So after skipping last year's Hawkeye, I was waiting to return to a Marvel show, when there
was the chance of one being quite distinct and one that has the potential to really deliver
a consistent story and character journey. It's no secret that I haven't been impressed with
the storytelling and filmmaking in most of the Disney Plus shows, but now it's time to see if
Marvel's Moon Knight will live up to the early statements, that this is truly going
to be different. And for the most part, it does do a lot of things very well, and I am mostly
optimistic after watching this first episode. In this video, I'm going to be reviewing episode 1
of Moon Knight and discussing why it has the potential to be even better as the episodes
go on. There will be brief spoilers from Episode 1, which is entitled, The Goldfish Problem,
so if you haven't seen it yet, I would recommend watching it before checking out my review.
But before I get it, if you want to keep up to date on all my uploads on Moon Knight,
then don't forget to support this video by giving it a like rating, subscribing to the channel and
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and instagram at cortex videos, which is all linked in the description below. But without
further a do, lets dive into my review for Moon Knight episode 1.
So on the surface, Moon Knight is a character that could make for a riskier Marvel project than
usual. Marc Spector being another lesser-known hero that Marvel aim to bring to screen,
is one that's known for being their version of DC's Batman, but one that in reverse to that
character, wear's a brighter costume because he wants the criminals to know that he's on his
way. Transforming into this hero, he becomes quite scary and when we add the mental-health
issues and Egyptian mythology into the equation, then there's a huge potential for one of
Marvel's most unique and terrifying characters. Leading into Moon Knight, the producers and
Mohamed Diab claimed that this show is going to much different than what we've seen before
in the MCU, and that the formula which we traditionally get in this kind of superhero
property is less evident. So far, after watching the first episode, you can definitely feel that
there's something much more character focussed and brewing beneath the surface when it comes
to standing apart from the rest. But in other moments, I still question the mix of tone and
wonder whether the darker aspects of this show will eventually have the breathing room
to really be more prominent. Because so far, the darker stuff is the best part of it. Like my
previous experience with the Disney plus Marvel shows, there are episodes and moments that really
stand apart but then there's those that drag it down, because there seems to be a need
to throw in the formulaic storytelling beats and moments of humour. All of the shows have
had really interesting themes that they could explore, whether it's free will in Loki, or the
displayed grief in WandaVision. But this is squashed when the bigger influence and teasing
of the MCU comes into play, not to mention how that dramatically effects the writing. Moon
Knight Episode 1, while infused with moments of that early on, does suggest that it has the
potential to grow into something more compelling and quite different by it's final moments.
Something more horrifying in comparison to the jarring tone that is also present.
That's not to say the horror is completely gone. As the early trailers indicate, a demonic entity
plagues Marc Spector in his every waking moment and he is actually too aware of the
horrors that night time can bring. But in episode 1, the character that we follow and
the one who's really struggling is Steven Grant. He's an overly-british museum gift-shop worker,
suffering with Dissociative identity disorder, slipping in out of the different identitys that
enhabit his body. The drive in this episode is that Steven's other personality is a
brutal mercenary named Marc Spector and he has somehow allowed Steven to get away from him.
That being said, Marc does allow himself to be Steven again at times and he sets up his life
in a specific way that he can't manage, including that of the bed strap that probabaly won't be
very effective. But as the episodes go on, I'm guessing were going to see more on how
both of these personalities work, because as we see from the ending of this episode, Marc can
literally take over and save Steven's life if he wanted too. It's very character focussed,
and getting that point of view in this first episode, is one that is part scary and also
quite mysterious. It's really the thing that makes this episode tick and I really hope that the
rest of the show can build that character driven approach out and not do what previous MCU shows
have done, feeling the need to explore how it connects to the bigger Marvel universe. I
guess WandaVision is the slight exception, but even the final episode of that became more
like the formulaic stuff weve seen and teased where Wandas character is going. I can see us
getting that at the end of Moon Knight, but if this series keeps the interesting
aspects of it's story and tone at the centre, then that will reflect in quite the positive result.
While Moon Knight has its weird, off-kilter tone that is reflective of it's source material,
there's also the vary jarring shift between horror and slapstick comedy that at times feels
quite messy. Yes it's apart of Stephen's personality, but the concept of the show makes
me want to see the full chaos and more brutal aspects of what should be felt. I kind of agree
with those who wanted this to be more like the MCU's Daredevil because it honestly feels like
it could be that and do it really well. But instead, some of the key moments are lessened
by the Disney and Marvel formula that seeps through. This formula works well when it's
applied to the right projects, take Guardians of the Galaxy for instance, but Moon Knight as a
character, a show and the ideals and themes that go along with it, would work better if it
distanced itself from that. However, I will say that more than others, it has shifted towards
the seriousness of the issues a bit further. It's pays of to a decent degree, I'm just worried that
when looking back at the examples of other shows they've done, that it could go off
the rails. But I really hope that going forward, the tone can move towards the darker stuff we are
seeing because that is the right way to go here and it's working quite successfully
whenever it's the focus. Who knows, but one thing I will say is that the execution
of different personalities weve seen so far, is definitely not aiding the potential it has. It's
jarring and I hope that can be evened out as Stephen and Marc are explored to greater amounts.
I will say that the brief appearances of Ethan Hawke though, have been the most consistent
so far, and that works with him being this intense cult leader who often hints at the much darker
direction this could and should take. Although answers that come later could help bring
this all together and put a bigger empasis on the mental health issues that one goes
through with this disorder. Again, this may all be redeemed once we know a little more.
While this first episode doesn't give us the full answers of the series, it does seem like
the kind of story that could use a flashback episode or a messing with time to give us
impactful answers surrounding how these personalties work. But what I really love about
episode 1 is that in certain moments it does feel very disconnected to the larger MCU storyline.
It's the kind of story and important character study that doesn't need to throw in a reference
to the Thanos snap or something that's happened in the past. This show can be used to
display the troubling character of Moon Knight but one that going forward will be strong in
the bigger universe story, because of what we see in this individual show. The focus on his
character's struggles and grasp on his own reality is the intriguing aspect of this first episode
and with a few fixes to the tone and pacing, going forward, this could be a great show.
That's if the traditional Marvel elements aren't heavily introduced, ultimately bogging
down a potentially unique character study. I am hopeful that will be the case, and the final
moments of Moon Knight episode 1, suggest the greater darkness is still to come.
But that was my review for Moon Knight Episode 1. Much like the central character, the episode
isn't perfect but I do appreciate that beneath the surface you can really feel the risks
that it's taking. I'd like for it to get out of the safe bracket even more so, because it is
thrilling to see a darker and weirder character in a universe of much safer expressions.
Behind some of the tonal flaws, there is the idea of a much stronger show to come into the light,
and I think with deeper and darker character exploration, which this show is supposed
to have, then we could get something truly great. We get this briefly in the episode's
chaotic sequences, which is definitely a welcomed creative stamp, that applies fittingly to
everything the character is feeling and trying to prevent. But there's still the feeling that
this particular show can make everything feel a little more different than usual. Still,
this is only the first episode, and hopefully the style will evolve as we dive deeper in the
journey of Stephen Grant and ultimately Marc Spector. As the audience learns more about
Spector's dark past and why it's personal, the story will likely become more compelling.
I'm giving Moon Knight Episode 1 a rating of 7.5 out of 10. But to those who have already seen
the episode, what do you think of Marvel's Moon Knight and do you agree that it's a good start
with the potential for much more. It's all subjective and I appreciate the range of
reactions and reviews, so let me know down below in the comments section what you personally
thought towards the episode alongside things that stood out with your first impressions.
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But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.