In the eyes of Netflix Will Ferrell can do no wrong. As aging golf pro Lonnie ‘The Hawk’ Hawkins, Ferrell has forged another goofball from the fire of professional sports and made something that might just grow on audiences. Following on from Blades of Glory, Talladega Nights, and Semi-Pro to name a few, this limited series not only offers him another opportunity to scratch that itch but determines whether Will Ferrell can still knock it out the park.
The good news is that this dysfunctional family melodrama has all the component parts that should make The Hawk sing. The bad news is that nothing exceptional happens and audiences might end up disappointed. Not to say that Lonnie ‘The Hawk’ Hawkins lacks an edge or fails to tick all those boxes when it comes to Will Ferrell creations, just that Happy Gilmore 2 got there first, and lessons should have been learned.
Thankfully, the arrival of Fortune Feimster’s parking lot caddy Sam after the scene stealing Keith David makes an early exit, gives The Hawk a much needed adrenaline shot. Luke Wilson might make an impression as Lonnie’s nemesis Golden Fisk, but Feimster overshadows him easily when it comes to chewing scenery.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
Elsewhere, Molly Shannon comes out swinging as Lonnie’s on-off ex-wife but leans into stereotypes too much and offers up an engaging if unoriginal performance as a result. Which begs the question, what does this golfing comedy have to offer Netflix audiences that will make them sit up and pay attention?
At best it offers an iconic performance from a revered character actor, who is let down by mediocre material from writers with pedigree. Based on the involvement of ex-SNL scriptwriter Harper Steele, alongside previous creative collaborator Chris Henchy, The Hawk should be a hole in one but simply fails to make the cut. There is an engrained predictability and failure to find enough originality, and after two episodes that becomes too obvious to ignore.
Those quibbles aside, fans of Ferrell may find something to love in this true original conjuring up another sporting buffoon. There is a disarming optimism to Lonnie coupled with a childlike quality, which makes this character impossible to dislike. Like all the greats of comedy, Ferrell is at his best when jokes are drawn from drama, rather than relying on overly elaborate setups. The Hawk might not have too many saving graces, but at least it gets that right.
The Hawk is streaming on Netflix now.