying goes — “when you dance with the devil, don’t expect to lead.” And oh baby, the devil does show up.

Just as the party hits its fever pitch, in slithers Remmick, played with snarling, scene-devouring menace by Jack O’Connell. This isn’t your elegant, cape-wearing Dracula type. Remmick is all bloodlust and id, a sadistic Irish-fried Nosferatu, rolling in with a clan of pale-faced, fanged degenerates who turn the Twins’ juke joint into a literal bloodbath. What follows is part siege movie, part supernatural thriller, and part adrenaline-charged shootout, with Coogler orchestrating the madness like a maestro of mayhem. O’Connell chews the screen as Remmick, tapping into pure animal rage with a performance that’s as magnetic as it is malevolent. There’s no negotiation here. He’s not some ancient vampire hiding behind charm; he’s the other kind, the kind that rips and shreds and screams. And once he sinks his teeth in, Sinners becomes a roaring, bullet-riddled hellride to dawn.

But what’s fire without a little desire? Enter Hailee Steinfeld as Mary, Stack’s former flame and one hell of a femme fatale. Picture Jane Russell dipped in honey and danger. Steinfeld smoulders with raw energy as she slinks back into the Twins’ orbit. She’s sultry, unpredictable, and every bit as lethal as the bloodsuckers stalking the night. There’s a burning tension between Mary and Stack that never lets up, and Steinfeld commands every second of it, giving the film a sensual pulse that thumps as hard as the music.

And the music – oh lordy, the music. Coogler doesn’t just use the blues as a backdrop: he weaponizes it. Scored to the blistering talents of Ludwig Göransson and his wife Serena, Sinners pulses with the soulful ache of Howlin’ Wolf, the deep rhythms of the Delta, and the electrifying rage of Southern roots music. The score drives the film, giving it grit, heart, and spine. And in one jaw-dropping, soul-shaking moment, Coogler delivers the kind of sequence that filmmakers dream about. Preacher Boy Samuel (Miles Caton) stepping into the spotlight in a 360-degree tracking shot as he channels music from the other side. It’s cinematic alchemy, a scene that sings with ancestral power and musical fury, and it’ll leave your jaw on the sticky juke joint floor.

Coogler defies genres with Sinners, tearing down the walls between action, horror, musical, and gangster flick with an outlaw’s grin and a fistful of style. He doesn’t just bend tropes, he stomps on them in snakeskin boots and sets them on fire. From moonlit vampire carnage to full-auto Tommy gun shootouts, to the haunted blues pouring from every crevice of the Mississippi night, Sinners feels like a mad love letter to cinema itself.

But what really elevates Sinners is Coogler’s ability to ground the supernatural in truth. This isn’t fantasy for fantasy’s sake, there’s weight here. Drawing from Southern folklore, African American history, and his own family lineage, Coogler crafts a film that’s not just about monsters, it’s about legacy. About the sins we inherit, the violence we carry, and the music we use to drown out the cries of the past.

And yeah, it’s gory. Like, gnarly, rip-your-face-off gory. When the siege hits its peak and the juke joint becomes a battleground, it’s a full-on, blood-soaked ballet of carnage. Stakes in the heart, severed limbs, fire, fang, and fury – Coogler goes full grindhouse and doesn’t blink. Yet somehow, the carnage never feels gratuitous. It’s cathartic. A howl of rage and redemption that leaves you breathless.

Every frame of Sinners is soaked in style, every beat feels earned, and when the credits roll, you’ll want to light a cigarette, pour a bourbon, and cue up a Howlin’ Wolf record just to stay in that headspace a little longer. Because Sinners isn’t just a film. It’s an experience. A sweat-drenched, blood-drenched, sex-dripping, soul-burning rollercoaster ride that hits you in the gut and then makes you dance about it.

Hot. Sweaty. Sexy. Bloody. Brooding. Violent. Horny. Scary. Sinners is everything you want in a night at the movies and then some. Ryan Coogler didn’t just knock on the devil’s door. He kicked it off its hinges.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

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Determining that her mother Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga) is part of a criminal conspiracy with arch crime lord Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) make their plan to put an end to Eleanor and Fisk’s criminal empire once and for all. And this sets the stage for a very fiery end to the holiday season.

Director Rhys Thomas returns to pick up the reigns of Hawkeye following his work on Episode 1, ‘Never Meet Your Heroes’ and Episode 2, ‘Hide and Seek’, and things get explosive in the series finale. The cards are all on the table this time and the puzzle makes sense with Bishop and Barton determining how deep the criminal conspiracy runs, and with the inclusion of Kingpin, the stakes could not get higher than this. Thomas weaves together several over-arching narratives within ‘So This Is Christmas?’ and the result is a flat out, full-on action spectacular that balances both character and narrative and really gets your heart racing as an audience member.

‘So This Is Christmas?’ really brings the full Hawkeye series to a close in big grand-standing fun, and there’s plenty of action to keep things moving. You want high-spinning archery action? You’ve got it. You want secrets and revelations? You got it. You want some crack up comedy. That’s right you’ve got it. All of it is present and accounted for in ‘So This Is Christmas?’ and it’s a fast-moving and fun watch. One of the coolest scenes accounted for in the episode is when Barton and Bishop construct their own ‘Santa’s Workshop’ to make a whole stash of new trick arrows. ‘So This Is Christmas?’ also has serious glamour and style to it with Barton and Bishop donning tuxedos and working the room with plenty of spy, debonair cool that really adds flavour to the appeal of the series finale.

The character journeys for Kate Bishop and Clint Barton also come full circle as well, with each of them confronting their past and dealing with their present situations. Each of them reaches a moment of catharsis with their role as a superhero and come to the conclusion that heroes react no matter how difficult and dangerous the situation. What we’ve seen happen over the course of this series is these two very different personalities in the form of Kate Bishop and Clint Barton come together, form a partnership and now they have the ability to become the true heroes they were supposed to be.

‘So This Is Christmas?’ also gives us a major BIG BAD in the form of Wilson Fisk/Kingpin who officially make his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe through this appearance in Hawkeye. Having lauded over Hells Kitchen, Fisk now his eyes set upon the grand prize of New York City and this brings him head-first into conflict with Barton and Bishop. As he did with Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio completely takes over the screen when he brings his presence to the dominant and dangerous Wilson Fisk and he again makes a damn compelling bad guy in Hawkeye. The presence of D’Onofrio has so much possibility for a new heavy-hitting villain within the MCU and long time Marvel fans will get a real thrill out of this one.

This series finale is also jam-packed with action. Trick arrows are loosed and it’s general chaos as Barton and Bishop take on the Track Suit Mafia, Yelena Belova and the Kingpin all at once. From a mad dash through a private Christmas function that quickly goes to hell, to a full-on arrow shoot out in the middle of Rockefeller Plaza, this final episode of Hawkeye is packed full of action and it’s so much fun to watch. Barton and Bishop jump and dive while letting off arrows and their carefully crafted mix of trick arrows certainly get the job done. Tony Dalton’s Jack Duquesne also gets to show off his true colours, and it turns out that Jack’s not such a bad guy after all and he puts his swordsmanship to good use as he takes on the Tracksuit Mafia. And yes there’s also a stellar action moment with a GIGANTIC Christmas tree as well that only adds to the fun.

Throughout this series, we’ve seen two radically different people join forces together to make a difference and prove that you don’t have to have superpowers to be a superhero. Through skills, commitment and just turning up to get the job done, Clint Barton and Kate Bishop have made a big impact in Hawkeye and it’s been a lot of fun to see the mantle of Hawkeye passed on to another. Where we go from here with the characters of Barton and Bishop is still to be seen, but I’m certain that we’ll no doubt see more of them in the near future.

Hawkeye comes to a fitting conclusion with ‘So This Is Christmas?’ and brings the story to a full and complete conclusion. It’s a terrific episode that captures the energy and action that is an integral part of the character of Hawkeye and what’s more it’s a perfect Christmas treat.

Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Following their fallout, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) is left reeling and unknowing about what to do with her future. She’s spent her whole life idolizing Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and now she doesn’t know what to think anymore. Then there’s Barton himself who is wrestling with a deep level of PTSD and the consequences of his past, and with the arrival of the dangerous Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh); a Black Widow assassin, things are about to get very messy for Barton and by association Bishop.

Directors Bert & Bertie again step behind the camera once more for Episode 5 of Hawkeye ‘Ronin’ and their focus is placed on character revelation and the confrontation of the past. Both Barton and Bishop have to face up to who they were and who they are, along with how the past has shaped their present, and after the surprise revelation in Episode 4 ‘Partners, Am I Right?’, both of these archers are left with a great deal of uncertainty as to what their future holds.

For Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop this means questioning everything she has ever believed about her hero and idol Clint Barton. After he told her very directly to stay away from him, her desire to be a hero is questioned and she takes it hard. But true heroes don’t give up when the chips are down and very quickly she is back on the case when new evidence is brought to life and Kate isn’t expecting what comes next. As a character moment, ‘Ronin’ is a key episode for Kate as we see her grow into the maturity that she’ll need to showcase as a superhero and Steinfeld can show a lot of dramatic presence that she previously was unable to show.

Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton also has to come face-to-face with his past this time, and all the issues and PTSD that has affected him. With the loss of his hearing and moral ambiguity caused by his actions as a literal weapon following the events of ‘The Blip’, Barton is now questioning everything he’s ever done. He’s a haunted man and the loss of his best friend and alley Natasha Romanoff was the final straw the broke him as a hero. It’s a painful confrontation with his past that he strives to make a new future for himself and Renner brings considerable depth to his dramatic projection in this decision.

Barton also takes steps to eliminate the threat of Maya Lopez/Echo (Alaqua Cox) and dons his guise as Ronin one final time to deliver a stern warning: stay away or else. This message comes with a barrage of punches, kicks and swordplay and Clint ain’t playing around this time. It’s also where the truth of his history with the Tracksuit Mafia comes into play and Clint makes it clear to Maya that her quest for revenge isn’t as simple as she thinks it is. It’s also in the heat of this moment where Kate returns to him and they cement their relationship as partners. All roads healed in the end.

Of particular note in ‘Ronin’ is the appearance of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova; a sister to Natasha Romanoff and Black Widow who has her own score to settle with Clint Barton. The appearance of Pugh as Belova leads to a lot of new revelations of what her life has been since the events of Black Widow, and we find out that she was a victim of ‘The Blip’ and that this has had a severe impact on her mental state. She also has a ‘heart-to-heart, girls’ night’ with Kate which finds her with her guard down, for a moment, and then it’s all very clear that this ‘happy-go-lucky’ Yelena is a mere front and that she is not playing games and is ready to level her lethal intentions against Clint Barton.

The stage is now set for the final episode of Hawkeye and make no mistake this episode is gonna be BIG. The stakes are high and all the players are ready to go for it following a massive revelation in the final moments of ‘Ronin’ that has changed the course of the MCU forever and will lead to Barton and Bishop facing down one of the Marvel Universe’s ultimate big bads!

Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Caught off-guard by her mother’s fiancee Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton) in ‘Echoes’, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) is forced to explain her new ‘partnership’ with Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), former Avenger and superhero to her mother Eleanor (Vera Farmiga), and things don’t go according to plan. While he’s looking for a way to sever his ties to Bishop, Barton still needs her help for the moment, and he lays out past revelations to her in order to get her off the hero path and break her away from the fantasy of what being a hero actually means. And when Barton’s past does come knocking this time around things get deadly.

After the all-action fun of Episode Three ‘Echoes’, directors Bert & Bertie return for Episode Four of Hawkeye, ‘Partners, Am I Right?’ and things take a turn for the comedic this time around. And it starts off with a very amusing, slightly embarrassing, and quirky family sitdown for Kate Bishop. The cat’s out of the bag that she’s now working with former Avenger, Clint Barton/Hawkeye and this ‘family meeting’ between Clint, Kate, Eleanor and Jack leads to plenty of laughs that start this episode in the right direction. The back and forth bickering banter that we’ve come to expect from Clint and Kate is taken to a whole new level and it’s fun to see how uncomfortable Clint gets with having to explain his presence and just exactly why Kate’s accompanying him on this new adventure.

The holiday spirit also takes a central place in ‘Partners, Am I Right?’ and it’s clear that being away from his family is having a negative effect on Barton. Cue the arrival of Bishop with a Christmas tree, Christmas sweaters, tinsel and a collection of classic Christmas movies and it’s a proper shindig. It’s fun to see Barton and Bishop get into the Christmas spirit, and Bert & Bertie use this tinsel-coated environment to show off more of Clint’s tricks and it’s a lot of fun to watch Kate get in on the action.

But it’s not all festive fun, as this environment also draws out a lot of honesty and truth from Barton and he gets real as to what the cost of being a hero actually comes with. From the moment Kate Bishop laid eyes on Clint Barton she saw him as a hero and an idol, someone to look up to and be like. But Barton lays it all bare to her that he’s not exactly the good guy, and this heroism thing can take a dark turn quickly. After Kate deduces that he was once the vigilante known as Ronin, Clint opens up about his life as a soldier and S.H.I.E.L.D operative, and while he’s been able to do some good, he also carries the guilt of being ‘a weapon’ that was turned loose on whoever his superiors saw fit to eliminate. He’s clearly a haunted man, and these revelations from Barton have incredible importance on the series as a whole.

However, Barton can’t get complacent now and these two heroes still have a job to do and this leads them into a fight with Echo and a brand new unseen threat. Barton’s past is back to haunt him, and it strikes out with a vengeance. Arrows are shot, punches and kicks are thrown and it’s general chaos as Bishop and Barton have to contend with a fight on two sides and it quickly turns out that neither one of them is ready to work as a team. And the results are bad. For the super confident Kate Bishop, this fight is a revelation that she’s not ready for what really awaits in the ‘superhero game’ and Bishop lays it on pretty hard. He doesn’t mince his words and it’s very clear that his past is back to haunt him and this past has a deadly sting to it.

Where we go to next with Hawkeye is anyone’s guess, but it’s clear that things are going t get worse for Clint Barton and Kate Bishop before they get better thanks to two enemies attacking their flanks and it’s about to be a very rowdy Christmas this year.

Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Kidnapped and held at gunpoint by the Tracksuit Mafia, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) make a daring escape from this gang of thugs, who are led by ace killer Maya Lopez aka Echo (Alaqua Cox), a deaf woman with a dangerous talent for combat. What follows is a hell-raising chase through the streets of New York and the reveal of more dangerous secrets from Barton’s past.

Episode Two of Hawkeye, ‘Hide and Seek’ ended on one hell of a cliffhanger, and now in Episode Three, ‘Echoes” directors Bert & Bertie take up the reigns of the series and they seriously raise the stakes for Barton and Bishop. Right from the start of this episode, Bert & Bertie floor the accelerator and this results in one hell of an opening first act as Barton and Bishop make their explosive getaway from the Tracksuit Mafia. Explosive action and innovative camera work put you right into the heart of the action and you’ll feel your adrenaline pumping as this intense chase unfolds before your eyes.

While we were treated to a few scraps early on in Hawkeye, ‘Echoes’ is where the action of the series really ramps up and we get to see Barton go to work. And this master archer has lost none of his skills. With a jarring use of free-running, close-combat archery, Barton makes quick work of the Tracksuit Mafia and makes even more of an impression on Bishop. And Renner looks freaking cool while slinging arrows. Inspired, Bishop herself wants in on the action and is giddy when she finally gets to use trick arrows for the first time. The resulting action on screen is simply breathtaking to watch and step by step the adrenaline ramps up quickly.

‘Echoes’ is also a major episode for the MCU as we are introduced to a brand new character in the form of Maya Lopez aka Echo, who is played by Alaqua Cox. A Native American woman, who is both deaf and an amputee, Lopez has been brought up the hard way and this has resulted in her being a certified badass. With a unique ability to mimic the actions of anyone she sees, Echo makes for a deadly opponent and she has an axe to grind with Ronin and has sworn a blood oath to see him dead. Cox owns the screen as Exho and her presence in Hawkeye opens up a brand new space within the MCU. While Echo may be the enforcer of the Tracksuit Mafia, the chief puppet master is her mysterious ‘Uncle’ and I’m certain we’ll learn more about this mystery man soon.

‘Echoes’ places a lot of its focus on Clint Barton and Maya Lopez hearing impairment, and there is heavy use of sign language in the episode’s narrative. This emphasis on signing helps to showcase how Lopez experiences the world. As a consequence of his life as an Avenger, Barton is also now losing his hearing and it’s something he has to deal with in a very personal way. The episode’s most poignant scene comes through a telephone call with his young son, and it’s very clear where Barton’s responsibilities lie. This is a man who no longer has any desire to be any kind of hero and just wants to be a husband and father. Adding in the loss of communication tears him up inside and it’s a very emotional scene for audiences to witness.

Things are moving fast with Hawkeye and the ending of ‘Echoes’ results in one hell of a shocker. Where we go next is anyone’s guess, but the stakes are raised and it’s time to go all in.

Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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After a fiery end to Episode One, Barton and Bishop are on the run, and both of their lives have taken a very big left turn. With bad guys closing in on them, Barton wants to do everything to tidy things up, while Bishop is a little bit too eager to lend a hand. Soon things take a turn for this archery double-team and the tension is high.

Episode Two, ‘Hide and Seek’, of Hawkeye moves at a quick pace. And it’s very clear that Clint Barton’s  (Jeremy Renner) past as the ruthless vigilante Ronin has come back to haunt him. Mixed up in all of this is the over-eager Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) who can’t believe her luck that she’s finally getting to hang out with her hero. And she’s also completely oblivious to the fact that he kind of doesn’t want anything to do with her. What this results in is a great back and forth bit of banter between Barton and Bishop. And it’s very funny to watch. While Kate certainly has stars in her eyes, Clint quickly dashes them and it soon becomes clear that they’re facing a big deal of trouble.

This episode allows us further into the personalities of these two radically different characters, who have now been forced together. And it’s very interesting to watch. Clint Barton has always been the quiet professional, a closed-off soldier type who is just content to get the job done, while Kate Bishop is the ‘eager to have a go’, fangirl who is desperate to jump into the vigilante life. And it soon becomes clear that each of them is more complex than either is letting on. This is merely the start of their shared relationship together, but I have a feeling that both Barton and Bishop will open up a lot more as this series moves forward.

‘Hide and Seek’ is also of major importance as we delve deeper into the relationship that is shared between Kate and her mother Eleanor. It’s fair to say that Eleanor is far too busy with the socialite life and far too infatuated with the charming Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton) to pay any attention to her daughter. Things also come to a head between Kate and Jack, and this results in a dramatic fencing showdown. Jack shows a playful side here, but when he tires of Kate’s adolescent antics he quickly shows off his dangerous capability as a swordsman and it’s clear that this is a man with some seriously dark secrets and menacing abilities.

Another cool factor in ‘Hide and Seek’ is we get to see Hawkeye himself, Clint Barton, interacting with the very fandom that has sprouted up around him. And it’s hilarious to watch. Taking a step into the LARPing community, Barton has to come face to face with the nerd side of pop culture and it’s pretty funny to see him not really know what to make of all of it. As a viewer, it’s very interesting to see director Rhys Thomas use this in the series and to see an Avenger having to deal with the idea of celebrity. Especially one so closed off like Clint Barton.

Fans wanting to see more of Barton’s particular set of skills will also be very happy as they get to see him in action. He adopts a style that one would equate to fitting in with the espionage thriller, as he sleuths around New York City looking to clean up the mess that Kate has gotten him into. And you really see his professional side on display here. Kate also jumps into the action, but her attempt at playing the vigilante doesn’t go as planned and leads to the show’s ending and the reveal of a dangerous and deadly new character who is making her first appearance in the MCU.

Things are at a cliffhanger now in Hawkeye and it’s about to get very interesting for Barton and Bishop as we move forward.

Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Now living in a post-blip world where everything has seemed to return to normal Avenger and ace archer Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) aka Hawkeye is now retired from the superhero game and just looking to spend Christmas with his family. Although his former life is hard to forget. Hawkeye fan and mischievous college student Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) on the other hand is looking for a challenge in life and her would-be vigilante activities cause her more trouble than it’s worth. Through happenstance and a new conspiracy these two are thrown together in the streets of New York and its archers at your ready.

Director Rhys Thomas takes audiences back to New York City for a holiday spectacular with Hawkeye and Christmas is very much all around. In New York this holiday season is Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) who is trying to make the most of the holiday season with his children, while also trying to leave behind the brutal PTSD he’s had to live with as an Avenger. And it’s a hard thing to do. The last thing Renner’s Barton wants is more trouble, but this is a man who has lived on the edge his whole life. And the choices of his life have made him a lot of enemies, and many of them still hold a grudge.

I’ve long been a big fan of Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. For me personally, he’s always been a character whose been overlooked by many in the MCU, but his role within it is of vital importance. Hawkeye is the everyman of the Avengers, while he’s a skilled soldier and veteran, he’s also the embodiment of what defines and drives the Avengers. He’s no god, super soldier or Hulk, but rather a man who through willpower and skill has made himself into a hero. And that is extremely praiseworthy. Barton is also a devoted family man and father, and this part of his life makes his work as an Avenger even more profound as you know what he’s fighting for. Now with Hawkeye, we’re going to see what really makes Barton tick and I think that’s incredibly exciting.

But Hawkeye is not just Barton’s story alone, as we’re also introduced to a brand new character who is making her debut in the MCU in the form of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), and this girl is a very big Hawkeye fan. Best described as a trouble-making, smart alec and would-be vigilante, Kate is far more complex than she lets on, and she’s a very big Hawkeye fan. With her knack for getting into trouble, and dreams of being a superhero like her hero Hawkeye, things soon get very real for Kate and it becomes clear that being a hero is a far more complex job than she could ever have imagined.

In Hawkeye, we’re also introduced to Vera Farmiga as Kate’s mother, Eleanor Bishop, the owner of Bishop Security, and a glamourous socialite who doesn’t share Kate’s dreams of superheroes. Farmiga makes an interesting addition to the MCU and Eleanor is very much a foil for Kate’s antics. Eleanor also happens to be in a relationship with the mysterious and debonair Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton), a charming old-money figure who has his own secret agenda at hand and whom Kate doesn’t approve of one little bit. Dalton strikes a very slick figure here as Duquesne and he’s a scene-stealer in Hawkeye for sure.

Each new Marvel Studios series on Disney+ has its own unique rhythm and this is definitely true of Hawkeye. Part Christmas movie, part buddy-comedy and part spy-thriller, Thomas and his team have certainly marked this series out as uniquely its own. While we’re only at the beginning of the series I can very much feel that we’re going to move into the high stakes territory of the spy thriller genre, and that matched with the back and forth banter of Barton and Bishop is sure to keep this show lively. Action fans will also be pleased as there’s some great ground and pound action, and I’m certain that this is only going to build from here.

Fans are also treated to a big surprise in the form of Rogers: The Musical, Broadway’s latest smash hit success, and this moment displayed in Hawkeye, and Renner’s reaction to all of it as Barton is hilariously funny to watch. Hawkeye is mixing so many genres together here, and audiences get a solid reward because of it.

Hawkeye is off to a great start thanks to Episode One, and we’re ready to see a brand new side to one of the original Avengers and his new, accidental protege who is ready to take up the good fight.

Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.

While we’re used to the Transformers franchise going all out on large scale action spectacle director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings), in his first ever live action film, goes right back to the beginning and seeks to tell a far different Transformers story in Bumblebee. Focusing his attention on the arrival of young Autobot lieutenant Bumblebee as he crash lands on Earth following the fall of Cybertron, Knight pulls his audience into a tale that is pure 1980s nostalgic bliss.

Balancing a story that acts as an origin story for our favourite Autobot, Knight fills the film with a sense of Spielbergian magic that reminded me a lot of first contact films such as E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While Knight does give his audience plenty of awesome action moments, his focus is placed on a more grounded film and the relationship that forms between two lost souls: alienated teenager Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld) and beaten and broken Autobot Bumblebee. Mixed in with this beautiful friendship is a nod to the past and the youthful optimism of 1980s California that will set your soul alight and make you want to take off on a road trip down the coast in a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle. It’s clear with this film that Knight wanted to craft a cinematic experience that would fill his audience with a sense of wonder and joy and he absolutely achieves this here with Bumblebee.

Front and center in the film is rising talent Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie Watson, a tom-boy, gearhead teenager who has an affinity for The Smiths and is trying to find her place in the world while desperately desiring the sense of freedom that comes from the open road. Charlie’s presence as a protagonist comes from Steinfeld’s total immersion into the character and what results is an inspired performance. You really buy into her presence as Charlie and you feel the deep sense of loss that has gripped her soul and left her lost in the world. But that all changes when she meets a certain yellow Autobot named Bumblebee.

What grows from here is a thoroughly organic relationship that really pulls at your heart. When we first meet Bumblebee he’s broken and torn apart and desperately scared, a long way from his original heroic self. But slowly through Charlie’s help, he’s able to heal himself and in doing so he heals Charlie as well. Love is the key here and through their trials together they become ever stronger. Not to mention that there’s a helpful dose of comedy and there are plenty of moments when you’ll be laughing out loud at the hilarity that ensues up on screen. This heartfelt love at the center of the film works thanks to Steinfeld’s performance and I have no-doubt that she was the perfect choice for the role.

Providing back up in the film is John Cena as Colonel Jack Burns, a commander of the clandestine Section 7 who is present for the first contact between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Cena occupies the space between good guy and bad guy and brings a sense of unflinching  authority to the film, but you can also expect his sense of dry humour to shine through as well. Cena provides great back up as Burns and when he finally does see the writing on the wall you can be sure this action man mounts up and pulls out the big guns to ensure that the world is indeed saved.

What really moved me with Bumblebee was just how much emotion was present between Charlie and Bumblebee up on screen. This film is a love letter to the power of friendship and just how important love is to the successes in our lives. While Bumblebee might be a CGI character his emotional performance thanks to those digital wizards at Industrial Light and Magic is simply breathtaking to watch. The character’s performance here derives itself mostly from the art of mime and there’s a real Charlie Chaplin-esque presence within the character that only adds to his charm up on screen. Because of his inability to speak his actions, and the use of 1980s music form his words and this secret language only increases the bond between him and Charlie.

But while Bumblebee might be a smaller, more contained Transformers film, action fans should not worry because Knight really delivers on the spectacle here. His emphasis on the action is ‘less is more’ and it really works as you feel every jab, kick and bodyslam that Bumblebee throws at the Decepticons. Knight gives Bumblebee an acrobatic speed to him, with a dash of Capoeira thrown-in there, plus a healthy doe of WWE slamming action, as he jumps head first into the fight against the Decepticons. The pacing of the action works brilliantly because when it does hit you it really captures your attention and when Bumblebee finally does draw his sonic cannon….well get ready for the boom!

With it’s classic 1980’s nostalgia, heartfelt narrative, breathtaking action scenes and a thumping soundtrack filled with classic 80s hits, Bumblebee is a guaranteed winner this Christmas. It’s a film that will enchant the whole family and if you’re looking for that special kind of magic this year then Bumblebee is a ride you’ll want to take.

Image: Paramount Pictures

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