Moon Knight
“I can’t tell the difference between my waking life and dreams.”
Heading into this show, I had a very minimal amount of knowledge regarding the character and I’m happy to say, that Moon Knight has become one of my favourite MCU characters. The show is absolutely fantastic and easily some of the best content Marvel has put out in my opinion.
Starting off with the performances as they were really strong across the board. Oscar Isaac truly delivered one of the best performances the MCU has seen. The way he portrays both Steven and Marc is absolutely incredible. I loved learning about their history and it was a really solid way to introduce us to him. Isaac brilliantly pulls off the stoic Marc Spector while also delivering on the bumbling Steven which is so great and I love seeing how they accept each other over the course of the show. Both characters feel distinct yet similar and it’s unlike anything we’ve seen thus far and it makes for a very interesting protagonist when he’s dealing with multiple personalities. May Calamawy’s Layla is also another great character. Being the love interest for Marc, it’s really cool to see her taking an active role throughout and constantly pushing him to be better. I also love how we see her uncover the truth behind how Marc was present when her father was killed and led to some really interesting moments between the two. Her becoming an avatar herself at the end was also really great to watch and I loved seeing it. Ethan Hawke was truly amazing as Arthur Harrow. He brings such a terrifying presence to the character as he’s so calm whenever he’s on screen. He’s a cult leader and it’s very interesting to see him attempt to unleash Ammit while also having a dark past of his own being Khonshu’s former avatar. He makes for a really interesting antagonist throughout, but unfortunately I don’t think he was handled great in the finale, but I’ll touch on that later. Gaspard Ulliel, Rest in Peace, had a very small amount of screen time, but when he appeared, he was great. F. Murray Abraham’s Khonshu was brilliant. Murray’s voice really lent itself to the character, bringing this demanding presence to him. It was really cool seeing a god be trapped for a few episodes unable to aid them in the plot, while also being a dick that is constantly affecting Marc’s life. Similarly, Sofia Danu was great as Ammit. I very much enjoyed the character when she was on screen and acted as a great foil to Khonshu.
The direction was really amazing here and it’s incredibly enjoyable to watch. It could very well be some of the best direction within the MCU which I’m very pleased about. The action within the show is also a highlight. While there isn’t as much of it as I originally anticipated, I’m very happy with what we got as you really felt the power behind it. Each fight either included the supernatural elements or hand-to-hand combat which was great, allowing for some truly memorable fights. The plot of the show is really great. It’s clearly influenced by Indiana Jones which I think benefits the show immensely, keeping it fairly simple in finding an artefact to stop the impending threat all while dealing with multiple personalities. Having the story be told from Steven’s perspective with Marc feeling as the intruder was a great approach and really lent itself to what was being shown. The entire plot surrounding Khonshu was also really well portrayed and I loved seeing his dynamic with Marc. The show also handles the multiple personalities aspect exceptionally well. Having Marc and Steven start out as antagonistic forces towards each other, before learning to accept each other is great and then dying and having to embark on a quest to return to life, delving into Marc’s tragic backstory was absolutely phenomenal. I also loved how the audience didn’t always know what was going on, being made to think everything we’ve seen was all inside Marc’s head or if what we were shown was indeed true. It made for a really interesting and engaging plot, further cementing it as my favourite MCU Disney + show.
The visuals for the show were great. Once again, the influence of Indiana Jones allowed the show to feel really grounded while still maintaining the supernatural elements which worked really well. There’s a clear distinct style between the real world and the afterlife world which was great and very reminiscent of Black Panther. The CGI was also really good on the whole. Sure it may be iffy at times, but I thought it was really good especially considering the sheer scale and spectacle the show was delivering on. The cinematography was another highlight. The way each shot is framed allows the viewer to understand every aspect of what is going on, while keeping things for later reveals. You never feel overwhelmed and the cinematography always adds to what is being presented. It feels realistic yet colourful. Confusing yet identifiable. It’s really solid. The costume design is wonderful. The way they adapted the Moon Knight suit was amazing and I love how it feels Egyptian, reminding me of a Mummy’s outfit. The Mr Knight suit felt ripped straight from the comics and it was absolutely glorious, being another example of the MCU being more comic accurate in terms of character designs. The score for the show was pretty great, but doesn’t cement itself as an iconic MCU score unfortunately. It really works for the show and adds another layer to the show, but as I just mentioned, it fails to be as recognisable as other themes.
Now, I do have issues with the show which mainly come from the finale. I think the way Arthur Harrow is defeated is rather lazy, ripping away an emotional conflict between our hero and villain, for another hint towards Jake Lockley. It doesn’t ruin the show for me, but really aggravates me as it would’ve been much more impactful for Marc / Steven and Layla to take him down rather than Marc blacking out and it being Jake who subdued him. The same applies with Khonshu and Ammit as we gloss over their fight which feels like a disservice to them since they’re integral parts to the show. Jake Lockley himself is another issue for me. I don’t particularly like how he’s utilised. He’s hinted at throughout the show only to be seen in the post-credits with no prior indication that he’s connected to Khonshu outside of Marc. I personally would’ve liked it to be explored more to make his appearance feel more natural, but hopefully this will be touched on if Season 2 happens. The 6 episode season is also a issue with the entire MCU Disney + shows as a whole. 6 episodes limits the show as it doesn’t allow for a proper payoff. We have a really solid 5 episodes, but the finale often feels rushed as it should’ve had a few more episodes to truly drive the show home.
Overall, Moon Knight is a thoroughly engaging piece of MCU content that feels very refreshing, brining is new ideas and introducing us to a new side of the universe, all while still keeping a sense of familiarity. It’s definitely surpassed my expectations and like mentioned previously, helped Moon Knight become one of my favourite characters within the universe. I really love seeing this side of the MCU and seeing that in full force here really got me invested. Once again, Moon Knight is definitely a blast, filled with so much emotion and entertainment and I cannot wait to see where we find these characters next as it truly is one of the best things the MCU has done.