I still remember the first He-Man figure I got: Merman. Yep, the Woolworth’s we went into only had Mer-man and Beast Man. A friend of mine already had Beast Man, so I chose the weird-looking fish guy. This was the beginning of my He-Man era as a kid, and playing with those figures and reading the included comic was a blast.

Cinematic Voyage

In 1985, I went with my best friend to see the animated movie, He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword. As fans of the show, we loved it! It was great to see our favorite cartoon on the big screen and the new characters that were introduced to the already big world.

Two years later, we got the live-action version of He-Man in Masters of the Universe with Dolph Lundgren. The movie did have some aspects of the He-Man cartoon, but it made some choices that did not sit well with fans of the series. Don’t get me wrong, the movie is a good time and deserves a second chance.

The New He-Man

When the trailer dropped for the latest version of Masters of the Universe, people lost their minds due to the “He/Him” identification on Adam’s nameplate. Prince Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine, has already gotten flak about his look and not being big enough to play He-Man. Yes, body image is discussed in the film along with the characters’ names.

As the movie starts, we are told the tale of how Adam left Eternia and ended up on Earth. He spends his days searching for the Sword of Power and trying to convince others that he is not of this world. Seeing Adam in his workplace is funny because it tackles the issues that many people working in offices today face. The issue of working with others without offending anyone or making people feel uncomfortable. It sounds funny but totally makes sense as the movie progresses.

Yes, many people who feel He-Man is soft for tackling issues of mental health may not like this side of He-Man, but this is not the He-Man we all grew up with. This He-Man is showing that it is ok to talk about what is bothering you and that you can not solve many issues on your own. No matter how strong you think you are, you will always need others to help and support you. This is one of the great messages about this version of He-Man, and it does not come on heavy-handed to the audience.

The Nostalgia Factor

Masters of the Universe had us walking out of the theater with a smile on our faces. It felt like watching an old episode from the 80s cartoon. Seeing characters that we grew up with on the screen was fantastic. From Man-at-Arms (Idris Elba), Teela (Camila Mendes), Trap-Jaw (Sam C. Wilson), Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie), and Skeletor (Jared Leto, who kills in this role), each character closely resembles their cartoon counterpart. I do not want to name all the characters in the movie, but the ones that are in the movie look fantastic!

The movie is campy in good ways. From the back and forth between Skeletor and Evil-Lyn to the gut laughs of the heroes, it really leans into the cheesiness of the animated show. Little easter eggs are laid out throughout the movie that will have you smiling and maybe pointing at the screen. Even during the end credits, director Travis Knight keeps throwing Easter eggs at you.

The Music is the Thing

During various moments of the movie the song “Eternia” plays. The song is reminiscent of the Queen soundtrack for Flash Gordon. It turns out that Brian May from Queen plays guitar on this track and an extended version of the song. The score and the needle drops in this movie are fantastic. There is a stripped down instrumental version of The Cure‘s “Boys Don’t Cry” that I can’t wait to listen to over and over.

Brains over Brawn

Adam has this image of the people on his planet that is different than the actual world. He grew up being told that he must be strong and big. Being the smallest kid in Man-at-Arms training courses always came with a price of being picked on. The theme of what is masculinity hovers over the movie and we see that being able to be comfortable with yourself is the first step to being powerful.

Not to give away too much, there are some amazing action sequences in the movie and we see Adam using his head over his strength. It is also incredible seeing how Adam tries to find other ways to solve issues instead of just punching his way through them. As uncomfortable it is to talk about your feelings, Adam does a great job at getting those around him to listen and slightly change their ways. Too bad this doesn’t work on Skeletor.

Final Thoughts: Masters of the Universe is a fantastic voyage to Eternia that will leave you with a smile on your face. The cast does an amazing job of keeping the vibe campy but also serious at times. Nicholas Galitzine is perfect in showing the tough and gentle side of He-Man. The music is phenominal with the Brian May guitar enhancing all the moments it is played. Jared Leto kills it as Skeletor with the perfect amount or snarkiness and evil. Watch this on a big screen and stay for the after credit scenes.

Violence: The amount of violence in this varies. There are some brutal kills and some that you do not see in detail. Some of Skeletor’s minions like Beast Man and Goat Man might be a little scary for younger viewers.

Kid Friendly: Masters of the Universe is rated PG-13 and it tip toes that line. Other than the violence mentioned earlier, there are a good handful of sexual ennuendos in the movie.

In MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.