Movierulz
After three months without new Marvel Studios-themed content, it finally arrives on Disney + Moon Knight, the new piece of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that introduces us to the hero of the same name played by Oscar Isaac. Unlike the other Marvel TV series that landed on Disney + in the last year.
Moon Knight is the first series to be independent of the rest of the MCU, as, despite being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it has no links or citations to other films or TV series of the MCU. Thanks to friends at Disney we got to preview the first two episodes of Moon Knight and this is our opinion.
The series follows Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), a quiet employee of a souvenir shop inside an Egyptian museum in London. Steven suffers from a particular sleep disorder that causes memory lapses and memories that seem to come from another life. Following a particular night, Steven will find himself in Central Europe where, without knowing the reason, he is chased by several gunmen who are headed by Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), a guru with a large number of loyal followers.
Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares his body with US mercenary Marc Spector, the human avatar of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. As Steven / Marc's enemies approach, the two must investigate their complex identities as they delve into a deadly mystery among the mighty gods of Egypt.
After 4 live-action series by Marvel Studios that gave the impression of being in front of a product designed as a film then divided into parts, Moon Knight Movierulz is instead conceived as a real TV series, presenting episodes with a very well thought out structure. and consistent with the reference media.
To tell the truth, already with Hawkeye Marvel Studios had begun to go down the right path giving the series a more televised structure, a road then continued with this new series. The first episode, from which a good 90% of the scenes shown in the trailers and promotional clips have been taken, is a very solid driver who immediately introduces us to the characters and the road that the series intends to take over the course of the 6 episodes.
If the first episode introduces us to characters and dynamics, the second, finally full of unpublished scenes, throws us into the heart of the series by creating an intriguing setup for the next episodes. The choice of exploiting Steven Grant as the protagonist and not Marc Spector is really excellent: in this way the character can immediately bond with the public, both for his character and for his status as a victim unaware of the events, also allowing him to exploit since the pilot Moon Knight without necessarily having to go through a classic origin story.
The expedient used in the series to bring up the various incarnations of the Moon Knight costume is also excellent. Also very interesting is the work done on the villain of the series, Arthur Harrow, played by Ethan Hawke.
In the comics the character is one of the less incisive opponents of Konshu's punch; in the show his figure of him is rewritten from scratch, keeping only some details of the character, to create a completely new and much more credible villain that, together with the protagonist, creates a perfect dualism on the theme of justice.
The greatest strength of the series, however, lies in Oscar Isaac. Marvel Studios couldn't find a better actor for a complex and multifaceted character like Moon Knight. Isaac's acting is truly impressive, perfectly in line with the performances he has staged over the past year in the Scenes from a Marriage series and the film The Card Collector.
The actor manages to characterize Steven Grant and Marc Spector with a few simple gestures, making the two identities easily recognizable. Furthermore, given the different origins of the two identities (Steven is British while Marc is American), Isaac in the original language uses, in addition to a different vocal timbre, also two different accents, thus giving an even more marked characterization to the identities.
Unfortunately, this detail is lost with the Italian dubbing, which instead aims to differentiate Steven from Marc by using a more timid and awkward voice for the first, while for the second a fuller and more bold voice.
Also very good is the performance of Ethan Hawke who plays perfectly the role of Arthur Harrow, a very particular character who in some ways also recalls other past roles of Hawke. Also promoted is May Calamawy, interpreter of Layla El-Faouly, wife of Marc Spector.
The direction of the series, especially in the first episode entrusted to Mohamed Diab - who will direct 4 of the 6 episodes of the series - chooses to play wisely with the classic movements and shots of horror, placing them in a context halfway between a thriller and a comedy.
The result is really excellent, managing to make the viewer experience, thanks also to tight editing, the same destabilizing sensations of fear and terror that the cause of the continuous blackout in Steven. Also good direction in the fight descents, mainly present in the second episode, a side that has yet to prove a lot to us.
The chase scene, which occupies a good portion of the first episode, is far from being excellent, too confusing, and in which too much use of the green screen is not well masked. The sorest point, however, lies in the CGI which from the very first trailer showed some evident fragility. In fact, the CGI used in the Moon Knight costume does not always do justice, resulting in a little too fake and puppet.
The same goes for other elements scattered in the episodes, such as the Arthur Harrow tattoo and the humanoid jackal already appearing in the trailers. Applause should instead be given to the pressing and enveloping soundtrack, which perfectly punctuates the protagonist's action and blackout.
In conclusion, Moon Knight series presents itself as an excellent Marvel series that, finally, manages to make its own episodic structure missed in the previous series. Making perfect use of the protagonist's peculiarities, the series manages to create an atypical origin story that immediately throws the unsuspecting Steven Grant and the viewer into the heart of the action.
The strength of the series undoubtedly lies in the extraordinary performance of Oscar Isaac, a fundamental element without which the series would have lost several points. Too bad for a CGI lackluster in some places, which we hope will improve throughout the series as already happens in the second episode.
Given the practically absent ties with the plots of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the confirmation that the series will not have a second season, it will be interesting to discover - perhaps in the season finale - the role that Moon Knight will play in the future of the MCU, perhaps as a member. by Marvel Knights.
The first episode of Moon Knight will be available on Disney + from March 30, the following episodes will be distributed weekly every Wednesday until May 4. Below is the official trailer of the series:
