Based on the film, TV show and toy line from Mattel of the same name, Masters of the Universe has been totally revamped and is ready to enter the twenty first century. When his kingdom of Eternia is taken over by the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto), Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) is sent to Earth for his protection. Despite dealing with normal every day life as a human, Adam has never forgotten who he is. In order to save his kingdom, Adam must retrieve the Sword of Power. Only then can he return to Eternia and claim his rightful title as He-Man.
I was not the demographic for this franchise growing up. Though it came out a few years before I was born, it wasn’t ever anything I got invested in later on. I actually didn’t know much about the story or the lore beforehand. All I knew was that it had somewhat of a reputation for being corny and kind of terrible. Enter director Travis Knight. Having prior experience with adapting a toy line to a film series, he seemed like the perfect choice for a reboot. And boy did he knock it out of the park!
It’s been a hot minute since I was genuinely excited for a superhero/fantasy film. Marvel has been lacking and DC is still trying to find its footing after they decided to rework everything. This first foray back into the world of Eternia and these characters was such an enjoyable ride. As someone who didn’t know anything about it going in, I appreciated the origin story before diving into the main conflict. It helped set the scene, but it didn’t overstay its welcome and from there on out it progressed at a solid pace. I was just so intrigued with what was unfolding on screen in front of me.
Galitzine smashed it as Prince Adam. I’ve seen him play awkward before and he does it so well. I liked the juxtaposition between him as a very human individual and then seeing his transformation into the hero we grow to love. It was smart to have him not all of a sudden be the perfect fighter either, but instead hone his craft over time. His team consisted of a colorful variety of characters. Camila Mendes starred as Teela, Adam’s childhood friend and potential love interest. I thought she was so kick ass in this role and I was obsessed with her hair and eye color. Idris Elba portrayed Duncan, Teela’s father and a long time mentor of Adam’s. We’ve seen the down on their luck drunk bit before, but he did it well enough. I was still glad when he snapped himself out of it and got his mojo back. Kristen Wiig lended her voice talents to Roboto. She had some great one liners, however her character wasn’t featured as much as she could have been. Another character who could have been given more of a limelight was Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn. I was excited when I heard she was in the cast, but I didn’t understand the purpose she brought. She was just kind of there lingering in the background. Leto was hands down the scene stealer as Skeletor. Say what you will about him as a person, he gave it his absolute all. I don’t think I have ever seen such a well rounded villain before. He was menacing yet hilarious and I was vibing with everything he was doing.
What I liked the most about Masters of the Universe is the fact that it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was knew what it wanted to do and it achieved that. It leaned into the camp and silliness and while not all of the jokes worked, most of them did. I thought the casting choices were spot on and the world of Eternia and its surroundings was so well thought out and beautifully constructed. There is so much more to tell so I really hope we get a sequel.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️
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