Moon Knight Mini-Series Review

Moon Knight (2022)
Mini-series - 6 episodes

Watch Moon Knight on Disney+
Created by: Doug Moench
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, May Calamawy, F. Murray Abraham
Rated: TV-14
Watch the trailer

Plot
Steven Grant discovers he's been granted the powers of an Egyptian moon god, but he soon finds out that these newfound powers can be both a blessing and a curse to his troubled life.

Verdict
It's a slick series with the typical Marvel budget, but like most things Marvel it relies on graphics more than story. I like the setting, but the duality of Steven and Marc just doesn't feel very original. The stakes are all of humanity which feel too easy and unrealistic. It's important only because the movie states it is, we never feel it. Oscar Isaac's dual performance is impressive, but it's constrained by  the writing as is Ethan Hawke's performance. Neither have an engrossing goal.
It depends.

Review
I like the setting and influence of Egyptian gods. This is basically a battle between Khonshu the moon god and devourer of the dead Ammit throughout time. This doesn't do a good job of making it clear that it's been a fight through the ages.

Ethan Hawke does a great job in a role limited by the plot. He wants to resurrect Ammit to purge the world of evil, but it just feels flimsy despite the show giving him a reason to oppose Khonshu. Does he want to purge just to spite Khonshu? It's easy to make the stakes the fate of humanity, and it doesn't lend the show any credence. The danger to humanity never feels real, but it also could be it's such a common fate to assign in a super hero tale. The bad guy, Harrow (Ethan Hawke) wants power because why not. What else would a bad guy do? With a flimsy goal for the bad guy, that hurts the show overall.

Oscar Isaac plays Steven Grant, Marc Spector

The first episode really wants to hook you. The first few scenes are all questions and no answers. Why does Steven (Oscar Isaac) tie himself to his bed and wake up in random places? He blacks out and awakens later having defeated any threat. He's baffled, and so are we.

The answer is soon revealed. He has an alter ego, Marc Spector, that's his polar opposite. This alter ego must protect the fate of humanity. Steven tries to track down Marc as we wonder how they exist in one body. Oscar Isaac does a great job with the two roles in one. The characters are very different, and he presents that well.

The core of the movie is a neat play on history. The Egyptian gods aren't only real, they still meddle in human affairs, well some of them. The why isn't very clear, it seems mainly to generate a plot for the show.

The Moon Knight

The second half of this turns into a mind trip with Steven and Marc's mental state made physical in a hospital with Harrow playing the doctor. This gives the show a chance for plenty of exposition as to how Marc and Steven exist. It also feels like a distraction

I like the idea for this show, but too many aspects of the plot are due to plot convenience and failing to build upon the tried and true good guy versus bad guy. While we have a good guy with a warring duality, the ultimate goal of saving humanity just isn't enough to be interesting. It's too generic.