Through the mind of Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), we see the world broken into a million puzzle pieces. One second Grant is reading through Egyptian scholarly books, and then he suddenly wakes up in the Alps with cultists breathing down his neck. The world of Moon Knight is an action packed blood filled expansion for the Marvel cinematic universe with many twists and turns. All six episodes end with cliffhangers that keep the viewer antsy for the next episode. However, they all deliver a satisfying thriller adventure for any superhero fan.
If you haven’t seen the show yet and don’t want spoilers past the first episode, here’s a quick rundown of the show. Don’t expect it to make sense. For Grant, it doesn’t make sense either. With a troubling case of sleepwalking and mental blackouts, Grant has been constantly finding himself in increasingly tense situations.
The show is a psychological thriller with brutal action whenever the Knight’s healing and bullet proof suit is summoned. We see the world through the mind of Grant and, because of that point of view, details are hidden from the viewer. The editing creates a sense of urgency as sudden snaps of a darker personality forcibly take over his body. If you’re ready to deal with tense action and an infuriating antagonist, then this is the hero for you.
Alright, now it’s time to discuss some of the gritty details for people who have already watched or don’t care if this show is spoiled.
Oscar Isaac steals the show with his portrayal of the personalities of the shy Steven Grant and the vigilante Marc Spector is spectacular. By switching between personalities and even talking to himself as two different bodies in the afterlife, as seen in episode five “Asylum,” Isaac creates unique people with accents and demeanors. The unraveling of the character, his experiences with Dissociative Identity Disorder and the clever effects accentuate the flaws and silver linings of the character.
Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy), archeologist and Spector’s wife, acts well with the troubled character and Steven’s awkwardness. She also fights her heart out in episode four “The Tomb” when facing the horrifying stalking of the rotting embalmer. Working with the amazing Goddess Taweret in the final episode, El-Faouly also gets a chance to switch between drastically different characters in a hilarious fashion.
The religious, fanatic leader for the Goddess Ammit, Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), is a clever, raspy-talking villain. Hawke’s portrayal of this villain is excellent and shows how to depict a villain who the viewer can get angry at. His actions and snappy words make him a perfect antagonist to the headstrong Marc Spector. The seemingly endless number of Ammit followers are always popping up at just the wrong time, which shows Harrow’s reach and manipulation.
The special effects excel in the show with the switching of suits during the fight scenes. Mystical elements of the Gods are emphasized in the glowing nature of their landscapes and spells. Konshu’s trippy spinning of the sky to turn it “back in time” is dazzling. The giant God fight between Ammit and Konshu is stellar in its dark spectacularness in special effects and choreography. The concept of having the different personalities talk within their reflection is done in creepy and eventually humorous ways. The difficulties to shoot and act the two different reactions in and out of the reflection were greatly executed. Marvel shows like this one demonstrate how much commitment is put into these advanced effects.
After all the dust from the battles settle in the final episode, we see a new Marc Spector and Steven Grant than what we started with –– a partnership we will hopefully see expand with further installments of the character. Even though it feels like there are some loose ends at the end when Marc Spector and Steven Grant declare their independence from Konshu, we get a tease that helps tide viewers over for the season break. The allusions to the third personality of Moon Knight were snuck into the show so well and still kept the viewer curious to who Jake Lockley might be.
Overall, it’s a great addition to the MCU with an intriguing story that will hopefully expand. Now it’s time to patiently wait to see how this hero will shine in other future MCU projects.
