It\u2019s funny to cite this as a positive for a Marvel project when the unique success of the brand was built on that interconnected soap opera (often imitated but never equalled by other studios), but you can have too much of a good thing. Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it\u2019s a breath of fresh air to see Moon Knight stand alone (at least until Wong turns up in an episode 6 cameo or something).<\/p>\n
Though of course, within the story, Isaac\u2019s hero is far from a lone wolf. As you may have gathered from the trailers this show\u2019s unique conceit is that Moon Knight (aka Marc Spector and\/or Steven Grant) suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as multiple personalities, with two different independent beings vying for control of one body.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s genuinely impressive how much Isaac can transform his performance through minor changes in his voice and body language, to the point where he can be dressed and styled identically but still seem much more \u201chandsome\u201d as the driven Marc. And it\u2019s a good thing he nails it, because he essentially pulls double duty throughout the series, with clues suggesting there may be even more buried personalities to uncover.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/Marc-and-Steven-Moon-Knight-7e8407d.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Initially we spend most of our time with Steven, a British(ish) Egyptology expert and gift shop worker with a nebbish quality. He has a quiet life \u2013 but then one day this mild-mannered wimp starts waking up in the middle of pitched battles, in foreign countries and with blood on his hands. It turns out this was all the work of Marc Spector, a cynical American mercenary who shares Steven\u2019s body and speaks to him through mirrors.<\/p>\n
If this wasn\u2019t enough to deal with, there\u2019s another voice blaring in Steven\u2019s head \u2013 Egyptian moon god Khonshu (F Murray Abraham), who sets both personalities to work in a sprawling, globe-trotting mission. It\u2019s revealed over the course of the second and third episodes that Khonshu recruited Marc as his \u201cavatar\u201d or champion some time ago, giving him access to a mummy-like supernatural \u201csuit\u201d that enhances his strength, healing and fighting ability.<\/p>\n
If this detail seems a bit tacked-on to the already-mindbending multiple personalities I\u2019m describing, well, the show doesn\u2019t have too much interest in explaining it either. At least for the first four episodes (which we were allowed to view beforehand), viewers have to accept that Marc\u2019s origin story already happened some time ago (no flashbacks here), and just focus on what\u2019s happening in the here and now.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/03\/Harrow-Moon-Knight-cfe4bbb.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Luckily, that\u2019s interesting enough in its own right. Moon Knight\u2019s first episode in particular is fantastic, weaving a chilling thriller story as Steven is hunted by horrible monsters, cultists and their leader Harrow (a slightly phoning-it-in Ethan Hawke) while possible allies dismiss his fears as mental health issues.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the episode that comes after is much more formulaic, efficiently laying out the classic Marvel ingredients \u2013 here is the villain, here\u2019s how your powers work, here\u2019s some jokes, here\u2019s the baddie\u2019s sympathetic motive, here\u2019s why he\u2019s gone too far \u2013 in what feels like an attempt to force the story into a more manageable shape.<\/p>\n
I was genuinely a little disappointed after this episode that what had seemed like a more interesting, inventive take on a Marvel show had been forced into a Falcon and Winter Soldier-shaped hole \u2013 but I needn\u2019t have worried. Over the third and fourth episodes, Moon Knight proves to have plenty more tricks up its sleeve, shifting from thriller to horror to comedy to National Treasure-esque action as the story requires, before veering into Umbrella Academy or Legion territory just when you think you have a handle on what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2022\/01\/Moon-Knight-Oscar-Isaac-fc7d125-e1642499926630.png?quality=90&resize=619%2C412"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>At times, I found myself wishing this was a film rather than a running series. It has a recognisably cinematic arc for the characters and could stand to trim a little of the fat that creeps into its 45 to 50-minute episodes (especially some of the backstory offered by Spector\u2019s partner Layla, played by May Calamawy). Frankly, it\u2019d be a better Mummy or Uncharted film than we\u2019ve seen in the last few years.<\/p>\n
Still, overall Moon Knight seems to be a resounding success for Marvel\u2019s new era of expansion. Full of great action, twists and genuinely spooky sequences, it\u2019ll give longtime fans another corner of the MCU to explore while also delivering an entry-level story that might even appeal to some newcomers.<\/p>\n
And in any case, everyone who watches it can agree on one thing \u2013 yes, Oscar Isaac\u2019s British accent is really weird. You kind of get used to it.<\/p>\n
Moon Knight streams on Disney Plus from the 30th March, with new episodes released on Wednesdays \u2013\u00a0sign up to Disney Plus for \u00a37.99 a month or \u00a379.90 a year<\/a> now. For more, check out our dedicated Fantasy<\/a> page or our full TV Guide<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, l<\/strong>isten to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a>\u00a0with Jane Garvey.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n By Huw Fullerton Published: Tuesday, 29 March 2022 at 12:00 am After over a decade of tying everything together, the last year has seen Marvel Studios loosening the apron strings. Both Shang-Chi and Eternals introduce new heroes, threats and hidden societies that have little to do with the Avengers et al (bar a post-credits scene […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":12997,"template":"","categories":[5],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/moon-knight-review-oscar-isaac-series-is-breath-of-fresh-air.jpg",620,413,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/moon-knight-review-oscar-isaac-series-is-breath-of-fresh-air-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/moon-knight-review-oscar-isaac-series-is-breath-of-fresh-air-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/moon-knight-review-oscar-isaac-series-is-breath-of-fresh-air.jpg",620,413,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/moon-knight-review-oscar-isaac-series-is-breath-of-fresh-air.jpg",620,413,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/moon-knight-review-oscar-isaac-series-is-breath-of-fresh-air.jpg",620,413,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/03\/moon-knight-review-oscar-isaac-series-is-breath-of-fresh-air.jpg",620,413,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Huw Fullerton Published: Tuesday, 29 March 2022 at 12:00 am After over a decade of tying everything together, the last year has seen Marvel Studios loosening the apron strings. Both Shang-Chi and Eternals introduce new heroes, threats and hidden societies that have little to do with the Avengers et al (bar a post-credits scene…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/12996"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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