Moon Knight Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free of the first 4 episodes of Moon Knight with the first premiering tomorrow on Disney Plus.

Marvel Studios made a big splash in the TV world last year, dropping 5 original series on Disney’s streaming platform, Disney+. From WandaVision to Hawkeye, adding yet another dimension to the MCU and opening the door to even more storytelling possibilities through the avenue of television alongside the same cinematic production value from Marvel Studios. Be it film or television, their properties are connected in subtle or not so subtle ways therefore fans will inevitably make connections as they are watching. That being said, films and television series should be appreciated for what they are and not in terms of making connections and developing so called fan theories. Not everything has to have an agenda. When it comes to Moon Knight, the latest Disney+ MCU limited series, the level of hype has been unlike the other series thus far. Opening a door to a different side of the MCU and casting like likes of Oscar Isaac as the titular hero and Ethan Hawke was the villain, there is plenty of reason for optimism but suffice it to say that the series brings so much more to the table as it is sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seats.

Moon Knight follows Steven Grant (Isaac), an eccentric yet ordinary English museum gift shop employee suffering from occasional blackouts and dreams of a seemingly other life. Little did he know, those dreams were real as he indeed was living another life, sharing his body with an American mercenary named Marc Spector (Isaac) as a result of dissociative identity disorder. However, this was only the beginning as far as they were concerned. The contrast between Steven and Marc and the dynamic between the two made for some great moments due not only to the writing and editing but also Isaac’s committed performance, tackling two distinct roles each with their own little nuances. Shifting between these perspectives and leaving plenty of gaps in its wake early on, the series keeps viewers questioning what they are seeing alongside Steven and will keep them guessing.

From there, there was an adjustment period as Steven had to come to terms with what was happening within him and around him. Coming at it from two completely different angles and with two different personalities coming from two different sets of life experience, there was certainly some butting of heads as Steven was basically like us viewers. Ultimately, in order to survive, they would need to come to some sort of ideological middle ground. As that gap between both characters narrows, one can’t help but still question what they are seeing due to the fragile nature of Steven and Marc.

Steven and Mark found themselves in the middle of a conflict between a group of powerful Egyptian gods. An avatar of Khonshu (F. Murray Abraham), Mark was tasked with fulfilling his bidding equipped with Khonshu’s magical healing armor thus donning the role of Moon Knight. Beyond the healing armor, Moon Knight was blessed with heightened strength and agility but he was unfortunately not immune to the split personality dynamic, making for some interesting moments as the contrast between Steven and Mark leading the way. Nevertheless, the action was exciting to watch despite some occasional spotty special effects and there not being as much as one may think at least through the first four episodes, seemingly favoring an adventure angle which was also compelling in its own right. However, it certainly did make the most of it, dazzling with the special effects used to bring the magical armor and its abilities to life.

Relying heavily on Egyptian mythology, the story saw Steven/Mark take on a man named Dr. Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), a charismatic spiritual leader who had amassed his own following. Worshiping another god known as Ammut the Devourer, one who passed judgment on souls by foreseeing their futures and any potential misdeeds. Those who she deemed unworthy were thus devoured. Trapped by the other gods ever since somewhere in Egypt, Harrow, equipped with a magical staff, was obsessed with finding Ammut and bringing her back to life. Arguably perverting the legend of Ammut and rendering his own judgments for his personal gain, he weaponized his army of devoted followers to advance that goal. Between Steven/Marc and Marc’s ex-wife Layla (May Calamawy) and Harrow and his many resources, they raced to find Ammut first. That adventure aspect offered something different in terms of the MCU and was just as strong as everything else because of the strong chemistry between Isaac and Calamawy for which the latter stole a fair share of scenes. Meanwhile, Hawke also made for a strong and extremely-charismatic adversary.

On a technical level, Moon Knight was impressive. Boasting a different look compared to the other MCU series, the cinematography was beautiful as the series shifts from London to Cairo among other locales over the course of its first four episodes. Watching Moon Knight fly across both cities was quite the sight to behold, accompanied by an epic booming score that was prevalent throughout. The production design was also stellar in bringing the story’s world to life as it traveled from locale to locale.

At the end of the day, Moon Knight is something unlike anything we’ve seen in the MCU thus far, arguably rivaling the likes of a WandaVision, which can only be a good thing as far as advancing the universe forward.

still courtesy of Marvel Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.