In Masters of the Universe, He-Man and nostalgia are the heroes.
The first part of the film gives a fleshed-out origin story to Adam (played by Nicholas Galitzine)- something served in too few bits and pieces in the original He-Man cartoon. Adam’s journey to becoming He-Man takes him from childhood on Eternia with friend Teela (played by Camila Mendes) to Earth and back to fulfill his destiny. Galitzine is a bit too clumsy as Adam, but manages the transition to hero well enough. The addition of a clear backstory adds to the Masters of the Universe lore in a good way, giving the characters more substance than in the original cartoons. Mendes gives a solid action performance, often rallying morale and carrying the action when Adam isn’t transformed, much like the cartoon.
Man-At-Arms (played by Idris Elba) has a redemption arc, and Elba plays the role with fun. He-Man’s nemesis Skeletor (played by Jared Leto) is introduced early on, setting up the action and conflict for the new young champion and the other classic cartoon heroes who fight alongside him: Cringer the battlecat, Fisto (played by Jóhannes Hakur Jóhannesson), Mekaneck (played by James Wilkinson), Ram-Man (played by Jon Xue Zhang). In a costume with a fully cartoon feel, Leto is theatrical, funny, and generally good as Skeletor. Alongside Skeletor, Evil-Lyn (played by Allison Brie) holds her own at wreaking havoc and humor.
Quite a bit of CG in building Eternia’s environment, some of the monsters and Cringer, but there’s enough action to not get hung up on it.
What does seem excessive at times is the level of silliness, primarily from Adam as he navigates Earth culture while trying to stay true to himself. Fortunately, Masters of the Universe has a lot of what He-Man fans probably came for- the action. Galitzine portrays He-Man in action with finesse. Amped up by Queen-esque rock like “Masters of the Universe” by The Darkness, the battle scenes are the expected high points of the film.
Masters of the Universe leans heavily into the nostalgia of the classic cartoon that wasn’t afraid to embrace silliness or kindness, both of which gave it kid appeal. As a reboot to what can be a funny, action-filled film franchise that a wider audience can enjoy, there is enough of both. There’s also ample room for more character development among other heroes, stronger dialogue and of course, more from Eternia as alluded to in the credit scenes. Ultimately, Masters of the Universe seems to have the power to satisfy nostalgia fans and new ones.
This film is in theaters June 5th. I rate it a (3/4) 🍿
