Joey Magidson
While I didn’t grow up obsessed with Masters of the Universe and He-Man, I certainly enjoyed the cartoon and the toys. Some people, however, have very strong feelings about the property. That led to division over the recent Kevin Smith run animated series, while the less said about the live action attempt from back in the 80s, the better. Now, we have a new blockbuster attempt, and while there’s a lot being done to try and bring in a new audience, this is clearly made for the fans as well. The film leans into being fun, above all else, and while there are some hiccups, I know that I largely had a very good time with it.
Masters of the Universe has a bit of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves to it, in that it’s both an effective fantasy flick and also manages to have some fun with the genre. The movie knows when to poke at the silliness of it all, as well as when to lean into the earnestness of He-Man. Is it always successful? No. Does it take a while to settle in? Yes. Still, once things start flowing, it’s hard not to enjoy the pure entertainment being thrown at you.
A prologue introduces us to Eternia, home of Prince Adam Glenn (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt), King Randor (James Purefoy), and Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley). The King wants his son to grow up strong, tasking Duncan / Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba) with toughening him up. When the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto) launches a surprise attack that cripples the kingdom, the Queen has Adam flee Castle Grayskull. Assisted by The Sorceress (Morena Baccarin), Adam is sent to Earth, along with the Sword of Power, which Skeletor seeks.
Fifteen years later, Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) has been searching for the sword, which was separated from him, while living a normal life, working in Human Resources. No one believes his origin, but when he finally finds the sword, in short order childhood friend Teela (Camila Mendes) arrives to take him back to Eternia. He discovers the land in ruins under the thumb of Skeletor. If he wants to reclaim his family legacy and save this world, Adam is going to have to bring together all of the heroes he looked up to as a kid, including Teela’s father Man-At-Arms. Once Adam embraces who he was always meant to be, he becomes He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe.
Nicholas Galitzine is a charming Adam/He-Man, though best in show is, believe it or not, Jared Leto, who is having a lot of fun as Skeletor. Galitzine leans into the earnest nature of the hero, while Leto finds all of the humor in his villain, while mixing his unique take with genuine menace. This is exactly what a cartoonish bad guy should be like. Idris Elba is also very enjoyable as Man-At-Arms, who gets more to do than you might expect. Camila Mendes is solid, while the likes of Morena Baccarin, James Purefoy, and Charlotte Riley are fine, just without much to do. In addition to the aforementioned Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, supporting players include Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Fisto, Kristen Wiig as the voice of Roboto, James Wilkinson as Mekaneck, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram Man, and many more.
Director Travis Knight clearly loves He-Man, so there’s affection for the character and property in every frame of Masters of the Universe. The screenplay, credited to Chris Butler, Dave Callaham, and Aaron Nee (with Nee sharing a Story By credit with Michael Finch and Alex Litvak), wants to have newcomers as well as hardcore fans feel welcome. There are times where the humor is a little silly for the high fantasy elements, but by and large, the combination works. In particular, Knight and company have hit on a really entertaining Skeletor. One sequence especially, which has Skeletor and He-Man momentarily in Adam’s Earth memories, is an absolute riot. On the flip side, this runs about two hours and twenty minutes, which is too long, leading to a second act hump to get over. Once things get in gear for the final act, however, it’s pretty smooth sailing.
Masters of the Universe didn’t blow me away like I know it did a few of my colleagues, but it is a good time at the movies. If it foes well enough to warrant sequels, I’ll be there for them. Especially if Knight is going to helm again, the franchise would be in good hands. Even just as a one off, I liked a lot more of this film than I didn’t. We’re about to hit summer movie season, and if this is how we begin to kick it off, I’m cautiously optimistic for a quality season.
SCORE: ★★★
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