Isaac delivers as the action hero and the cowardly Brit he puts his soul into.

“Moon Knight” is the next MCU show on Disney+, and it’s an ambitious one, especially when Oscar Isaac takes on the title role, and Ethan Hawke is the main antagonist. It’s fascinated in Ancient Egyptian history in the tradition of “The Mummy” franchise (excluding the Tom Cruise nightmare), and as a made-for-Disney+ MCU series, it doesn’t rush into things, and gives us the time to get to know the characters and their lives and issues.

I was given four episodes by my friends at New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO), and I promise you I won’t give away all the details. But you still need to know what the show is about and what to expect.

Isaac plays Steven Grant, who would make a fine tour guide in London’s Egyptian museum, except he’s stuck in the gift shop. He wakes up in the Alps and ends up in the presence of Arthur Harrow (Hawke), a cult leader, who wears shoes with broken glass in them, and is associated with the god Ammit.

Steven dodges his henchmen, and he somehow manages to fight back. It’s like if there screen freezes, and cuts to the next scene. He has the villains’ weapons and they’re dead. And then, he returns to his world, where he finds out something’s off.

He might be a different man with an American accent and a different name Marc Spector, and he might find himself dealing with Harrow, who covets a scared piece known as the scarab.

To clarify, Marc is the avatar who serves for Khonsou, the Ancient Egyptian God of the Moon (voiced by F. Murray Abraham), and Steven may be an avatar, too. Steven can only see Marc through reflections, Marc controls Steven when he kills the bad guys, and Steven meets Marc’s wife Layla (May Calamawy), who, at first, thinks he husband is putting on some kind of act.

As scared as Steven is throughout his experience, he has to let Marc into his mind so he can summon a white armored suit, which can protect him and allow him to fight. His white mask looks like a mummified version of Deadpool’s mask, and it doesn’t always have to look like an armored suit with a cape. It could even be an attire. And while Marc must control Steven’s body until he stops Harrow’s dastardly plans, which means Steven must be in the reflections.

That’s four episodes in, but I’m still curious to find out how the rest of the show will pay off. The cowardly Steven moments when he doesn’t want Marc to take over his body get really exhausting and tedious, but Isaac still delivers the goods in the tradition of his Poe Dameron character in the “Star Wars” franchise. Calamawy is also smart and committed to her role, and doesn’t rely on the cliche of the tough girl to keep her paycheck coming. Abraham wisely voices Khonsou, and he knows how to ease people into his role. And Hawke has the age and consistency as the villain.

The show has a fascinating aspect on Ancient Egyptian history, and this is not a history show. It’s a Marvel show that wants to use history to bring out Moon Knight and how he switches from the action star to the man in white. And I’m use those words loosely.

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Categories: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, History, Sci Fi