It’s no secret that Hollywood loves turning nostalgic properties into big budget blockbusters. Somehow, Masters of the Universe had avoided the big screen for decades. Until now, that is. Let’s take a look at this new Masters of the Universe movie to see if it’s what fans of the franchise have always wanted, or if it should have stayed in the toy aisle.

The Good

The folks behind this Masters of the Universe film did a fantastic job accepting the source material and the world within it exactly for what it is. There’s never a point where they felt they needed to over-explain anything. Skeletor is evil, magic is real, tigers talk, shapeships and monsters exist. A lot of other adaptations of older media often feel the need to waste time explaining how everything works, even if the source material doesn’t. This movie simply transports the audience into this whimsical world, and it feels exactly like the cartoon it’s based on.

Most of the visuals are fantastic. Everything that’s done with traditional effects, whether it’s makeup on fantastical characters or production design for sets and vehicles, looks completely lifelike, making the movie feel immersive. The same can be said for most of the CGI, helping to transport the audience to Eternia. Fans of the original toys and cartoon have a lot to look forward to, because this movie truly brings them to life.

The movie is filled with plenty of big action. Every character’s powers, skills, and abilities are showcased extremely well. The sword fights and gunplay are well-choreographed. There are riveting chase scenes, ship battles, and magical duals. It’s all creative and a ton of fun.

There are also plenty of laughs to be had throughout the movie. There are witty lines and fast-paced slapstick, as well as a surprising few dirty jokes, all of which land. What makes this film’s humor stand out, though, is how it embraces the campiness of the classic animated series. Some of the actors go full campiness and that level of intentional silliness escalates the humor to a whole other level. The whole theater erupted in laughter at a good handful of moments during the screening.

There’s a ton of heart in this film. This is due to the relationships between the characters and the arcs these characters receive. There are bonds between parents and their kids, childhood friends, and heroes of a kingdom who have fought side by side all showcased, and many of them are genuinely touching. The growth certain characters experience is especially heartwarming, like with Man-At-Arms learning to rediscover who he is and regain the trust of his daughter. It’s unexpected in a movie about He-Man, but it’s quite nice.

This movie may be a ton of fun with the exciting action and great sense of humor, but there’s also a surprising and impressive message about positive masculinity. It’s featured pretty heavily throughout the movie’s entire runtime, and it’s handled well. It feels organic to the story while also making the audience think about how it can pertain to their own lives. It didn’t need to be here, but it is, and it’s welcome.

The Bad

There are some areas that just feel like there could be more. Some characters who should have a more central presence or impact, like Adam’s mother, could have gotten more time and importance. Adam’s relationship with his mother doesn’t feel as vital as it should. Eternia seems like a cool place, but we should have seen more of it and learned about it more. Cringer seems like he’s important to Adam, but we don’t see him enough. Hopefully this is all remedied in a potential sequel.

While most of the effects look absolutely brilliant, there are some cases in which the CGI needs improvement. This is especially the case with Beast Man and Cringer. With the other characters, environments, and other elements looking so good, things like these with the worse CGI really stand out and break the immersion.

Some of the pacing could definitely be adjusted throughout. Some scenes, like the opening and the ones that take place on Earth, go on a little too long and could easily be shaved down in favor of other scenes or elements. Some of the scenes that are given too much time are baffling, considering some needed that time more than others. It makes the pacing a little weird at times.

Conclusion

2026’s Masters of the Universe is a fantastic modern take on the sword-and-sorcery genre. It transports audiences to this immersive, fantastical world, allowing them to experience all the glorious action first hand. It’s funny and heartfelt with an intriguing and important message tying it all together. It’s also a great adaptation that gives long-time fans what they’ve been craving while also being easy and enjoyable to watch for newcomers. It’s honestly a love-letter to the original source material.

Sure, it’s by no means perfect, but none of the flaws take away from Masters of the Universe from being a blast for moviegoers of all sorts. Hopefully it can be expanded upon with future sequels.

Rating: 8.5/10

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