I gave Moon Knight a second chance — and I wish I hadn't

[mOjOjOjOjO]

1st world problems.

 

[JVann]

Wow. I don't really know where to begin. This is intended for the editor more than the columnist, as it appears he/she is paying attention.

I come to Tom's Guide for informed commentary. I appreciate we are in the "opinions" section here, but wow. Has a "review" ever been written before that used the words "I" and "me" more frequently, and as a substitute for actual analysis?

Respectfully, the question for Tom's Guide is: who is Rory Mellon that the world should care what this person, specifically, thinks about anything, and Tom's Guide should desire to amplify it? I'm not seeing evidence of a trained writer, an informed philosophical frame, a comprehension of the elements of storytelling, or even a famous guest columnist. This seemed more like just some person who watches tv and ventilates their personal observations as a (paid!?) hobby, with the rudimentary style and insight of a grade school student.

My opinions on this show aren't relevant here... my concern is how this review was written, and the fact that it passed the quality test for publication.

Still, a few comments:

It's a bit cringey to hear objectively brilliant performances by Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke dismissed as boring and uninteresting. If a person isn't feeling the dread of Hawke's patient malevolence every time he is on screen, or enjoying the deftness with which Isaac slips between two completely different characters, then perhaps you need to start watching something else. World Wrestling Entertainment might provide a more suitable level of subtlety.

The author also appears blissfully ignorant of the cognitive dissonance in complaining about how bad the Marvel Universe is becoming, while also lamenting that this show isn't more connected to it. Pick a lane, any lane.

This author strikes me as someone who all their life has been ordering chicken fingers at the restaurant, insisting it is the only good thing on the menu and refusing to hear about other options.

I've never heard anyone so confident in their ignorance. Good luck.

 

[Space Jockey]

Moon Knight has enjoyably maintained my interest all the way through, though it's naturally had to focus on setting up the characters' back-stories. I've found Ethan's performance to be the standout golden nugget in the series so far, so we disagree on that. Perhaps watch the last two episodes as a technical exercise so you can confirm your thoughts on the show, rather than dismissing it fully without context?

 

[Skyfoxmarine]

Lol.... What?!? You got through Falcon and the leftist agenda but THIS one bores you?! Oh boy

While I'm just as perturbed regarding the author's opinion on Moon Knight, and knowing I'll probably regret asking this, what is it about the Falcon and the Winter Soldier that you think is projecting a "leftist agenda" exactly? Just looking for a bit of clarification because I seemed to have missed the 'leftist agenda' part of the series.

 

[cozmicshredder]

I felt the same way in the beginning like wth where is this going? I then by the third episode was hooked! I became fascinated by Moon Knight in the 80s and was always fascinated about Ancient Egyptian history and tales of the Gods. To me Moon Knight fulfills a more believable hero! Marvel is doing a great job fulfilling it! Who cares if it isn’t exact or making everyone happy! It’s making me happy and that’s all that counts!👍❤🤟

 

[sinuous]

Telling us that you'd rather not watch the last two episodes because you're betting it won't end on a good note and that you'll be wasting your time, but then you DO waste your time by writing this painfully meh review... madness...

 

[Spider Guy]

If this is what you consider a decent review maybe you SHOULD be done with the MCU

 

[Bewitch]

How is the set up for an Avengers team consisting of Moon Knight, Blade, and Ghost Rider underwhelming? Lousy tier review.

Mod Edit - Language

 

[ChadeUK]

Wow, so many salty Marvel/Moon Knight fans that aren't simply able to accept someone else's opinion of the show. I mostly don't agree with piece either, I enjoy the show and am certainly starting to get attached to the character of Steven and Marc, I think Oscar Isaac is doing an outstanding job so far, but find the Harrow character played by Ethan Hawke somewhat predictable and generic. I can also accept that the author, Rory Mellon, doesn't feel the same way, his piece was an opinion piece anyway and so it's neither right nor wrong, just how they feel and that's fine.

 

[Sap225]

The only good writing in this review was the Editor's Note.

 

[Gayirishgeek]

This is the problem with people who don't understand the format. 1 it's bit a tv show it's a miniseries. What that means is it's 4 hour 30 minutes movie split into 6 parts. This miniseries is very much just chapter 11 of this secret war story we are getting. It's the same with people in the beginning of the infinity saga when they didn't get the format. They reviewing it like a standalone movie it's stead of a chapters in a book. What that means phase 1 was pretty much the introduction to the characters each chapter cover their back story. Meaning comparing a start of a book to say the end if the book isn't comparing like for like as it's very different parts of the journey. Take captain marvel they way it was shot it was very much a flash back chapters but rather that get the normal origin format we got the story details in reverse. So she was very much establishment for her appearance in Endgame. Now if we look at spiderman far from home, thanks to marvel being involved this movie was very much a epilogue to the saga . With black widow started of these new "book " as it's prologue. From an character who died but her story had links via her family which Yelana playing a role in other parts of the story. If you don't have this mind set you won't enjoy MCU.
There is a reason why moon knight ends the same week doctor strange in the multiverse of madness gets released. It's because it's the next chapter.

 

[Gayirishgeek]

Wow, so many salty Marvel/Moon Knight fans that aren't simply able to accept someone else's opinion of the show. I mostly don't agree with piece either, I enjoy the show and am certainly starting to get attached to the character of Steven and Marc, I think Oscar Isaac is doing an outstanding job so far, but find the Harrow character played by Ethan Hawke somewhat predictable and generic. I can also accept that the author, Rory Mellon, doesn't feel the same way, his piece was an opinion piece anyway and so it's neither right nor wrong, just how they feel and that's fine.

It's not moon knight fans . It's the article treating this as a regular TV show instead of a 4.5 hour movie split in to 6 parts. Going in expecting episode to be the equivalent to say game of thrones are the walking dead with much more of a resolution or character development because those shows are split over months in the show. Where this miniseries takes places with in a week . So the paces is incredible fast . I genuinely think people who don't understand the format especially in the MCU with it's projects acting like chapters in a book instead of standalone shouldn't be reviewing something. It would be like me reviewing a football match when I don't like football no clue what I would be talking about.

We find this happened regularly with people reviewing things that just weren't made for them . when that happens people feel left out and lash out. Look at turning red we had a straight white male who moaning that the movie was made for a specific demographic he didn't like it because of it . Because he wasn't a teenage Asain girl. So he went in to the movie excepting to see things about him . Reviewed it base on that.

We see this all the time

 

[Skyfoxmarine]

Rory Mellon doesn't know what he is talking about.
I love this show.
Just another jealous writer who couldn't be an actor.

I'd say that his ability to write quality articles leaves something to be desired as well.
It seems that they're handing out the title of 'Author' or 'Writer' to anybody that wants it these days, no skill or experience necessary; though if you're willing to foment dissimulated factitious click bait fluff with delusive titles, vainglorious opinions, and specious content, you'll automatically be handed a participation trophy for your lack of effort and an official "Writer's Plaque" entitling you income for bad opinions and platitudinous criticism.

 

[Skyfoxmarine]

Look at turning red we had a straight white male who moaning that the movie was made for a specific demographic he didn't like it because of it . Because he wasn't a teenage Asain girl. So he went in to the movie excepting to see things about him . Reviewed it base on that.

We see this all the time

This seriously happened? 🤦🏼 And I have yet another reason to add to the extensive list of "Ridiculous moments that make me uncomfortably aware that I'm a Straight White Male (SWM) to the extent that I wish I could change any one of these three characteristics".
The title is a work in progress 😅.

 

[bjk8kds]

Just created a new account for this article, and i find disappointed bcoz i didn't find the dislike/down vote button for the article

 

[joshsphilosophy]

Dang, even the title of your article is laughably disingenuous. Do you honestly feel regret for giving Moon Knight a second chance? That whole hour of your precious life wasted?

Geez, man, it's a TV show, not an untrustworthy girlfriend that cheated on you a second time after you gave her another chance. I'm sure it took you far longer to write this article than it took to watch the episode that gave you such regret.

And let's be honest with ourselves. You've probably heard that ep.5 is stunning from several people, and that's gonna make you want to watch it. I hope you do, and I hope you like it so much that you'll feel compelled to retract your words.

 

[joshsphilosophy]

Just created a new account for this article, and i find disappointed bcoz i didn't find the dislike/down vote button for the article

Hahaha same! As much as I normally hate it when people get fanboy defensive, this article was so cringe I needed to respond.

 

[Chuck1337]

Fo your terrible review your scales are unbalanced therefore you deserve to be in the sands of the Duat

 

[COLGeek]

Whether you agree with the review, or not, its objective was met. Look at the buzz and discussion generated. This lively debate is more than many such reviews generate.

I thought MK started slow, but began building momentum. I like the show for what it is and continue to look forward to where it is going.

Several have picked up on an observation I, too, have made regarding the MCU series. They are more like long movies chopped up into segments. This is a by-product of streaming and the desire to keep members coming back over time.

Then again, I thought Eternals was good, Justice League, too. Heck I even liked Green Lantern for what its worth. None of these can be taken too seriously. They are entertainment and they entertained me.

 

[Waitjusta2ndtherechief]

I keep seeing bizarrely critical reviews like this that don't make any sense. Legitimate criticism is fine, but some of these go so far as to be obvious attempts to sabotage the shows success. I figure it is a competitor, say Netflix for example given their recent issues, bribing people to post reviews like this. I'm not saying the show is without its flaws, none are, but I've found the characters engaging especially that it is based largely around building those characters instead of nonstop action sequences. Nothing has been "incoherent" as it is a pretty easy to follow story line, unless there is some deficiency inhibiting the viewer's ability to comprehend a string of events. And the complaint that it doesn't drop enough hints that it is a part of the MCU is ridiculous. I don't go around talking about the world's crises current and past throughout the day. Most people don't. Life goes on and people tend to not want to focus on the worst things in it (like in the MCU the blip, or in real life the pandemic, 9/11, Ukraine's situation or another if a myriad of disasters we've lived through over the years.)

This "review" is either trying to attract traffic/clicks for the sake of ads (suck it, my hosts file blocks all of them) or is simple a shill for a competing streaming service. Either way it comes across as petty and doesn't line up with a lot of the general consensus most of us have for the show.

Oh yeah this dude is definitely on the whole MCU bashing bandwagon. Now screw Alabama.... But it's the same thing. People hate on winners. Dude lost me when he called the show predictable. Now we know you're he's lying. This show is fantastic. It's a television show though. Not a dadgum movie. You can't expect them to be the same.

Surely this bandwagon behavior will only get worse. Then in like 20 years or so when it finally does drop off for whatever reason (nothing lasts forever these days) they'll scream about how they were right all along to a generation that frankly doesn't care.

So there's that to look forward to. But look at you. Throwing shade. So cute. I'm sure they'll (Disney) care about your "honest" opinion while they're raking in all that money.