Moon Knight saw great praise from critics prior to its release, and audiences appear to be in agreement. With only one episode out in the open, the premiere has teased how Egyptian mythology will play into the series. Moon Knight's powers famously stem from the God Khonshu, but Ethan Hawke's villainous Arthur Harrow appears to have an interest in another Egyptian legend.
Harrow was shown to have a large following in his cult, which worships the Egyptian deity Ammit. The mythological God supposedly believed in judging people for their crimes before they commit them, surveying their entire lives. Hawke's antagonist appears to have been carrying this out himself as he killed an elderly woman, seemingly judged to be a sinner.
In explaining the legend of Ammit, Arthur Harrow made reference to numerous historical events including Hitler's regime, the Armenian Genocide, and more, one of which has led to Moon Knight being review bombed online.
Moon Knight Review Bombed for Historical Reference
Moon Knight has been bombarded with negative one-star reviews on IMDB due to the premiere's acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, a historical event that the Turkish government still denies the scope of.
The Armenian Genocide involved the killing and deportation of the Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I from 1915 to 1917. The total deaths are said to be between 600,000 and 1.5 million, but the Turkish Government still calls the deportation of the Armenians to be a legitimate action that cannot be considered genocide.
The Turkish-Armenian historical event is referred to by Ethan Hawke's Arthur Harrow as he lists the historical tragedy that the Egyptian deity Ammit could have prevented had she been free:
"Had Ammit been free, she would have prevented Hitler and the destruction he wrought. Nero, the Armenian Genocide, Pol Pot."
IMDB review bombers shared a multitude of one-star ratings in response to the reference, with one user claiming "there is no Armenian Genocide" and sharing his exhaustion for the "lies and ignorance:"
"Stop Telling Lies
There is no Armenian Genocide, you historical ignorants. Are you all illiterate or anything else? Don’t you ever read a real historical document? We are really really and really tired of your lies and ignorance. That is really enough."
Another passionate reviewer described Moon Knight as "expensive crappy propaganda garbage" and suggested audiences "watch something else:"
"Another expensive crappy propaganda garbage
It’s like a Netflix propaganda series but more expensive and more political. Don’t waste your time with this crap and watch something else. Penguin documentary would be better."
One review called the series out for "racism and vilification of a nation" and referred to a "special effort in recent years to vilify a nation and society:"
"A bad series
There are too many scenes that contain elements of racism and vilification of a nation. There has been a special effort in recent years to vilify a nation and society."
A fourth of the many reviews criticized the US film history for "[pumping] false historical information" and what he calls the "fake 'Armenian Genocide' b*...t:"
"Pumping false historical information
Nowadays, the US film industry likes to pump false historical information about the fake “Armenian Genocide” b*...t. Obviously, the Armenian lobby works hard and influences this false information all over the world. This title is another piece of this lobbying effort, nothing more. Strong thumbs down!"
How Has Review Bombing Hit Moon Knight?
Review bombing has become an increasingly common practice in recent years, which is unfortunate as it is rarely a reflection of actual quality or criticism and tends to be used to push an agenda. The Suicide Squad was bombarded with negative reviews from Zack Snyder fans, while Eternals was criticized for its inclusion of an LGBTQIA+ relationship.
The actual reviews for Moon Knight look to be just as positive from audiences as early reactions were from critics. Disney+ viewers have continued to praise Oscar Issac, the cinematography, storytelling, characters, and almost every element of the series.
IMDB's current graph of the ratings makes a full rating by far the most popular choice, with 7,448 voters sharing their love for the series so far. Although there's similarly a heavy push in the lower ratings, most of which stem from the review-bombing, some did share a legitimate lack of enjoyment for the episode.
With the reference to the Armenian Genocide likely being contained in the first episode, Moon Knight may see a rise in its rating as more episodes pass and more legitimate reviews continue to balance out the average.
The first episode of Moon Knight is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.
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