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Masters of the Universe Review
Image Credit: Amazon MGM Studios
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Directed By: Travis Knight
Written By: Chris Butler, Aaron Nee & Adam Nee, Dave Callaham, Alex Litvak, and Michael Finch; Based on Masters of the Universe by Mattel
Runtime: 132 minutes
MPA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence/action, some suggestive material, and language
Nicholas Galitzine – Adam Glenn/He-Man
Jared Leto – Skeletor
Camila Mendes – Teela
Idris Elba – Duncan/Man-at-Arms
Alison Brie – Evil-Lyn
Charlotte Riley – Queen Marlena
James Purefoy – King Randor
Morena Baccarin – The Sorceress
Kristen Wiig – Roboto
Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson – Fisto
Jon Xue Zhang – Ram Man
James Wilkinson – Mekaneck
Sam C. Wilson – Trap Jaw
Stephen Adentan – Moss Man
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson – Goat-Man
James Apps – Spikor
Kojo Attah – Tri-Klops
Christian Vunipola – Hussein
Kelly Coughlin – Officer Blumenthal
Max Kraus – Officer Black
Arun Bassi – Pig Boy
Eire Farrell – Young Teela
Artie Wilkinson-Hunt – Young Adam
For the first time in almost forty years, Masters of the Universe summons the Power of Grayskull, returning the adventures of He-Man to the big screen. After a development cycle that took well over two decades, it feels like a small miracle this movie ever got made. However, what’s even more miraculous is how amazing it turned out to be.
Considering its roots as a Mattel sci-fi fantasy toyline, and young people’s current tastes, Amazon MGM Studios’ Masters of the Universe reboot finds itself in an era where it might very well be a bygone property. How does Masters of the Universe inspire a generation that has largely moved on to Minecraft, Fortnite, and Five Nights at Freddy’s? Regardless, director Travis Knight proves to be the right man for the job, tapping into what makes He-Man and his adventures on Eternia so exciting and endearing, while also imbuing the material with a heartfelt, earnest emotional core.
The story begins recounting the tale of how Prince Adam, or Adam Glenn (Galitzine), came to Earth. As a ten-year-old, the young noble prince, son of King Randor (Purefoy) and Queen Marlena (Riley), witnesses the siege of his father’s kingdom at the hands of the evil skull-faced sorcerer, Skeletor (Leto), who seeks to seize the Power of Castle Grayskull himself.
With Skeletor’s victory close at hand, Marlena and the Sorceress of Grayskull (Morena Baccarin) magically transport Adam to Marlena’s home planet, Earth, with the magical Sword of Power, to keep them safe from Skeletor. Unfortunately, Adam loses his grip on the sword during the trip, and his means of finding his way back home.
Fifteen years later, the now-adult Adam is stuck living in corporate HR hell in Oklahoma City, yearning to find a way back to his home of Eternia. After searching for years, he finally regains possession of the Sword of Power, bringing him back into contact with his childhood friend, Tella (Mendes). With the Sword of Power in tow, Teela and Adam return to Eternia with the means to defeat Skeletor, who has laid waste to Eternia with his tyrannical rule.
The Sword of Power grants fabulous secret powers to the champion who wields it. Unfortunately, Adam was never the strongest or most resilient fighter, disappointing his classmates, father, and teacher, the king’s Man-at-Arms, Duncan (Elba). Much like the original cartoon provided children with a moral lesson or guidance, Masters of the Universe showcases that it takes more than just muscles and brute strength to make a hero, or in Adam’s case, a He-Man.
Filmmaker Travis Knight’s pure love for the source material is evident in every frame of Masters of the Universe, so much so that its visual fidelity looks downright shocking. Many adaptations frequently significantly reinvent the characters for the screen. Yet, Knight’s vision of Masters of the Universe captures the magic, imagination, and whimsy that made the original toys, comics, and cartoons so inspiring in the first place.
Masters of the Universe taps into something primal, especially for children at a crucial time in their lives, and the stories empower them. That idea of wanting power to become a strong superhero and a champion for good. Whether it’s Masters of the Universe in the 1980s or Power Rangers in the 1990s, they offered something fun and empowering, while also offering universal moral messages. He-Man was a being of ultimate power, but also virtuous goodness.
Knight’s reboot nicely pays homage to that style in an endearing, earnest way, primarily through Galitzine in the lead. Galitzine brings an earnest charm to his performance, not playing Adam as a stoic or overly braggadocios and macho, but as rather awkward and klutzy. It works to his benefit because it gives Galitizine’s Adam something to work with in his hero’s journey, because he’s not the prototypical male hero.
On the other end of the spectrum is the evil Skeletor, whose latest onscreen iteration works better than ever imaginable. In a role that combines practical costume works and cutting-edge digital effects, Skeletor becomes the highlight of the movie.
Jared Leto delivers probably the best and most entertaining performance of his career as the Overlord of Evil, capturing many of the classic elements of the character, but he also brings this amusing petulance and insecurity. It works for Skeletor because it renders his actions more cruel and malicious.
Skeletor is a megalomaniacal malcontent, desperate to maintain his rule by seeking more power for the sake of power. Leto’s Skeletor berates and tortures his minions and subjects, even his most loyal hand, Evil-Lyn (Brie). He amusingly favors alliterative insults. The use of a posh, regal British accent was the right choice for Skeletor.
Essentially, Leto and Knight craft a grandiose, classic, and cinematic villain that moviegoers will love to hate with Skeletor. Leto’s Skeletor is theatrical and charismatic, but he maintains a sense of humor, offering a throwback style to classic cinematic villainy.
Skeletor is unapologetically evil, he knows it, and he embraces it, and it’s nice for once to have an ultimate antagonist who isn’t a misunderstood antihero. The other factor that sells Skeletor’s villainy is that his threats are no idle, and he will make an example out of his victims.
Skeletor is also a nice case where strong CG animation can enhance a story. His skeletal visage looks unnerving, yet also impressive, achieving some impressive micro-expressions despite having a skull for a face.
Although the Earth subplot was initially worrisome, it merely serves as a starting point for the story and Adam’s journey to become He-Man. The narrative, thankfully, primarily takes place on Eternia. Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas also beautifully brings the world of Eternia to life, right down to the props, weapons, and armor.
That being said, one quibble is that it would’ve been nice if there had been a bit more exploration of Eternia. The plot mainly offers narrow slices of the Kingdom of Eternos, which conveniently neighbors Castle Grayskull, an underground sanctuary for the Eterenian rebellion, and Skeletor’s lair of Snake Mountain. The interior of Castle Grayskull comes off as somewhat small in scale and stature.
The trade-off, though, is that Knight and his production team still perform an overall exemplary job, making the world look and feel immersive, colorful, and vibrant. It’s nice to have a blockbuster that looks so crisp, colorful, and vibrant, rather than overly muddy and dark, obscuring much of the action. Likewise, the movie captures a lush variety of the colors of the toys and classic cartoons. It’s downright shocking that Skeletor maintains his iconic blue-skinned torso and purple garb, but also greatly appreciated.
Camila Mendes also nicely asserts herself as the heroic Teela, who had to step up as a warrior during Skeletor’s tyrannical reign. She displays genuinely good chemistry with Galitzine.
Elba takes an alternative take on Man-at-Arms. Although he’s not quite the sage and wise mentor and aide to He-Man, he does eventually form a unique bond with Adam. Elba’s Man-at-Arms goes on his own journey after experiencing great loss and failure, as he must rediscover the hero within.
In terms of other nitpicks, the movie has maybe a few too many identifiable characters. Although Beast Man is present in the movie, it would’ve been nice if his role was beefed up a little bit more, to give him more of a rivalry with one of the other heroes, such as He-Man or Cringer/Battle Cat.
Sadly, Cringer is one of the characters whose role comes off as marginalized. It’s fun when Cringer finally does appear, and in a movie that gets so much else right, it’s understandable that compromises have to be made. Regardless, it would’ve been nice to show more of Adam’s bond with his fearless friend.
Also, there’s another instance where a surprising character reveal could’ve nicely tied into another subplot earlier, which would’ve explained a significant plot turning point. However, these are mostly minor nitpicks.
Chris Knight’s script does lean heavily on humor, but it works well with respect to the source material. There are a couple of instances where the dialogue doesn’t run, not necessarily flat or clunky, but a little too overly simplistic. Some discerning viewers might find the material too jokey, but Knight’s instances of humor ring appropriate to the setting, and the plot becomes serious at the right moments.
Also, not enough words can be said on how beautifully Daniel Pemberton nails it with the movie’s score. Pemberton delivers a rocking, awesome soundtrack, paying homage to hair metal and glam rock of the 1980s, with Queen’s Brian May providing some memorable guitar riffs. The Darkness also provides a fun rock song for the credits.
In terms of the soundtrack, there’s one moment in particular where it feels like Knight had been perusing the social media of yours truly with one particular needle drop by a notable pop song by a famous rock star. If there was one pop song that needed to be in a Masters of the Universe reboot, it was this one. Moviegoers will know it when they hear it.
The biggest drawback of the Masters of the Universe might be its timing. Knight largely hits a home run with his execution, but Masters of the Universe has largely failed to achieve or find relevance in the cultural zeitgeist since the 1980s. As such, Masters of the Universe might struggle to find an audience in today’s media marketplace.
Regardless, the long wait for this reboot paid off. Masters of the Universe leans heavily on fan service, but any kid who ever grew up playing with a toy sword and held it aloft and said, “I have the power,” will feel their heartstrings pulled when that magical moment takes place. At the very least, one longtime fan felt that magic watching the fantastical adventures. Until next time.
Where To Watch Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe calls the Power of Grayskull to theaters on June 5. It will also be playing in IMAX this weekend.
