He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was one of the biggest cartoons in the 80’s. Despite only running for two seasons, the show produced 130 episodes and had an immeasurable cultural impact. In 1987, Dolph Lungren and Frank Langella’s Masters of the Universe delivered a live action look at Prince Adam’s battles against the evil Skeletor and his goons. Even with the film becoming a cult classic, it didn’t really feel like the He-Man from the animated show.  

Director Travis Knight (Bumblebee, Kubo and the Two Strings) does his best to bring the 80’s cartoon to the big screen.  

In this Masters of the Universe tale, a young Prince Adam is sent to Earth, with the Sword of Power, by The Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) on the night Skeletor (Jared Leto) invades Eternia. 

Fifteen years later, Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) is living on Earth working a mundane job in Human Resources. He remembers his childhood the way a child would. He gives mighty warriors of Eternia names like Ram Man (Jon Xue Zhang), Fisto (Johanes Hakur Johannesson), and Meckaneck (James Wilkinson). Aadam is also in search of his sword because he believes it’s his only way back to Eternia. Once he recovers the Sword of Power, he returns to Eternia with the help of his childhood friend  Teela (Camila Mendes) and her father Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba) to face Skeletor and return Etrernia to the peaceful paradise it once was.  

This live action adaptation of Masters of the Universe works well because it embraces the nostalgia and ridiculousness of the cartoon series. Travis Knight and his team give space for the performers to lean into the cartoonish and funny characters they’re portraying. 

Galitzine delivers as He-Man. He is loveable and funny as the powerless Adam. Once he’s the loin-clothed He-Man, he becomes a hero but never loses his charm or HR problem solving skills. A lot Adam’s character arc is him wrestling with ideas of masculinity and what is true power, and do with the power you wield. It’s a different depiction than the cartoon but an important lesson for young people to learn.

The star of the film is Jared Leto’s performance as Skeletor. Leto channels the comedy and evil streak that made the animated Skeletor a fan favorite.  He’s funny, scary, and loves to insult people. Leto took an iconic villain and gave him a proper portrayal that’s close to what fans of the cartoon watched for 100+ episodes.

The action scenes are well done. The scenes are a blend of good fight choreography and good/sometimes bad CGI. It’s doesn’t ruin the film, but it does make the action feel uneven, resulting in the film having action sequences but no stand out action sequence.

If you’re a fan of the 80’s cartoon, Masters of the Universe is the film for you. Even if you’re note, this is a great way to start your summer movie season. It’s funny, action packed, interesting, and a beautiful tribute to campy 80’s sci-fi fantasy films.

Grade: B