“By the POWER of Grayskull!”
In September of 1983, a very important event happened that would change my life forever: the premiere of “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe!”
It was in a time when the Star Wars trilogy ended with The Return of the Jedi, which was, at the time, supposed to be the end of all Star Wars. It was only when I saw the first iconic commercial for He-Man that I was immediately hooked and needed more! Along with the amazing toys was the animated series, which ran weekdays after school. I couldn’t wait to get home to see what adventure He-Man and the other heroes of Eternia were going to have or what evil Skeletor was going to create.
These toys and the animated series were incredibly important to me. Like kids of the time, I spent hours recreating battles between He-Man and Skeletor in my backyard. Eternia wasn’t just a cartoon; it was a world that influenced my imagination and (as an undiagnosed ADD kid), helped me escape into adventure.
And now, as an adult, there is a chance to relive that childhood feeling with the new Masters of the Universe movie, which premiered this past weekend on June 5th!
The following is a my general non-spoiler review of all that was important to me in the Masters of the Universe movie.(Watch our FULL REVIEW HERE.)
Masters of the Universe stars Nicholas Galitzine (Prince Adam/He-Man), Camila Mendes (Teela), Idris Elba (Duncan/Man-at-Arms) and an amazing performance of Skeletor by Jared Leto is a canon-changing story of Prince Adam after being stranded on Earth and returning home, discovers his destiny as the “Champion of Grayskull” and his hero’s journey in saving Eternia.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this film, even though the trailers and promotional materials looked amazing and exciting. My doubt was mainly due to the latest Masters project released by Kevin Smith on Netflix, but I was very anxious to see it!
I wasn’t disappointed and feel that the movie captured the feel and spirit of the original 80’s animated series, and I couldn’t be happier!
Related Article: Inspiring Eternia: Earl Norem’s Epic “Masters of the Universe” Art
What Had the POWER!
The Cast
The film is an action-packed adventure that draws its look and story from the original animated series, which will excite casual fans and satisfy hardcore He-Man fans with nostalgia! The case not only transformed into their Eternian characters but also delivered a performance that embraces what makes He-Man, Man-at-Arms, and Teela so special to the series, and the actors have shown such chemistry as their characters that you believe they have known each other their whole lives. They are also joined by some fan favorites, including Fisto, Ram Man, Mekaneck and more, all bringing their own unique personalities (and names!)
The Action
The action and battle scenes are exactly what you would expect from a live-action He-Man film performed by the cast, including Galitzine as He-Man and also Elba as Man-at-Arms. Elba has, in my opinion, the best choreographed fight at the beginning of the movie against TrapJaw. Elba brings Man-at-Arms to life in this scene and shows fans why he is the Arms master and leader of the armies of Eternos.
Related Article: By the Power of Grayskull: Remembering Iconic He-Man Toy Commercials
The Story
The story is a well-thought-out hero’s journey with redemption and understanding between all, including what truly makes a hero. This is what the Masters of the Universe have always promoted, and this movie does it well. I believe that, even though the story and dialogue can at times be chaotic and campy, the writers do create an atmosphere similar to the cartoon.
Skeletor
Skeletor has always walked the line between terrifying villain and campy cartoon character. Leto manages to capture both sides perfectly. He is menacing when he needs to be, but never loses the quirky personality that made Skeletor such a memorable villain.
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What Lost the Power
While I believe that most “die hard” fans of the series will find lots to love about the movie, I do think there are some “nit-picky” things that I and other fans might have done without, including the time spent in the movie on Earth, expletive language from Eternian characters that you would only hear on Earth, some of the character development, or lack thereof and other details all that never take away from the fun and action of the film. Watch our FULL REVIEW HERE.
Final Thoughts
Overall, even though the film was about 30 minutes too long and there were times that the jokes and goofiness of the characters were excessive and the sometimes mixed messaging of the story crept in, I found the movie to be an enjoyable and fun experience, so much so that I watched the film twice over the weekend!
Whether you’re a casual fan or a Masters of the Universe purist, this film is an experience that should be seen on the big screen. For me, it brought back the same feeling I had when I first opened my He-Man and Battle-Cat toys all those years ago, and that’s the greatest compliment I can give this film.
What did YOU think of the movie? What was YOUR favorite part? LEAVE A COMMENT!
Watch our PODCAST review
