Marvel Studios' Moon Knight (2022) is perhaps the most self-contained mini-series from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, which is an excellent thing. With as few blatant connections to the larger universe via high-profile cameos as possible, this series provides its most emotionally compelling addition to the ever-increasing roster of Marvel superheroes in Moon Knight. This character is unique for he has dissociative identity disorder (DID) and finds himself switching personalities between mercenary Marc Spector, mild-mannered British gift shop employee Steven Grant, and another one I will get to later. With that out of the way, here is my spoiler-filled review of Moon Knight.
We begin with Steven, an ancient Egyptology enthusiast who works at London's British Museum's gift shop and lives alone with his goldfish, as he begins to find himself blacking out and in far-off places like the Austrian Alps and being relentlessly pursued by hostile forces led by cult leader Arthur Harrow (played by Ethan Hawke). Steven also finds himself referred to as 'Marc' by a woman named Layla (played by May Calamawy), who is revealed to be Marc's estranged wife. From there, a Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)-esque quest ensues to stop Harrow and his followers from resurrecting the Egyptian goddess Ammit and having her judge humanity based on their future sins.
As stated earlier, Moon Knight is the most self-contained MCU mini-series to date. With that distinction comes a more thematically mature and bold outing that isn't afraid to tackle mental illness through the eyes of the series' unreliable narrator(s) (Marc and Steven) but also explores the psyches of a person with DID in an honest yet respectful manner that doesn't feel cartoonish or played up for scares. Creatively and thematically, several sequences within this series reminded me of those seen in the FX series Legion (2017-2019) in terms of the cerebral atmosphere and the use of psychological horror elements. This series is also quite violent compared to other entries in the MCU. While the series' violence doesn't get as graphic as I had initially anticipated, there are instances where the action sequences are on the verge of pushing the limits of the TV-14 rating (except for the Marvel Netflix series like Daredevil (2015-2018), Jessica Jones (2015-2019), and Luke Cage (2016-2018), which were all rated TV-MA), like the level of blood shown onscreen, thanks in part to the third personality, Jake Lockley, a more brutal and violent alias, which is not fully revealed until the last scene in the finale by Khonshu to Harrow inside a limousine.
Isaac's dual performance as both Marc and Steven is incredible, with each character continuing to grow on me as time goes on. Steven's meek yet kind-hearted demeanor is not only endearing but deeply sympathetic, given the eventual and heartrending revelation that he was an alternative persona created by a young Marc to escape from the former's traumatic memories growing up, like accidentally leading his younger brother to his death and being physically abused by his devastated mother. This tragic series of events also makes Marc and the morally grey actions that eventually lead him to make his Faustian deal with the mysterious Egyptian moon god Khonshu (voiced by F. Murray Abraham) all the more riveting.
The other leading players are strong as well. Calamawy is a welcome addition to the franchise as Marc's wife Layla El-Faouly for her emotional depth and charisma, skills as an archeologist and adventurer, and her natural chemistry with Isaac and his multiple personalities is equally compelling. Also, the decision to change the character's ethnicity from Caucasian to Egyptian was excellent, for Calamawy is of Egyptian and Palestinian descent. This casting decision greatly benefits this series' overall positive representation of Egypt, its people, and its culture. Hawke's ever-creepy performance as cult leader Arthur Harrow shares the traits and motives of an Indiana Jones villain, a power-hungry and a highly deceptive individual seeking to resurrect ancient deities to cleanse humanity of those Ammit deems unworthy. This religious fanatic kind of energy feels palpable and gives off a level of low-key menace that is much-needed in this franchise.
The episodes' scores are all positive, with some of them ranging from 7 out of 10 (episode three) to 10 out of 10 (episode five). While not entirely negative, the third episode centers around the Egyptian gods and goddesses, their avatars, and the lore surrounding them, which, while slighting meandering in terms of pacing compared to the other episodes, was more of an expedition and archeology-centric episode from The Mummy movie series (1999-2008) and the aforementioned Raiders of the Lost Ark, which I appreciated. One significant factor in this series' emphasis on Egyptian lore is its executive producer and director in four of the six episodes, Mohamed Diab, who is Egyptian himself. As for the fifth episode, that specific one delves deep into Marc's subconscious and is easily the best one but also the most difficult to watch, given the tragic circumstances leading up to him being a mercenary in Egypt, witnessing his mission partner kill Layla's father, and becoming Khonshu's avatar when facing death.
As for potential weaknesses within this series, MCU climaxes and finales tend to feature CGI-heavy battle sequences between the heroes and the villains, and this series is predictably no exception. However, this series stands out because of its rooted ties to Egyptian mythology and lore, making sense from that angle. Regardless of the predictable formula being inevitably used, I was still emotionally invested in the characters and the overall stakes. Also, Layla's new superhero identity of the Scarlet Scarab and the revelation of her new costume is incredible and one whom I enthusiastically want to see again in other Marvel movies or series.
While the references to the larger MCU are incredibly subtle, this darker and more self-contained side of this cinematic universe is fascinating. Would I like to see a second season? Yes, but given the ever-expanding roster of heroes, it will be challenging to keep up with everyone being introduced. On a side note, upon learning that a few cameos from the likes of Eternals (2021) were considered but scrapped, I am glad that the creative team decided upon the latter. I also think that this series is one of the more accessible MCU entries for non-fans given how mature the direction and themes are. Give Moon Knight a watch. It's a unique yet memorable experience.
Final Score: 8.5 out of 10
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