The Masters of the Universe remake didn’t have many high expectations, but in today’s society, that doesn’t seem to matter. When fans have attached themselves to something, or even worse, fans hold a distaste for big franchise properties, they often go into a movie ready to tear it down without ever giving it a chance. This happened with The Mandalorian & Grogu, which was a fun movie, if a bit slight, but critics still tore it down (62% on Rotten Tomatoes), while the audience who wanted to have a good time enjoyed it (87% audience score).
As I mentioned in my Mandalorian & Grogu review, I enjoyed it. For Masters of the Universe, the reception has been mixed, with many people saying it was terrible, which they knew it would be. However, for anyone wanting to go into the movie just to have a good time, it was well worth it. In fact, the best way I have heard someone describe Masters of the Universe is that it is Thor: Ragnarok on steroids. That is, to me, a good thing, as I loved Thor: Ragnarok.
Masters of the Universe opens with a massive sequence of events, as Adam Glenn (Nicholas Galitzine) narrates the story of his childhood. He is the son of King Randor (James Purefoy) and is smaller than most kids his age, failing constantly at arms training. However, Duncan, the Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), swears to his king that he will have Adam ready when the time comes. Sadly, that doesn’t happen because an evil army led by Skeletor (Jared Leto) attacks Eternia. The Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) sends Adam to his mother, Queen Marlena’s (Charlotte Riley), home planet of Earth, for his safety, along with the Sword of Power, which he is told is his only way back.
This leads to the real opening, which is Adam on Earth 15 years later. He lost the Sword of Power while being thrown to Earth and has been looking for it ever since. He is also now working in the HR department at a corporation, and he is struggling to meet women. The opening sequence was a story he told a woman he was on a date with, who walked out on him. However, his time after this date was short as he found the Sword of Power and was almost immediately attacked by a beast from Skeletor’s army. Luckily, his childhood friend Teela (Camila Mendes) showed up and saved him before returning him to Eternia, where he found it was in ruins.
When I repeat that this movie is like Thor: Ragnarok on steroids, I am serious. This is not only tonally like Thor: Ragnarok, but there are several things that mirror the MCU movie. Eternia and Sakaar are both ruled by a selfish dictator who comes across as mostly a joke, albeit a dangerous one. While not as much of a schmuck as the Grandmaster, Skeletor is a “try-hard” in the exact definition of that term. He tries too hard to be menacing. He tries too hard to laugh at his plans. He tries too hard to bully his minions. He is Dr. Evil in many ways, but more evil. He even melts a prisoner down into sludge, just like the Grandmaster did in Thor: Ragnarok.
I know Jared Leto is persona non grata for many movie fans, but this might be one of his greatest performances, and Skeletor is a brilliant villain in the movie. He steals most scenes he is in. Just when he looks like he couldn’t be any more pathetic, he severely injures his most loyal ally, Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie), to show why he is irredeemable. Then, there was the final fight with He-Man, where he tells him he doesn’t want to fight fair and instead sics his minions on him. As Skeletor said, there is nothing good about this villain, and he loves being evil.
As for Prince Adam, this is where the story gets a chance to shine. Everything he remembers about Eternia is from his childhood, and this includes the funny names he gave the mightiest warriors. There is Fisto, Ram-Man, and Mekeneck, and they don’t take kindly to his nicknames at first. There is a moment where he tries to rally them to fight back, only to give a motivational workplace speech about the value of teamwork, which goes over all their heads. That is where this movie shines because it never takes itself seriously. Everything that was silly and ridiculous about the He-Man franchise, including where he got that name, is mocked here in a loving manner. Masters of the Universe sets out to be fun, and that is where it succeeds.
There is also a lot of adult humor here, but most of it is silly jokes. Adam tells Fisto that he calls him that because he “fists people.” Fisto later tells Ram-Man to “give him head” and then has to apologize for the innuendo.
However, despite all the jokes and poking fun at the source material, there is also a lot of heart here. The movie’s message is that it doesn’t take a He-Man to save Eternia. It takes a man with empathy and someone who cares. It is similar to the message Barbie gave a couple of years back, and it works just as well here. When He-Man beats Skeletor and saves Eternia, it is a great moment, and the fact that he used a life lesson he learned from a familiar Swedish action star who might or might not have once played He-Man to rally the warriors makes it even better.
Masters of the Universe is directed by Travis Knight, the same man who directed one of the best Transformers movies in Bumblebee and one of Laika’s best releases in Kubo and the Two Strings. He did something incredible here. He directed the best Masters of the Universe movie, and a film that is miles better than the animated series from the 1980s. The movie never once takes itself seriously, and for that reason, it is all the better.