Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Moon Knight: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 4, 2024

When Howard Carter famously discovered the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1922, that archeological (literal) goldmine may or may not have engendered a "curse", but it certainly helped to spark an interest in Egyptology that rippled through the general zeitgeist of the 1920s and beyond and which informed everything from the study of comparative religion to ancient Egypt inspired design choices (which rather interestingly blended quite well with the then nascent Art Deco movement). All of that may have seemed somewhat comical to anyone who may have been a relative elder in the 1920s and who may have lived long enough to remember what was actually called Egyptomania in the mid to late 19th century, where England in particular was suddenly "ground zero" for architectural triumphs (?) like obelisks and where so-called occult organizations like the Golden Dawn had "initiation" traditions which were filled to the brim with supposed Egyptian lore. (Those of us on this side of the pond had our own potential occult adjacent opportunity rife with Egyptology in Helena Blavatsky's Theosophy movement.) As is discussed in a somewhat lengthy making of supplement included with this release, the love of Egypt and Egyptology was front and center once again for the creatives behind Moon Knight, a miniseries which may or may not be returning for a second season (as of the writing of this review, no "official" announcement has been made, but there's of course been plenty of speculation by fans).

Steven ("with a 'v"") Grant (Oscar Isaac) is a kind of hapless schlub working in the gift shop of the British Museum, a venue which any historian will know is, like Golden Dawn initiation rites, filled to the brim with Egyptian artifacts, some of which have become pretty serious (no mummy puns intended) bones of contention between Egypt and England, since Egypt probably understandably feels like the Brits simply came in and took what they wanted over the course of many decades. Steven is obviously very interested in Ancient Egypt, but his harridan boss Donna (Lucy Thackeray) won't even think of promoting him to tour guide. Weird things are alluded to almost from the get go, including the fact that Steven sleeps with one of his ankles bound in a chain, and in a bed surrounded by sand. It turns he thinks he's a sleepwalker, and these "techniques" are meant to keep him in place overnight, but what actually ends up being revealed is that Steven is just one of several personae inhabiting this particular body, with one of the "others" being a mercenary named Marc Spector, who is in turn revealed to be the avatar of Egyptian god Khonshu, and who can in turn morph into the demon slaying title character.

Now it's notable that Moon Knight comes with a "public service announcement" about where to turn if suffering from mental illness, which of course alludes to the seriousness of that subject. That may be why this series' occasional emphasis on "humor" in terms of what is called "dissociative identity disorder" but which might be more popularly termed "multiple personality disorder" potentially can come off as kind of odd feeling. That said, there actually is some humor in this often quite dark series, especially when milquetoast Steven starts "standing up" to first Marc and then some spectral entities that only he can see. There's a spectacularly effective sequence that is both visceral and laugh out loud hilarious in the second episode, for example, which may deal with the mental illness angle only tangentially but where Steven insists he rather than Marc will take care of one of whatever the ancient Egyptian version of a spawn from hell might be, only to look to outsiders (who can't see Steven's nemesis) like he's having some kind of seizure.

Films like Mirage have relied upon the conceit of a hero with amnesia trying to ferret out exactly whom he is and what is going on around him, leaving the audience in the same perplexed state as the focal hero. Moon Knight kinda sorta attempts to do the same, at least in the early going, but is forced to tip its hand relatively early in scenes that frequently feature mirrors or other reflective surfaces that allow Steven to "interact" with Marc. By the time Marc's estranged wife Layla El- Faouly (May Calamawy) and Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), an evil adherent of the Egyptian goddess Ammitt, enter the fray at least two alternate identities of Moon Knight have been offered, but there may be more in store.

Interestingly in terms of the dynamic between Arthur Harrow and Ammitt and Marc Spencer and Khonshu, there's almost a Minority Report element at play since Ammitt evidently is a "precog" of sorts able to discern future peccadilloes, leading Arthur to want to resurrect her so that she can simply rid the planet of everyone who is even potentially bad. Steven/Marc/?/Moon Knight, for all his (their?) instability and tendency toward unmitigated violence, still seems to have some kind of moral compass, though even that compass is set spinning at times especially as Steven in particular questions the "ends justify the means" attitude of his more temperamental cohort members.

Moon Knight: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Moon Knight: The Complete First Season is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Captured with Arri cameras and finished at 4K, this is yet another generally stunning looking presentation from the folks at Marvel and Disney+. While I will cut to the chase and simply say those with 4K setups should probably opt for the standalone 4K UHD release, those with "only" standard 1080 setups shouldn't fret too much, as both detail levels and palette reproduction are typically superior throughout the six episodes offered on the two discs of this set. This particular effort may actually benefit from the relative absence of "major" CGI created characters (though there are some regular occurrences including Khonshu, voiced by F. Murray Abraham), which means there may be more on screen opportunities for practical sets, props and costumes, all of which tend to offer really excellent fine detail levels. The palette is typically gorgeously suffused and both evocatively lit and/or graded material contrasts with some stunning outdoor desert material to offer a really satisfying blend of deep primaries, stunning pastels and some surprisingly vibrant "neutrals" like the beiges on display in the desert scenes. There are some very minor hints of banding that can be spotted throughout several episodes when lighting values suddenly change.

Moon Knight: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Moon Knight: The Complete First Season follows Disney / Buena Vista and Marvel's kind of odd decision to grant their 4K UHD releases Dolby Atmos tracks, while keeping the 1080 versions "limited" to DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks. Again cutting to the chase, I'd certainly recommend those with 4K and Atmos ready setups to opt for the 4K release linked to above, since the Atmos track (literally?) ups the ante of already excellent surround activity in the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks on this disc. But that's the salient point: the 5.1 audio on these episodes is perfectly enjoyable on its own merits and shouldn't concern audiophiles too much in terms of what they're missing. Engagement of the side and rear channels is consistent throughout all six episodes, and is especially noticeable in all of the calamitous hand to hand combat that takes place. Other fun sonic moments, like when Arthur Harrow creates a ripple in the force (or something like that) also offer some enjoyable panning effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

Moon Knight: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Assembled: The Making of Moon Knight (HD; 1:04:53) is a well done overview of the production, as well as a good source of information on the history of the character.

Disc Two

• Egyptology (HD; 6:09) features Mohamed Diab discussing his desire to make "real" Egyptian mythology central to the series, while real life Egyptologist Ramy Romany argues the series will educate the viewer one way or the other.


• Gag Reel (HD; 2:11)


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 3:48)

The SteelBook packaging is quite handsome, offering a suitable dark, silvery gray look at our hero on the front panel and a somewhat more disturbing backside view of Khonshu on the back panel. Once again as with several other recent Disney+ / Marvel SteelBooks, the interior panels aren't especially exciting, offering a rather dark and undefined look at Steven and Khonshu. The SteelBook also includes a set of art cards.

Moon Knight: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Moon Knight offers a real showcase for Oscar Isaac, and the interplay between the various personalities inhabiting "Steven" becomes rather gonzo as things progress, offering Isaac even more opportunities to strut his stuff. The story is perhaps a tad rote when you get right down to it, playing as yet another riff on the "bringing ancient divinities back to life" idea that has been part and parcel of any number of other properties, notably American Gods. Technical merits are first rate, though my advice is those with 4K setups to opt for that version over this simultaneously released 1080 version. Supplements and SteelBook packaging provide additional allure. Recommended.