When Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life, he discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.

Moon Knight Trailer:

The Good:

Moon Knight may be the newest supernatural-based hero in the MCU, but the Disney+ series is primarily carried by excellent performances. Oscar Isaac is exceptional in the portrayals of Steven Grant and Marc Spector. Isaac clearly understood the assignment as he was the driving force in the series. His transitions between personalities are effortless and completely believable. It’s an added bonus that Isaac performs many of his own stunts to further enhance the action scenes. Besides Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke is mesmerizing as Arthur Harrow. Hawke’s calm demeanor throughout the series exudes an eerie presence that gives off a unique sense of fear.

Some intriguing aspects of Moon Knight were found in the plot and direction. I loved how every episode felt slightly different whenever it leaned a bit into horror for one episode or suddenly turned into a full-blown adventure in the next. Not only that, Moon Knight locks you into the story thanks to the imaginative ways it has you explore the world through the characters’ eyes. That made the series feel fresh and never stagnant. The visual effects also helped make the character of Moon Knight captivating. The CGI for his suit was memorizing whether he was putting it or taking it off.

Another plot aspect that I found fascinating was the uncharted territory of The Gods in the MCU. This was a departure from what audiences initially believed with characters like Odin and Thor. So now, this new wrinkle in what “gods” even mean in the MCU was something Moon Knight tackled uniquely. I only hope that the conclusion of the series pushes this concept even further.

The Bad:

While I absolutely loved Oscar Isaac’s performance and character, I did feel a little short-changed with the amount of screen time for Moon Knight himself. It’s a little similar to how audiences may expect to go into a Hulk movie to see the Hulk, but instead, they get way more Bruce Banner. So far, it doesn’t completely disrupt the flow of the series to have less of Moon Knight, but it wouldn’t hurt if the series increases his screen time to like a 60/40 ratio. Right now, it feels more like 85/15.

Moon Knight has been promised to be “brutal,” which is only somewhat valid. It’s probably the most brutal for Disney+, but it still feels like the show pulls its punches. The editing in the show is indeed creative in the fight scenes to allow the show to fall under an appropriate rating for more audiences. Yet, I don’t think it lives up to the level of brutality that some may expect, nor the source material has accomplished.

The Verdict:

Moon Knight is an incredible ride in the MCU that will blow your mind. It truly feels like it exists in its own special place in the MCU. There’s a perfect blend of mystery, drama, action, humor, and a pinch of horror. Audiences will undoubtedly find something to gravitate to that will keep them engaged. The series is akin to Batman meets Legion meets The Mummy.

It should be noted that this review is based only on four of the six episodes of the limited series. There is a chance that the final two episodes could tank or skyrocket the opinion of this show. One piece of advice would be to be patient with the series. The first episode is slower than expected and truly feels like a real introduction and tease. Either way, be sure to check out Moon Knight when it premieres.

Director: Justin Benson, Mohamed Diab, Aaron Moorhead
Writers: Doug Moench, Don Perlin, Jeremy Slater, Peter Cameron, Sabir Pirzada, Beau DeMayo, Michael Kastelein, Alex Meenehan
Stars: Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, May Calamawy, Gaspard Ulliel, F. Murray Abraham
Moon Knight will be on Disney+ March 30, 2022. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!