Hanna Season 2 (2020) Review

So after recently watching and enjoying the first season of Hanna I have now had the chance to watched the 2nd season and here is my review for it. The premise of the season sees Hanna and Clara on the run from Utrax while Marissa meets an old acquaintance who is the new leader of the group. 

Main Character

Esme Creed-Miles is back as Hanna and again I really liked her character this season. The show mostly moves away from her trying to be a normal girl and really focuses on her strengths which is the darkness of her character and the action scenes. She is so great in these action scenes, whether it be a gun fight or a hand to hand encounter they feel enthralling and exciting to watch. Also her character goes through quite a bit this season which does add some more depth to her, but I think her as an action heroine really worked here. 

Supporting Characters

Mireille Enos is back also as Marissa and once again she is great too. Similar to Hanna they get rid of her side plots to really focus on her as a cool spy who always tries to be one step ahead of everybody else in the show. Her character maybe isn't explored as much here as the previous season but her relationship with Hanna is well explored and well progressed. Dermot Mulroney is the new main antagonist this season and I liked him here, he is just good at playing the corporate bad guy and he clearly enjoys this role. But there were quite a few supporting characters I didn't think worked as well, Yasmin Monet Prince plays Clara and I don't know what it is but I just couldn't get on board with her character. I like her her story arc and how it compares to Hanna's but I also just think the performance was a bit too wooden and it made her quite a bland character. There are also quite a few pretty poor teenage performances that we have to deal with for a lot of the show and it just took me out of it. Also there is this new character called Terry Miller and I just have no clue why she was here or what the point was of adding her to the show.

Story

The relationship between Hanna and Marissa is one of the more intriguing parts of this season, going from their dynamic in the first season to where they are now feels appropriate and it makes them an interesting duo. I also liked some of the individual character arcs such as Mulroney's character and even Clara's to an extent but then there was just some I couldn't get on board with. Plus for me it is way less interesting then it was last season, we are given very little information about Utrax's plans and to a certain extent sometimes I worry why exactly they are seen as such a threat as the show never gives you a reason. 

Script

Unfortunately, this is where the show starts to fall down. I personally think this is a pretty weak script, the dialogue isn't there like it was in the first season, the drama never hits the heights that it should which made me care about it less. But also this season tries humour a bit more and I thought it just fell flat on its face.

Style

One of the highlights of the season though is the great action scenes involving Hanna, she is one of the coolest and most dangerous protagonists that there is. It even seems like she is more capable this season then she was previously and it is most pleasing to watch. But I noticed that when Hanna isn't in the fight scenes there is an excessive of shaky cam, which tells me that the other actors are weaker when filming the action scenes and it is clear to see. Also, I really liked the setting of Romania for the first season but this season just felt more generic in terms of it's location which overall just made it like any other show you can watch.

Overall

Overall, after the first season I had high hopes for this 2nd season but for me it was a big letdown. There are still enjoyable things here mainly Hanna's character and her action scenes but it feels like a more generic show and hopefully in the 3rd season they can find a way to make it more interesting and unique.

Rating - 5/10

Hanna Season 1 (2019) Review

The second season of the show hits Amazon Prime this Friday, so in preparation I went back and watched the whole first season and here is my review for it. The premise of the show sees a young girl get raised by her father in the woods, she is an expert in combat but has no idea exactly how, that changes when they are both forced to go on the run. 

Main Character

Esme Creed-Miles plays Hanna and I thought she did a really good job here. She is a young girl who really lacks emotion and people skills and that works really well for her character, you can just see part of her just wants to be a normal teenager but for a reason she doesn't know she isn't allowed to be which makes you care about her. Also the action scenes are great, she is great in them and you really see her as this emotionless killer which for a young actress is very impressive. 

Supporting Characters

Joel Kinnaman plays her father and he is truly great here, I haven't seen anything from him before that really stood out but it works here. He is a truly conflicted character, you see he struggles all the way through the show between his daughter and his own motivations and it is handled really well and again does a really good job in making you care. Mireille Enos plays an antagonist here and I thought she was really good in her role, again she isn't a generic character, she has depth and an emotional backstory that makes you question whether we should truly dislike her. But there are some really weak characters and performances, the character of Sophie is truly awful, the performance and character are awful and the family she is with are all awful too. It takes away from the show and hurts the overall enjoyment factor of what is going on. 

Story

The story here is really interesting, seeing this girl trying to balance her life between violence and normal is compelling. The relationship between Hanna and her father is also really well done, it is intriguing and keeps you on your toes throughout. Also the finale is great adding much intrigue and nailing its atmosphere really well. But as I mentioned there is this British family which bogs the show down, I get their purpose but it really doesn't work due to really poor acting and writing and it also feels like that part of the story doesn't exactly have a finish to it. 

Script

The script has some really good dramatic dialogue here, you feel the emotion and it makes you care about the more important characters. There isn't much humour to it, which feels right given the main characters but again that middle part of the story involving that British family tries it and it just feels out of place in this normally serious show. 

Style

The style of the show is great and really unique, it has a scandanavian style to it and it really works. The action scenes are brutal and really well shot here adding to the grit of it all. The score and cinematography also do a great job of sucking you into this world.

Overall

Overall, this is a good first season of the show, with some great potential and action scenes that hit the edge. With a bit more focusing up the 2nd season could be a truly brilliant show.

Rating - 7/10