Marvel’s Moon Knight is worth the watch

Excitement and expectancy were two things I felt as I plopped down on my couch. But mainly, I wasn’t sure whether I’d be disappointed or pleased. The Disney+ logo flashed across my screen, and then it began: WandaVision, Marvel’s first shot at a new batch of TV shows. I have to say, after watching the first episode I was pleasantly surprised, if not a little confused. Since “WandaVision” came out January of 2021, Marvel has produced five other shows on Disney+, and several others are on the way. The most recent show was “Moon Knight.” The first episode was released on Disney + on March 30, with there being six episodes total in the series.

To be completely honest, I didn’t know much about the superhero Moon Knight when Marvel announced that their next show was going to revolve around the character. So going into it, I didn’t really know what to expect. I have to say that I enjoyed it a lot. It did well in creating likable characters and an interesting story that succeeded in balancing action, mystery, comedy and even a little bit of horror. 

The show starts off by introducing us to Steven Grant, a somewhat socially awkward but likable guy. His life is reasonably normal. He works at the gift shop in the British Museum, he has to deal with his unsympathetic boss and his best friend is a goldfish named Gus. The most unusual part of his life is what he believes to be a sleeping disorder.

However, after a chain of unprecedented events, Steven comes to realize that he shares his body with another personality: Marc Spector. Basically, Steven has an extreme case of Dissociative Identity Disorder. He and Marc must learn how to work together all while attempting to save the world from some crazy cultists. 

Oh, and did I mention there’s this bird god who gives them superpowers? That’s right. Konshu, Egyptian god of the Moon and protector of the travelers of the night, gives Marc and Steven the ability to magically summon super cool suits and other crazy stuff.

The show is a little gritty for Disney standards, with some pretty violent sequences. While not nearly as graphic as superhero properties like Deadpool, it does feature blood and several gruesome deaths. The show also leans into some heavy topics, including mental illness, child abuse and the definition of justice. While I’m not exactly qualified to say whether or not the depictions of these topics were accurately portrayed in this show, I do think that Marvel tried their hardest to be as mature and realistic as possible.

Story aside, one of my favorite parts of this show was seeing how great of an actor Oscar Issac really is. I had only seen him in a couple of other movies before, neither of which he had much screen time in. In the Star Wars sequels, his character Poe Dameron wasn’t nearly given enough story time or development. Similarly, in the recent film Dune, his character Leto Atreides (the main character’s father) didn’t appear much on screen. Issac, alongside the rest of the very talented cast, helped make the show both enjoyable and believable. 

Visually, the show is full of impressive special effects and CGI, like most of Marvel’s stuff. From Moon Knight’s suit to the completely CGI Egyptian gods, the show brings what’s expected in terms of special effects.

Another part of the show I really enjoyed was the music. The soundtrack, which was written by Egyptian composer Hesham Nazih, felt unique and intense, and really stood out to me. It felt different from other superhero soundtracks, and added to the quality of the show. The exciting score made the action sequences feel more dynamic, the villain more mysterious, and the hero more, well, heroic.

So, if you haven’t quite yet decided whether or not to watch Moon Knight, I suggest you give it a try. I personally think it’s worth the time, and you don’t need to know a whole lot about the hero to enjoy the show. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and watch the lunar-themed vigilante fight some evil.