CABLE | They Call Will Ferrell 'The Hawk' on Netflix

"Old golfers never die. They just lose their balls."

Gloria Sanchez Productions / T-Street Productions

Comedian Will Ferrell further mines his trademark dumb but confident athlete archetype for another unlikely sports comedy, The Hawk, this time in episodic series form. Created by Ferrell with his longtime collaborators Harper Steele and Chris Henchy, we follow washed-up PGA golfer Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins on his comeback tour while his son (Jimmy Tatro) turns pro and threatens to take over his mantle.

Co-starring Ferrell's former SNL castmate Molly Shannon as Lonnie's wife, Fortune Feimster as his caddie, and Luke Wilson as his arch rival, The Hawk plays more into the sad dad genre of comedies, where Lonnie reflects on his past failures by trying to recapture his lost accomplishments. Surprisingly, the sports series detours further into supporting side characters and other interpersonal relationships that never quite connect to the central father/son golf story before turning into a full-blown dysfunctional family dramedy.

It's a little strange not to see The Hawk as an efficient but mildly amusing ninety-minute theatrical release. As a series, it's a middling effort that has enough of Ferrell's inherent charm and commitment to the bit. However, it feels too much like a bizarro version of Happy Gilmore with shades of Caddyshack, told through the 2000s heyday of Frat Pack comedies. It's disposable fun.

The Hawk's ten-episode season is available to stream on Netflix.


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