Will Ferrell Misses the Mark Big Time with The Hawk, a 10-Episode Comedy Series on Netflix
The latest work by the famous comedian Will Ferrell in a 10-episode Netflix series turns out to be less funny than expected, despite featuring a talented cast and crew.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Will Ferrell stars in and co-creates the 10-episode comedy series The Hawk on Netflix
- Ferrell's character Lonnie has been criticized for lacking depth and being annoying
- The project brings together many talented actors and creators, but the result is disappointing
Seeing a professional comedian whom we all know can usually generate plenty of laughs fall flat in a new role is quite an awkward experience. While in a typical feature film we only spend about 90 minutes and it's over, when it comes to a 10-episode series where the main character and the surrounding story just don't click, and it barely generates any laughs, the viewing experience is much more frustrating. And that is exactly what happened with The Hawk, the new Netflix series starring Will Ferrell.
Ferrell's character Lonnie brings together traits from several of his classic roles: the man-child persona, ungrounded overconfidence, and a habit of getting into accidental self-harm. Yet, these attributes never truly gel together. Lonnie often feels more like a half-baked comedic character idea than a fully realized multidimensional character, and as he stands at the center of the series, his annoyingness only grows as time goes on.
Transitioning from a feature film to a 10-episode series is a major challenge. Even a legendary, highly skilled comedian like Will Ferrell still faces obstacles in maintaining a consistent comedic rhythm throughout an entire season, unlike a movie that wraps up in 90 minutes. Furthermore, changes in the creative team early in a project often directly impact the direction and identity of the work.
This awkward atmosphere is apparent right from the opening scene where Lonnie plays golf while singing and dancing to the Thong Song, before revealing that he is also wearing a g-string underwear. Even though the idea of having Will Ferrell wear a g-string might sound funny, in this scene it just doesn't work, lacks any motivation behind the action, and is never brought up again. It feels reminiscent of Ferrell's past gags, such as the red, white, and blue shorts scene from SNL which was hilarious, but this scene falls completely flat.
Interestingly, Ferrell doesn't fly solo; he is surrounded by people with great skills who usually always generate laughs. The series was co-created by Ferrell and long-time collaborator Harper Steele and Chris Henchy, with Steele standing out for writing numerous sketch comedies for SNL, many of which starred Ferrell. It also features former SNL castmates Molly Shannon and Chris Parnell, along with Old School co-star Luke Wilson and Wonder Man writer Andrew Guest. Yet, this level of talent has been bundled into a flat production.
"You think this is funny!? You think this is a comedy!?"
Will Ferrell
Near the end of the season of The Hawk, Will Ferrell has a scene where he shouts this exact line, which accurately captures the audience's sentiment for a series that struggles to succeed as a comedy. Even though Ferrell has an exceptional history in comedy and has delivered numerous legendary performances throughout his career, he couldn't carry this series past its sluggish pacing and a main character lacking depth.
Source: IGN Movies
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