Written by Matt Swanson
Following the success of the Barbie movie, Mattel announced that it would be making over a dozen films based on its many IPs. Masters of the Universe is Mattel’s first major post-Barbie attempt to turn its toys into movies and the second live-action reimagining of the ’80s animated TV series. The film effectively plays on the cheesier aspects of the franchise with a funny, self-aware tone, but suffers from repetitive elements, excessive length, and hand-holding characterization.
Masters of the Universe, rather than adapting the animated series directly, introduces a plot in which the universe can be viewed through a modern lens. The film opens on the planet Eternia, where the young Prince Adam (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) struggles to keep up with his peers in combat training. Eternia is an idyllic and beautiful fantasy world with dragons and magic. Adam comes from a long line of defenders and heroes, but he struggles to live up to his father’s expectations.Â
The peace and tranquility are short-lived as the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his army invade the capital city, Eternos. Skeletor wants complete control of the universe, and needs the Sword of Power in order to seize it. Skeletor captures the King and Queen of Eternos and takes the city, while Adam barely to escapes with the Sword of Power. However, as he is teleported to the safety of Earth, he loses the Sword of Power, rendering him unable to return to his home world until he can find the sword.
The story then cuts to Earth 15 years later, where an adult Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) is stuck on Earth, explaining his origin story to bewildered and alarmed Hinge dates. He unhappily works in HR, searching for the Sword of Power in every second of his free time. After receiving a tip online, Adam is able to find the sword at a comic book store, but when he recites the words that were supposed to return him home, nothing happens. Feeling defeated, Adam steals the sword and flees home. However, the next day he is attacked by an otherworldly beast-man and subsequently saved by his childhood friend, Teela (Camila Mendes). Teela brings Adam back to Eternia, but his home is not what he remembered. Eternos, destroyed by the reign of Skeletor, is in rubble and its citizens are in hiding. With Adam back in Eternia with the Sword of Power, the question remains: will Adam be the He-Man that Eternia needs and defeat Skeletor once and for all?
Masters of the Universe is most successful in its tongue-in-cheek comedy. The movie takes all the corniness and absurdity of the animated series and views it through a self-aware, modern lens. The film explains the names of many characters like He-Man, Ram-Man, Fisto, and Mekaneck as the names that Adam came up with as a child for the legendary figures he refused to forget while on Earth. It really embraces the campiness of these hyper-masculine characters such as He-Man and balances its quips and jokes with a polished seriousness in the combat and stakes. For example, the film gives He-Man and his power hugely colorful and bright power-up scenes to demonstrate his epic strength — but at the same time, it cracks jokes about the silliness of his outfit and name.
Among all of the characters in the movie, Skeletor is the clear highlight. Jared Leto successfully voices the character’s comically evil nature and delivers some of the funniest moments. Skeletor has incredible character design. His buff skeleton character is so obviously meant for cartoons that it shouldn’t work so well in a hyperrealistic live-action setting, but the emotive skull and menacing costumes are so visually engaging. The film even plays on his absurd design by including him in some segments from Adam’s memories, which feature Skeletor in a gym-bro outfit and office attire, resulting in some visually absurd and humorous sequences.
Yet, one of the biggest detriments to the film is how repetitive some elements of it are. There are many sequences of ensemble battles that feel reminiscent of Avengers films. In every battle, sweeping camera work shows every good guy taking out five minions to pay homage to their unique ability. This can be rewarding in a final battle, but quickly gets old after several fight scenes with the same tricks.
Additionally, it feels like the movie hand-holds characterization through expository dialogue as characters explain their obvious feelings and arcs. It seems like Masters of Universe was made for people not paying attention, as characters’ motives and redemptions are both shown and told in case the audience was on their phones or in the bathroom and missed one expression. The film is also much too long. At two hours and twenty minutes, it is clear that the film is going for a fantasy epic. However, it repeats the ensemble battles and emotional monologues too often for it to keep audiences engaged for the entire length.
The original Masters of the Universe series was created by Mattel with the explicit purpose of selling toys, with action figures being developed before any comic or series was made. It seems like this film was created with similarly financially motivated priorities. The film follows a greater pattern established in the 2020s of studios backing safe existing properties, reboots, and sequels more readily than they would original and unproven ideas. After the massive success of Barbie, Mattel wants to follow suit with the money-printing machine that is turning nostalgic toy properties into films. The film feels like less of a risky creative endeavor and more of a calculated corporate brand extension. When the movie has repeated ensemble showcases filled to the brim with forced fan-service moments and an inflated runtime, it seems like the film prioritizes displaying IP assets more than telling a moving story.
It is a funny time to make a live-action reboot of Masters of the Universe. It’s clear nostalgia bait for Generation X, but Millennials and Generation Z viewers will mostly recognize He-Man from a viral YouTube parody set to a 4 Non Blondes song. It’s certainly a challenge for the film to create a new story that will be engaging to new audiences while also paying homage to the 40-year-old cartoon. Masters of the Universe is definitely a humorously nostalgic adventure with great character design, but its repetitive fights and emotional monologues fail to elevate the film to a status above a colorful cash-grab from Mattel.
