Three years after the huge hit that was the Barbie Movie, another blond Mattel toy is getting its turn on the big screen. Similar to Barbie, the path to bringing Masters of the Universe (or MOTU for short) to life has been quite the adventure. The movie rights have been bouncing around from Warner Bros to Columbia Pictures back in the mid-2000s, then to Netflix in 2022, and now it has finally settled at Amazon MGM Studios.
Just like the well-known plastic fashion doll, I’ve never actually played with the He-Man toys or action figures from the early 80s, nor have I seen the 1987 movie or the animated series from 2022. So, I’m not really the intended audience for this film, but I did enjoy the last two movies by director Travis Knight (the animated Kubo and the Two Strings and the Transformers spin-off, Bumblebee), which made me a bit curious about it.
The trailer gives off vibes of Flash Gordon, one of my guilty pleasures from the 80s that was wonderfully campy. Since I’m not too familiar with this universe, I figured I’d just leave my brain at the cinema door and enjoy the movie for what it is without overthinking it. And honestly, I got exactly what I was looking for: a fun, chaotic action fantasy with some fan service cameos sprinkled in. Fans of the original movie were clearly thrilled when Dolph Lundgren appeared, pumping iron at a gym.
The film kicks off at Castle Grayskull in Eternia, where the tiny, pouty-lipped Prince Adam (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) is getting trained by Duncan (Idris Elba). Out of nowhere, the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) appears to wreak havoc, taking Adam’s father, King Randor (James Purefoy), hostage. Thanks to the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin), Adam manages to flee to Earth, where he lives like a mere mortal for the next 15 years.
Nicholas Galitzine plays Prince Adam, also known as He-Man, and he’s so dedicated to the role that he started an intense fitness program to bulk up. I’ve only seen him in The Idea of You rom-com and more recently in The Sheep Detectives, so this physically demanding role is quite a shift in his career. But it’s great for any actor to be versatile. Even when he’s just a regular HR worker on Earth, it’s clear he’s already bulked up, which is why the costume team dresses him in baggy shirts and sweatshirts.
Galitzine is quite hilarious as Adam, the mild-mannered, weird alien prince who desperately tries to persuade anyone who’ll listen that he’s of royal blood from another galaxy. His fish-out-of-water experience makes for comedic gold. He’s also eager to get back to his home planet, Eternia. But before that, he needs to locate his lost Sword of Power, which is essential for his return home, leading to some hilarious antics. A memorably funny scene happens inside a toy store/comic shop where Galitzine dramatically exclaims the famous line ‘by the power of Grayskull!’ with all his might.
The discovery of the sword brings Adam’s childhood buddy Teela (Camila Mendes) to Earth, while Skeletor’s main henchman, Beast Man, leads them on a wild chase. You’d think a movie based on toys would be full of product placements, but seeing an Amazon delivery truck stopping a creature is just laughable and makes you roll your eyes.
Most of the action unfolds in Eternia, which gives off serious vibes of Thor’s Norse realm, Asgard. After the film, my husband and I chatted about how similar Prince Adam and Thor are; both are these muscular blonde guys wielding powerful weapons (Thor has his Mjölnir warhammer) that they consider their source of strength. Also, both films feature Elba portraying pretty much the same type of character. While Thor’s films carry some emotional weight and themes like worthiness and sacrifice, this MOTU movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s wise to treat this live-action reboot as a self-aware comedic fantasy. It embraces its inherently silly nature, and most of the actors seem to be in on the joke.
I’m usually not a huge fan of Leto, as he often overacts in a way that’s kind of irritating, but his take on Skeleton is surprisingly funny here. Leto’s voice for the character is really modulated, mixing a fiery menace with a theatrical flair. It feels like he’s channeling Monty Python in his delightfully campy performance. Alison Brie is clearly enjoying herself as Skeleton’s right-hand woman, Sorceress Evil-Lyn. She’s definitely more entertaining to watch than Mendes, who comes off as pretty one-dimensional and mostly forgettable.
This movie had a team of four writers: Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, and Dave Callaham. Butler often collaborates with Knight, while Callaham has experience with superhero flicks, especially Marvel’s Shang-Chi and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Unfortunately, the film suffers from the classic ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ issue, leading to some tonal inconsistencies and a story that feels overly convoluted, resulting in a bloated runtime of 2 hours and 20 minutes. Honestly, movies like this should stick to around 90 minutes for a much smoother experience. I also find the visuals pretty garish with too much CGI, while the maximalist score by Daniel Pemberton isn’t as catchy as I had hoped. However, he did create a great song for the film called Eternia, performed by the legendary Brian May from Queen.
The MVP of the movie is definitely Galitzine, who really threw himself into the role. He delivers brawny action in the numerous sword fights and combat scenes. The fight choreography is pretty robust and well-executed, showcasing Galitzine’s months of hard training. Adam really comes into his own in the third act, transforming from a meek, awkward guy into a confident, bad-ass hero. The most surprising part is how Galitzine manages to nail the comedic moments. I find it hilarious that even in Eternia, Adam hasn’t really left behind his old HR job where he’s always trying to smooth things over and resolve issues through dialogue. The part with the Grayskull warriors Fisto, Ram-Man, and Mekaneck is a hoot, just like the epic showdown between Adam and Skeletor.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie despite the flaws. Is it masterful? Well, not really, nor does it strive to be a quality, award-worthy film. But is it a fun summer flick? Yeah, I’d call it a rousing crowd-pleaser that’s bound to entertain both devoted fans and anyone seeking some fun escapism at the movies. With a PG-13 rating, it’s suitable for the entire family.
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I’m going to wait for this on streaming as it does look like silly fun that knows what it is and doesn’t apologize for it. I grew up on the He-Man cartoons as a kid and I hope it is fun despite the presence of Jared Leto.
I watched the 80s He-Man animated show when I younger and I was a big fan of the character. Heck, I even enjoyed the silly and low-budget Master of the Universe film that came out in the late 80s. I still remember that at one point in the early 2000s, the remake almost happened with John Woo, of all people, attached to direct! Lol. That would have been interesting film under Woo’s direction.
When I saw the trailer of this one, I had no interests in seeing it at all. But now that I know it’s directed by Travis Knight who made the best Transformers film, I’ll give it a watch when it comes out on Amazon Prime in about a month. It doesn’t look like it will be a box office hit, so it should hits streaming soon. Ha ha!