I’m really enjoying Moon Knight so far. In terms of Marvel shows, this one has done a better establishing an interesting story than any of the previous offerings. The Egyptian angle intrigues, while the colorful characters are all engaging in their own unique way.
Plus: Oscar Isaac rules. I’ve always admired the man, and so his presence alone makes this new series an absorbing exercise. He’s terrific as both bumbling Steven Grant and the mysterious Marc Spector. There’s a scene in Episode 2 where the characters get in a heated Gollum/Smeagol-like argument after Marc refuses to relent control of Steven’s body. Steven is suspended in an alternate reality, which posits him as a reflection of Marc.
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“I can barely move,” Steven says, terrified.
“Just breathe, it’ll get easier,” Marc replies.
It’ll be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out, especially since neither Steven nor Marc are bad guys.
On the contrary, each man possesses heroic qualities. In the latest chapter, we see Steven step up to the plate and attempt to fight a jackal in order to protect innocent bystanders. And later, we learn that Marc must do an entity known as Khonshu’s bidding; or risk losing his wife, Layla (May Calamawy), to the God of the Moon’s control.
I’ve seen some reviews criticize the sluggish pacing of these first two entries, and even a few that dub the series thus far as “boring,” which doesn’t seem fair. Here we have an absorbing character drama that usurps splashy action in favor of quiet conversations.
Even the main antagonist, Harrow, played by Ethan Hawke, seems to refute violence unless it’s in the service of his god Ammit. There’s an eerie moment where he takes an artifact from an innocent bystander and summarily kills him off. Directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson cut to a distant shot of the occurrence and we see the bystander quietly succumb to death from afar in the most offhand way imaginable. Harrow doesn’t relish the moment but does see his actions as a necessary step to establish a Heaven on Earth. Whatever that means.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Marvel show without a splash of humor. While I typically turn my nose up at the studio’s overreliance on goofy comedy, Moon Knight sprinkles in just enough to be effective without casting a shadow over the dramatic bits. Kudos to Isaac for his impeccable comic timing, but credit to the writers and directors for not shoehorning comedy into each and every scene just for the sake of it.
Here, the humor derives from Steven’s reactions to the outlandish situations. And while the character’s continued exasperation does wear a little thin by the end of the second episode, his mannerisms never feel forced or contrived. His “oh my God” reaction to finding a gun in his (or Marc’s) storage locker is funny, but also a completely natural response.
The action, however brief, packs a punch. When Marc takes control of Steven’s body and summons the Moon Knight to battle the aforementioned jackal, the sequence is appropriately thrilling. Especially as it’s shot from multiple perspectives, which includes people who can’t see the monster.
Episode 2 ends on a rather dark note as Marc bickers with Steven and grows frustrated enough to smash his reflection. Who is this guy? Can he be trusted? What does Khonshu want? And what’s the deal with Layla?
I’m dying to learn the answers to all of these questions.
Other notes and theories:
• At this point, I’m assuming the powers of Moon Knight will pass to Layla before the show’s end. An article recently revealed that Isaac’s contract with Marvel is up after the season, which makes sense as he’s not exactly desperate for roles. More than likely, I predict Steven sacrifices himself in order to save Layla after the pair fall in love. We’ll see.
• Hawke makes for a damned good villain. I love how kind he is to his followers, though it is interesting to see their reaction to his (and Ammit’s) vast power — they immediately take a few steps back. Are these loyal servants, or is this a “better to be the right hand of the Devil” sort of thing?
• The bit where Steven summons the suit and reappears dressed in a white tuxedo felt like something out of The Mask; and leaned a little too hard on goofy theatrics. Not enough to derail the episode, but the moment certainly stood out in a bad way.
• I love the moment when Steven questions the logic in judging/murdering people before they’ve committed a crime. Ammit, it seems, is a lot like the Pre-Crime organization in Steve Spielberg’s Minority Report, which likewise looked into the future to prevent murders from occurring.
• Part of me wishes the show would lean a little more on the idea that Steven might in fact be crazy. We see him running from nothing on the video camera, he talks to reflections, and sees monsters and demons. Obviously, Marvel would never venture down that route, but it would make for an interesting wrinkle to the Marvel Cinematic Universe if Marc were in fact suffering from some sort of PTSD that completely changed his mental state and resulted in the creation of Steven; and/or allow him to peek through the curtain at a separate dimension filled with gods and demons.
• Finally, I have to give another shout-out to Hesham Nazih for his terrific score. Thus far, he’s knocked it out of the park.
