For over a decade now, Jeremy Renner has played a hero on screen, as Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As one of the only heroes in the MCU without fancy technology or psychedelic powers, Renner has impressed as Clint Barton, bringing a sense of real heroism to a comic book world. Now with Disney’s newest series Rennervations coming to their streaming service, viewers will get to know the true hero behind the bow and arrows.
Rennervations puts the star front and center, although not in a vanity project, but instead in his task to help the world with one of his other passions; collecting large retired service vehicles and repurposing them. Giving these vehicles a second life, Renner, along with his friend Rory and top-notch crew, are bringing hope back to cities and organizations that could definitely use it. The series is wonderfully heart-warming with plenty of tears. All four episodes of Rennervations drop on April 12. Continue on for a full breakdown.
[Warning: Light spoilers and impressions from Rennervations are below]
Jeremy Renner’s global mission to save the world
As someone who watches way too much HGTV to relax on the weekends, it feels like every star is getting their hands into the proverbial honey pot of renovation shows. So when I first heard whispers of a Jeremy Renner-led series in the same vein, I wondered how this one would be different from all the others. Let me be the first to say, that it is vastly different than anything I have seen to date when it comes to renovation series.
Sure, each episode features a single project from the proposal to the planning, and of course execution and delivery. However, these projects aren’t just some rich person’s house being built for a quarter of a million dollars or some dream home viewers can never afford. Instead, these are projects that are bringing about change in neighborhoods around the world. That feels vastly different and something that more should strive for.
Renner does all this without the appearance of ego or superiority. Instead, he comes off as someone who just wants to help out where he can, solving problems with the platform he’s gathered in his life.
Some of the projects stand out more so than others, for the level of impact that they provide. One episode focuses on building a mobile water filtration system, that can provide clean water to villages and towns in India. The truck itself had some flair and entertainment built into it as well, but the core of that mission is to provide water to people so they don’t become ill from the contaminated local water.
This specific project felt of a different caliber because it was providing a basic need, whereas some of the others provided social enrichment to neighborhoods. Regardless of this difference, all of the projects across the 4 episodes bettered areas around the world in some way or another, pulling at my heartstrings each time.
Those at play in Rennervations
While Jeremy Renner is the face of this series, there are so many other individuals involved in the different projects that enrich it. Rory is essentially the co-host of Rennervations, being Renner’s best friend. He helps oversee the projects at different points, however, his main role in Rennervations is to provide levity and comedic relief.
However, the banter and heart don’t stop with these two but extend to the rest of the crew that works on many of the projects. Rennervations is more like part reno series, part documentary. A section of the documentary aspect is focused on the areas impacted, but the other is about those involved in the making of these vehicles. Viewers get some in-depth knowledge of their lives up to the point of the series and how some of their histories impact the love and care they put into the buses and trucks they work on.
To top it all off, each episode has a special guest star, all friends of Renner from his life as a celebrity, who come in at different points of the project to either help create and design or to celebrate the finished projects with the people receiving them. These cameos don’t always pack the emotional punch from the before-mentioned stars of the show, but it’s nice to see others who wish to use their platform for good.
The good and the bad of Rennervations
I feel like I’ve spent almost 800 words already talking about how great this series is, but similar to Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, I was impressed with the reality series we got from Disney+. Rennervations provided a small glimpse into the Hawkeye star’s life, showcasing his love and compassion toward everyone. He has a passion that extends past just acting and wants to help those who are struggling in ways he can.
He’s also super passionate about his large machines, which had a different weight after knowledge about his accident. I had a hard time ignoring that thought as it crept up into my head throughout my initial viewing. That being said, his goal to repurpose these vehicles is admirable to say the least, giving new life to old and forgotten municipal property that can ring hope to new places.
This series is incredibly specific in the idea of its target audience. Your younger children looking for another show starring “Hawkeye” are going to be disappointed. It’s not an action-adventure comic book series. This is definitely tailored to a slightly older audience and by that, I mean adults and old souls. There are absolutely some aspects children might love, these trucks and buses are cool, like seriously cool. But this isn’t a series that will appeal to everyone, however, the hook is Jeremy Renner, which might pull in some people regardless.
Overall, I thought Rennervations was a fantastic addition to the Disney+ catalog and I hope that eventually there are more episodes coming in the future. If you’re looking for a series with a lot of heart or even something you can have on in the background and still get a lot out of it, Rennervations should be on your list.
Rennervations arrives on Disney+ on April 12. Will you be checking it out? Let us know on Twitter or in the Cosmic Circus Discord. And if you haven’t already, check out our review of Limitless with Chris Hemsworth!
Review: Limitless with Chris Hemsworth
