Here’s my Masters of the Universe review, starring Nicholas Galitzine, directed by Travis Knight, and distributed locally by Columbia Pictures Philippines!
The classic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe jumps from the TV screens and into the IMAX screens with this new feature directed by Travis Knight. In this modern version of the MOTU story, we meet a grown-up Prince Adam on Earth, recalling his history to a date before he was summarily rejected and ditched. He’s a functioning adult who longs for his past life and is looking for a way back. Things kick into high gear when he is finally reunited with his sword and eventually returns to Eternia to confront the forces that ripped his family apart, particularly Skeletor (Jared Leto). But can he truly stand up and become the champion with the power?
The casting for this film was pretty good, if you ask me. It’s got enough star power to draw in a crowd while at the same time placing their fate in a newcomer like Galitzine. Speaking of our lead, Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/ He-Man was a fun casting choice. He’s able to hit the right comedic and awkward spots as Adam. He’s also got the physique to actually play He-Man without nobody batting an eyelash. There’s a scene where he flexes and punches the bad guys, and you can actually see it as believable. He’s also good enough to channel a lot of the He-Man cartoon, like some bits of mannerisms and charm. They also did a great job of making more conflict with the characters, particularly Idris Elba’s Duncan, aka Man-at-Arms.
And this is only the most recent time that I actually enjoyed Jared Leto’s performance as of late. His Skeletor has these small nuances, provides the physicality and intimidation and more. My only small qualm here is that I really wanted to hear the classic Skeletor voice as done by Alan Oppenheimer. But what we got was still fun especially in those awkward comedic moments and yes even those weird homoerotic jokes he has about He-Man.
The visuals in Masters of the Universe was also a beauty if you ask me. Everything looks like it was just ejected out of our CRT TVs from the 80s and 90s. Castle Greyskull looked good even if it felt like that was a little bit far off from Adam’s city. The characters also nailed it in the looks department from Skeletor to Cringer.
I also enjoyed the needle drops peppered throughout the film, including the must-have “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes as well as the Highlander song “Princes of the Universe” by Queen, which was oddly referenced at an early part of the film involving the Sword of Power and Highlander. You’ll probably enjoy the musical scores as well where they even included some classic “He-Man” musical cues. Lastly, I have to note that they added in some fantastic work from “The Darkness” and even Queen’s Brian May, oh sorry, Doctor Brian May.
My main issue with the entirety of Masters of the Universe was it mirrored the Adam/He-Man duality too much. It wanted to be funny and lighthearted but then also goes full dark with the imagery and the content. And just like how in the cartoons Adam had to make awkward exits, the same thing can be seen in the film. It wanted to make jokes AND be taken seriously but it feels a little out of tune. They even make fun of the whole pronouns stuff and that whole corporate passive aggressive lingo that HR people love to use.
There’s also some unexplainable logic that’s so painfully obvious and yet the film glosses over or ignores. Take for example, a moment just after Adam transforms into He-Man for the first time and confronts the villain Trapjaw. When Adam drops the “Sword of Power”, the same item that Skeletor’s forces have been looking for for more than a decade, they don’t scramble to get the sword. Instead of rushing to get their hands on the sword, the two forces decide to continue the fight. But that can be easily remedied by just switching your brain off and enjoying the spectacle.
Verdict
9/10
Masters of the Universe isn’t perfect, and it shouldn’t be. As it stands its a great nostalgia trip for people who grew up watching the animated series and collected the toys. It’s also a nice way of introducing the next generation of fanboys and fangirls into the fandom and of course kickstart a new franchise. The music is fun while the humor can be hit-or-miss. But honestly, if you’re a tito or are familiar with the Masters of the Universe lore, this movie will definitely rock.
Special thanks to SM Cinema and Columbia Pictures PH for the invite!
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