Moon Knight (2022) <Disney+>
Self admitted Marvel fanboy.....Watched Moon Knight on Disney+ (no, haven't dropped it yet). Never knew much about the main character other than he was suffering from multiple personalities, some of which could access this magical suit of invulnerability as provided by some small Egyptian god, Konshu in order to wreak vengance on those who do evil. Meh...not a lot to run with. It is a limited series, so I'm not expecting a lot of episodes. To date, only e1-e5 have been made available.
We open with Steven Grant, a meek little guy with an English accent working the museum gift shop, having extensive knowledge on Egyptian and ancient lore, but otherwise an un-noteworthy introvert. As we progress, we find him waking up tethered by an ankle to a post in his room like he sleep walks. Well, more than that, he starts waking up in random places with no idea how he got there or how may hours/days have passed. Then we start getting glimpses of Marc Spector, the second person who shares/uses the body - apparently he is a highly skilled mercenary, very American and decisive and aware. The two begin interacting, whomever doesn't have control of the body appears in reflections and they converse/argue for control. Along this path, Steven begins to learn more and more of Marc's life and is trying to understand the how and why of what's going on. Then we add Konshu, that small Egyption god of vengance, who appears as an 8ft tall being with a bird-like head and a scythe. Konshu loathes the idiot Steven, and keeps asking for Marc to have control to do his bidding/killing. We add in the supporting role of Layla, apparently Marc's wife who is aware of his mercenary lifestyle and his access to 'the suit', but is wholly unaware of Steven (it is mutual). Layla has a history of stealing/dealing in antiques, fwiw. The last character we roll into the plot is our villain, Arthur Harrow, played excellently by Ethan Hawke (where's he been in recent years?). Ethan is on a mission to resurrect a different Egyptian God, one who punishes BEFORE bad deeds are done, in his belief this will bring peace to the world as all evil will be eliminated. Apparantly this God, Ammrit, can weigh the good and bad of a person, even for deeds not yet thought or done, and pass judgement and has imbued Harrow with this power, as well as the power to suck the life from those deemed unworthy. Marc/Steven + Konshu seek to stop Ethan, and Layla helps.
That's the plot we move through in 5 ep. However, the journey is not so simple. The multiple personality aspect is interesting, and a lot of kudos must be given to Oscar Isaac for his portrayal of Steven/Marc, he transitions and presents both very, very well. Hawke also brings a strong personality to the story, and is invaluable not just for the role but for his ability to carry the role. There are no other MCU connections that I've picked up on, so we're pretty much stand alone in that sense, which is fine. But, keeping pace with what's going on, and why, is difficult through the first several episodes - if you can just go along, you'll be alright, but as I say it is easy to stop anywhere along the way and ditch the program as being too much filled with 'wtf'. Not to spoil things, but with the ep5 being the last episode to date, they've brought Steven/Marc to a mental break point and we gain understanding of why they both exist...with subtle hints along the way of a third personality awaiting the spotlight. It ties the personality issues, and the history for Steven/Marc (+ Konshu) together nicely, even if done through a surreal layering of realities (in one, they are shot and dying; in the second they are in a purgatory mental hospital with Dr. Harrow treating them; and in the third they are attempting to escape an Egyptian afterlife to return and finish the mission) = more serious 'wtf' if you can tolerate it.
I cannot recommend this to young kids, not because of violence (they see more on tik-tok) or language (there is none, it's Disney), but because keeping up with the personalities and deep Egyption lore is a bit overwhelming for pre-teens. I can't recommend it for non-Marvel fans, because the 'wtf' factor is so overwhelming. Maybe, if you were f'd up on drugs, you could find your own path of enjoyment from it, at least visually it is appealing despite being difficult to follow. I'll finish it out, just because I've always been a 'finish it' kinda guy, even on things I should quit - I'll let you know later if there is a payoff and what it's worth, but for now, don't bother, let me suffer through on my own. 3.5/10
