Movierulz
For Moon Knight, it is time to clarify the combinations of Indiana Jones, in a very pleasant episode with a screaming ending for fans of the comic.
The feeling, now only two appointments from the end, is that Moon Knight is always missing that little bit more, the last piece to really enter once and for all in the Olympus of MCU productions and in the hearts of fans. If after all, it is true – and this episode 4 makes it even clearer – that the series on the Fist of Khonshu has certainly marked a change of tones, themes, and even an aesthetic of no small importance within the Marvel ecosystem, it is equally clear that the basic formula has not been modified in any way, but pushed to its limits.
And, consequently, the usual discussions on humor follow one another, although in Moon Knight there is much less present, some avoidable plot hole – the sarcophagus of the last episode and above all how it was used makes your nose turn up a bit – and weakness in the middle of the season. Weakness that absolutely must not be understood as mediocrity or a large insufficiency, on the contrary, the adventures of Marc / Steven have always been valid and exciting.
It is more a matter of missing details or management of certain clashes that could be much more in focus. The result is a very rich fourth episode, extremely adventurous and even disturbing at times, with an epilogue that is a love letter to a very particular comic and a very nebulous but fascinating future.
A labyrinthine tomb
What would Moon Knight be without Khonshu? This seems to be the opening dilemma after the Egyptian deity was trapped in stone by the other gods for interfering with the world of humans again – here you can find our review of Moon Knight 1X03. A question that unfortunately does not have time to dig deep into, as Harrow (Ethan Hawke) has already reached Ammit’s grave and may be able to awaken it at any second.
Marc / Steven (Oscar Isaac) and Layla (May Calamawy) just have to exploit the fruits of Khonshu’s sacrifice and immediately go to the eternal resting place of the goddess, but something sinister awaits them from the entrance. Here, for those who in recent weeks had heard the name of Indiana Jones connected to Moon Knight repeatedly without understanding why, the reason is all contained in this episode, which is basically nothing more than the exploration of a tomb to find a specific artifact, namely the ushabti (a funeral statuette) of Ammit.
And it is exactly adventurous, full of fantastic discoveries and small details about ancient Egyptian culture as you are imagining it, an ensemble that any fan of Indy cannot fail to appreciate. To give, however, the really decisive push to the episode is the presence of the supernatural element, of bizarre presences that give life to sequences of unprecedented violence by Marvel standards: it is never shown head-on and clearly, but we assure you that there will be blood, with even a small touch of disgust that marks a pleasant addition to the construction of the atmosphere.
The search for balance
These are important signs, demonstrations that, however, within certain limits, Marvel Studios are willing to go beyond their comfort zone to give us something different. Moon Knight necessarily had to be the series on which it was necessary to work in this sense and they did, they can no longer deny it.
In addition, the epilogue for a paper Marc Spector fan is a small gold mine of quotes and references to the arc of Jeff Lemire, one of the most loved and recognizable of the modern cycle of this enigmatic and wonderful character. It is also the moment in which the humor makes its detour with just one step more than it should right at the end (there is also a sensational twist in the ending of Moon Knight 1X04), but if the cue to question whatever happened was carried on for a while and not simply used as an episodic situation or fan-favorite, the potential for this latest sprint would be endless.
What is missing in this episode is strangely enough internal drama between Marc and Steven: a lot more space is given to Layla after the little Harrow revelations last week and that’s not a bad thing at all, but there is a strong cause of friction too. between the two personalities of the protagonist and it is unsatisfactory to see their reaction hinted at only once and nothing more. It is the balance that is missing, the one that was almost magically achieved in the second episode, and that we would like to explode again.
Have you been wondering for several weeks why the name of Indiana Jones linked to Moon Knight was circulating? Here, the fourth episode serves exactly to remove any doubts about it, because after all, it is nothing more than an exploration of a labyrinthine tomb in search of an artifact. And it is exactly as adventurous as it is full of surprises and historical goodies as you are imagining it; any Indy fan will immediately feel at home.
A set crowned then by supernatural presences that really give an extra gear to the episode, as they are at the center of some rather bloody and violent sequences by MCU standards. It is always violence that is never framed in the chest and in a clear way, but blood will flow and even a touch of disgust that does nothing but benefit the atmosphere of the series. A show that is approaching its final stages and does so with an epilogue that is a love letter to the fans of the comic and to the run of Lemire, who with his classic upheaval questions everything that has happened so far.
And opens the doors to infinite potential if used properly. More than anything else, it is always the attention to some details that are lacking: some transitions that are too steep, friction between characters that are not always focused, aspects and dialogues out of place. Moon Knight still lacks that little bit more to truly prove to be an all-around success.
