Masters of the Universe: Goofy, Lovable, and Surprisingly Great

Nearly 40 years after the original film was released in 1987, Amazon MGM Studios decided it was time for a fresh take on the beloved He-Man. Although it was a bit of a rough journey early on as it bounced from being a Sony project…and then a Netflix project—finally landing in the caring arms of Amazon—and honestly, I think it was meant to be.

Even if you know absolutely nothing about He-Man or the Masters of the Universe, this film is still worth your time—I promise. Let’s take a look at why.

A Spoiler-Light Synopsis

Unlike the original, this film’s premise begins with He-Man being sent to Earth when he is just ten years old, with the only goal of keeping his sword safe and eventually using it to return to his homeworld—Eternia. This was a flip of the ’87 film, where He-Man was already a powerful hero on Eternia and visited Earth to recover a magical item needed to defeat the villain Skeletor.

Honestly, I love a good portal fantasy when it is done right, and I truly believe this film did that. Despite the fact that it included various ’80s themes, including music and color schemes, the film itself was set in modern times, which somehow made an entirely unrelatable film—relatable.  Our main character, Adam, works in an office and spends all of his free time searching for the sword he lost as a child. His co-workers think he’s a bit off because of it, of course—but little do they know his whole crazy story about Eternia was real. Eventually, he finds the sword and gets to return there to face Skeletor.

The Tone

Many fantasy films lean toward the serious side—think The Lord of the Rings, with its heavy focus on believable world-building and a carefully constructed plot. This new He-Man film was decidedly not that, and I think that’s exactly what made it great. It was goofy, the characters were lovable and somehow still believable, and the villain’s motivation was refreshingly simple: he was just evil. No epic monologues, no intricate backstory—just a ridiculous, delightful bad guy.

It was clearly meant to be a colorful, lighthearted throwback rather than a grim blockbuster. One issue, though, was that the trailer didn’t fully showcase that. Sure, it had a few funny office moments early on, but even serious fantasy films have comic relief—so many viewers probably went in expecting something deeper. Once I let go of those expectations, I was able to accept the film for what it was: goofy, lighthearted, and just plain lovable. The plot wasn’t some intricate puzzle with twists that’ll leave me perplexed for years—but it was still more enjoyable than most blockbusters I’ve seen in recent memory.

The Cast Performances

For a goofy tone to land as funny rather than cringe, you need a cast that can make it work—and luckily, they found one. Nicholas Galitzine, an English actor known for The Idea of You and Sheep Detectives, plays the lead, Adam. I hadn’t seen him in anything before this, but now that I’ve seen him as He-Man, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to unsee it. I couldn’t help doing some research afterward, curious whether his He-Man physique was real or digitally created. From what I could gather after seeing a few posted progress photos, he worked super hard to prepare for this movie, and his muscular figure is likely real. 

Joining him is a pretty stacked cast including Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, and Jared Leto as Skeletor. I loved them all, but Leto stood out the most. His ability to go from roles like the Joker in Suicide Squad to this hilarious yet sinister villain that is a literal skeleton is genuinely impressive. Although Elba was equally impressive in his ability to play such a goofy role when he typically plays some sort of lawman or commanding military leader.

Strengths & Weaknesses

The strengths far outweigh the weaknesses, in my opinion—though with a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 66%, not everyone agrees. Beyond the amazing performances of the cast and charmingly goofy tone, the action sequences were awesome, and the soundtrack was niche but oddly fitting.

On the flip side, some scenes dragged while others seemed to pass too quickly. And as much as I loved the humor, there were a few moments where a brief pause would have let the more emotional scenes breathe a bit more.

The plot could fall into either category depending on how you look at it. It was simple enough to understand, and I enjoyed that it didn’t try too hard to be ‘different and unique’ (I mean, clichés are clichés because they worked well enough to be overdone). But there were certainly a handful of plot holes, with a few character relationship threads left unresolved in the end…but perhaps the latter is because they are leaving the door open for a second film? Either way, the plot wasn’t its strongest factor, but it wasn’t hateful.

Opening Weekend

Globally, Masters of the Universe did not debut at #1—it came in second to the new Scary Movie, bringing in roughly $54 million worldwide. I think a big part of that is because younger generations simply aren’t familiar with He-Man(I didn’t even realize he began as a Mattel action figure), and many probably assumed it was purely a nostalgia trip for those who grew up with it.

But the truth is, it really wasn’t just a movie for He-Man fans. I didn’t catch a single callback—apparently there were many—and I still enjoyed every minute and followed along just fine. So if the question is whether He-Man deserved a revival, the answer is yes. If it worked for a He-Man noob, I have no doubt it was even better for those who grew up with his story.

As for the possibility of a sequel or an entire franchise of additional movies—the ending left the door wide open, and the film includes three post-credits scenes teasing what’s next: the introduction of the floating magician Orko, and hints at She-Ra playing a major role in the future. The only real wrench in a continuation is the film’s underwhelming box office performance. But hopefully, word will spread, because I believe the world of Eternia deserves to be expanded upon.