Oscar Isaac’s Good in a Mediocre Marvel Series

Oscar Isaac does fantastic double duty in a surprisingly mediocre Marvel Studios limited series. Moon Knight tells the story of a man with dissociative identity order who channels the spirit of a wrathful Egyptian god, Khonshu. He battles Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke), a cult leader who passes lethal judgment on behalf of another Egyptian deity, Ammit. Moon Knight moves at a sluggish pace as it reveals the characters involved in an apocalyptic scenario. The action scenes feel tame. They lack the sizzle and wow factor we’ve come to expect from the Marvel comic book adaptations.

Steven Grant (Isaac) is a shy and timid British gift shop worker in the Egyptian gallery of a London museum. He has no friends, gets mistreated by his boss, and is constantly late to his job. Steven wakes up in strange places with no memory of how he got there. He’s diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Steven locks his loft doors, tapes them shut, and chains himself to the bedpost. This does nothing to stop his bizarre affliction.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

A sad Steven comes to in a grassy field before a medieval castle. He’s covered in blood, aching, and holding a small golden scarab. He watches in curiosity as a gathered crowd bows before a man with a tattoo of scales inside his right forearm. The scales turn red as Arthur Harrow decrees death on a disciple in the name of Ammit. He realizes that Steven has the scarab. Steven’s eyes flicker, the screen shakes, and Marc Spector (Isaac), a lethal American mercenary with the power of Khonshu (voiced by F. Murray Abraham), emerges to fight.

The premiere establishes the sheepish Steven, his odd behavior, and first interaction with Arthur Harrow. Episodes two through four dives deep into Egyptian mythology, Harrow’s reason for the scarab, and brings archeologist Layla El-Faouly (May Calamawy) into the equation. She plays Marc Spector’s abandoned wife; who struggles to cope with Steven/Marc’s inner conflicts. Steven and Marc see each other in reflective surfaces. Both want control of their body and to be rid of Khonshu’s possession. But they need the supernatural powers and healing abilities of Khonshu’s avatar, Moon Knight, to stop Harrow’s diabolical plan.

Related: Comic Book 101: The Basics on Moon Knight

The Pace of the Plot in Moon Knight

Moon Knight takes too long with exposition that the audience already knows. The first episode could easily have carried the plot of the second. It also doesn’t help that the beginning action scenes are truncated when Steven takes over from Marc. He’s in a fight, has a seizure, and then Steven is surrounded by bodies. The goal is to illustrate the confusion of switching personalities in combat. This gets old quickly, especially when Steven clearly needs Marc to survive.

Ethan Hawke looks like a new-age guru searching for a yoga studio. He’s a dangerous villain but is completely understated. The character never raises his voice or shows emotion. This serenity serves a narrative purpose. But does not make for compelling television. He’s always a step ahead of efforts to thwart him. This simple gamesmanship plays out in episodes three and four. Harrow has to be more sinister and threatening for the season one finale.

Moon Knight has adequate production values. The problem is that the plot doesn’t forcefully grab your attention. The Egyptian aspects are laid out in a middling mystery. Thankfully Oscar Isaac is so good at playing two wildly different characters. He nails the British accent and countenance of Steven. The Moon Knight is costumed and mostly CGI, so there’s not much to differentiate. I didn’t dislike Moon Knight. He’s a serviceable superhero. But honestly doesn’t compare, at least to episode four, with the entertainment value of the previous Marvel streaming shows.

Moon Knight is a production of Marvel Studios. Its six-episode run will premiere on March 30th exclusively on Disney+.

About The Author

Julian Roman
(1507 Articles Published)

Julian Roman has been with Movieweb for nearly twenty years. An avid film buff, he feels lucky to have interviewed and written extensively about Hollywood’s greatest talents. In his spare time he plays guitar, treasures good company, and always seeks new adventures.

More
From Julian Roman

You can view the original article HERE.