Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, May Calamawy, F. Murray Abraham, David Ganly, Ann Akinjiran, Karim El Hakim, Michael Benjamin Hernandez, Shaun Scott, Antonia Salib, Khalid Abdalla, Lucy Thackeray, Fernanda Andrada, Rey Lucas.
An almost unceasing roster of characters to draw from, an embarrassment of riches, a plethora of costumed superheroes in which to bring to the screen, and yet one of the most underrated might never have seen the light beyond the pages of the graphic novel had it not been for the persistence of Time and the pulling power of Disney and Marvel combined.
Moon Knight is one of the more complex characters to be given time on screen, not least because of his relationship with the darker elements of justice, the same ambiguousness of order that haunts The Punisher and Ghost Rider, but because of one special trait and disorder that makes him not only unique but celebrated for the way it is portrayed in the graphic novels, and now on screen as part of the MCU.
To portray any type of mental health issue such as Dissociative Identity Disorder without alienating the viewer, is to tread a fine line between acceptability and the drama of suitability for an audience that might question such a move, where some protest at the drop of a hat at the inclusion of such a momentous reason to care about the how others see the world around them; and it is a line that is drawn with precision, with care, and with great insight.
The six-part series delves deeply into both the psychological aspect of the disorder and the split in personas placed on screen, and in Oscar Isaac taking the lead roles of amiable and put-upon Steven Grant and mercenary Marc Spector, the link between them is explained with courage, with grace, and with honour to those who are affected by the condition.
The series itself can be seen to reflect the two different approaches of film making one that utilises superbly the world in which it was born into, and that of a stand-alone television serial with no connection to its parent company aside from the vision of filmmaking to which it has embraced. This chaos is cast with cohesion in mind and as the story unfolds the reasons behind the disorder become clearer, the sense of relishing in the Egyptian God mythos becomes an exhilarating and learned ride, and one in which Oscar Isaac is given freedom to revisit the credit and acknowledgement of his prowess on screen he received in films such as the remarkable Inside Llewyn Davis, and the polish of Ex Machina.
With tremendous support from Ethan Hawke, himself in a sphere of influence that cannot be dismissed, F. Murray Abraham as the voice of the god Khonshu, and May Calamawy as Layla El-Faouly, Moon Knight is a tale that does not hold back on its mission to educate and inform, as well as entertain, the heartbreak of reveal of abuse is one that pushes the story onwards without falling, and in Oscar Isaac the viewer is left in no doubt that he was made perfectly for the role.
A series that fits in well and opens the door to the lesser-known characters of the franchise to finally take centre stage.
Ian D. Hall