In the mid-00s, Will Ferrell solidified his leading man status with a series of sports comedies. In succession, he played a NASCAR driver, a figure skater, and least successfully a basketball player. These films helped set the example of the typical Ferrell character. A dim, arrogant man-child who, through the course of the movie, learns to grow up just enough to redeem themselves. When done right, that is to say in about 90 minutes, the process works. Anything longer than that and you’re liable to end up with something like The Hawk.
Netflix’s new comedy series finds Ferrell back in the sports world as washed-up golfer Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins. Still reeling from the death of his caddy and best friend, Old Henry (Keith David), Lonnie aims to recapture his glory days by winning the U.S. Open. Oh, and reconnect with his estranged wife and adult son (Molly Shannon and Jimmy Tatro, respectively), that’s definitely on the list. If it all feels a little Happy Gilmore 2, rest assured that the show has other avenues to explore. Organized crime, alcohol-based side hustles, and a trip to Vegas are just some ways the show pads itself out.
No amount of silly diversions can distract from the knowledge that you’ve seen this type of story before. Not only that, you’ve seen it done by Ferrell! While the comedy occasionally finds a beat, the writing of Lonnie keeps viewers at a distance. Ferrell excels at playing egotists, and much of the humor comes from his ability to win you over despite the character’s obvious flaws. For Lonnie, the writing steers him too far into being just an asshole. This is a man who steals his dead friend’s watch and nearly misses his funeral to golf. At a certain point, you begin to root for Lonnie’s continued downfall.
The Hawk employs a cast of comedy heavy hitters, but even that wears thin after a while. Molly Shannon remains a delight, but clearly deserves a meatier role than the foul-mouthed wife (the divorce never got finalized). Fortune Feimster ends up being a perfect foil to Ferrell as his new caddy, Sam. She becomes the most reliably funny performer, even when the show veers into her family history. That particular subplot aims to parallel Lonnie’s own dysfunctional situation, but doesn’t quite stick the landing.
Comedy veteran David Gordan Green directs 4 episodes of The Hawk and adds a visual style full of flourish. Whether it’s the upside-down POV shot of a golf ball soaring through the air or the sudden shift to a music video style when Lonnie gets too into the Thong Song. There is always something interesting on the screen. While it doesn’t redeem the whole project, it makes the more tedious aspects tolerable.
It’s hard to look at The Hawk and not think about the other recent golf comedy show, Owen Wilson’s Stick. While their stories overlap, the general tone is completely different. For a show focused on an old-timer making a comeback, The Hawk remains in the past. A past where Ferrell was the hottest comedy star. Where you could sell mid-budget comedy movies instead of streaming series. Both shows fail to keep you invested, but I’ll take the Ted Lasso-lite approach over whatever Ferrell and his team are doing here.
The Hawk is currently streaming on Netflix.