A show with more identity concerns than its main character.
Going in, I was probably most excited for Moon Knight out of the Disney+ Marvel shows. He’s a fan favorite, street-level vigilante who is equal parts brutal as he is fascinating. I knew enough about him to sort of know what to expect, too. He’s been growing on me in other media for years. It was also really cool to know it was going to be distanced from the rest of the MCU. Let me take you through my journey of the episodes.
Episode 1: Ew on the opening shoe scene, but ok cool set up, big Moon Knight tease, and bad CGI, ok let’s see where it goes. Probably way more of him in episode two!
Episode 2: oh, more setup and exposition, not much Moon Knight again….but at least we got some.
Episode 3: short-lived but awesome Moon Knight scenes! Finally! Could’ve gone for more. Wait, what else happened in this one?
Episode 4: Indiana Jones and the Temple of no Moon Knight, AGAIN
Episode 5: Moon Knight: Arkham Asylum….ok seriously best episode with fantastic performances, great world-building, poignant backstory, thematically rich character writing, and a powerful story with NO MOON KNIGHT, again. But let’s talk about how much he WAS and DID as Moon Knight. Ugh.
Episode 6: Ooooooo KAIJU BATTLE! Didn’t Shang-Chi just do that? Never mind, here’s some Moon Knight in phenomenal action…oh no wait we’ll skip over the fights again because CrEaTiViTy in a clunky finale that doesn’t resolve much until the mid-credits scene and somehow skips over the resolution of everything else! What there was is rushed!
While beautifully portrayed by Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight spreads itself too thinly across multiple genres. It’s too much of a tease, ironically lacking in identity and again making a world-ending threat rather than a grounded street-level story with mystical qualities. While I was hoping to see the street-level hero more, I’m glad we got to know the men behind the mask(s). Ultimately, anything unrelated is lost in the cosmic exposition. The great post-credits scene, is potentially one of the best ever! I think there’s enough potential here for a solid foundation for season 2. It’d be a shame if they didn’t pursue it given the ending and hints at other characters throughout the season. There’s lots more to explore, and you know, wrap up since the finale was too lazy to do so.
Despite some great moments of genuine character pathos, and cool moments with the title character, it just amounts to being an average, sometimes fun time. It tries to be an identity thriller, mythological epic, character study, superhero show, and adventure serial, but can’t ever decide on which one. Moon Knight is really, thoroughly disappointing.
3 out of 5 stars
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