'Moon Knight' Episode 1 Review: Oscar Isaac embraces chaos to be superhero we never saw coming
Contains spoilers for 'Moon Knight' Episode 1
'Moon Knight' works as a TV show. Period. And for good reason. It's not just the addition of the immensely-talented Oscar Isaac, but more. This time last year, Marvel saw success in the form of 'WandaVision' and 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'. That good run continued with 'Hawkeye' and that meant the route to introducing new characters was clear and would be a success. 'Moon Knight' is the fifth live-action show on Disney+ and features a character who has never been seen onscreen. The genre, a blend of horror and action is fresh and something that's a bit of an experiment. Safe to say, it does look it's paid off.
Isaac is Steven Grant, a museum gift-shop employee who is haunted by what happens to him and his mind when he sleeps. It takes him almost the entirety of the episode to understand that he's been taken over by an entity he cannot see or understand. Over the course of the episode, it is understood that he also plays Marc Spector, a mercenary, and also become the human incarnation of the Egyptian god Khonshu. It's pretty much a story that's repeated before, a timid-mannered and soft man transforming into a cold and rage-filled persona, only that Isaac plays both splendidly.
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Playing a pivotal role is Ethan Hawke's Arthur Harrow, a cult leader who is loyal to the goddess Ammit, a bogeyman to the evildoers. His goal is to ensure the world is "healed" of evil, even it means weeding out the ones who don't have a good balance in life. Much of 'Moon Knight' Episode 1 comes off as a bunch of sequences strung together, but the final fight scene with a monster in the museum introduces the fresh, yet frightening superhero in all his glory. There's a lot more of Grant in the chapter giving an in-depth look at his psyche before switching to Spector.
It's all there — the witty quips and mild comedy that MCU brags about, the high-octane action (this one's a bit on the violent side though), and most importantly, the trippy horror that it introduces. This series is a gutsy move, especially after how Marvel's 'Eternals' panned out. All things considered, 'Moon Knight' is impressive and fun, despite the flaws, manages to keep you hooked. It's an Isaac show all the way and makes us question if that man can ever dole out a mediocre performance.
Episode 1 is a part origin story, and for the casually curious, it's an interest as they don't have to necessarily read the comics. It's pretty much a horror-thriller that focuses on the creation of the characters and then takes it from there. Early prediction: Another win for Marvel.
'Moon Knight' Episode 1 is available for streaming on Disney+.