“Masters of the Universe Finds the Power of Grayskull Again!”
~ Jimmy Alford: That Nerd Show & North Texas Film Critics
By Marcus Blake
Finally, we have a He-Man movie that measures up to the original cartoon from the ’80s. For a middle-aged nerd who grew up with the cartoon, this is very important…I admit, I was afraid it was going to ruin my childhood. Not that the original cartoon is all that great…my love for it is built on nostalgia more than anything else. But here’s the thing, Masters of the Universe was never meant to be serious fantasy like Lord of the Rings. What this movie does best is capture the childlike campiness from the cartoon and make a fun movie. The other thing it does great is it’s not only a movie for kids, but for the adults who grew up with the cartoon because there’s plenty of references and jokes for the adults. I appreciate the fact that the movie knows exactly what it’s supposed to be and not trying to be serious fantasy like the ’80s movie tried to do. Although, that movie is pretty campy now, but at the time it was trying to be dark fantasy. Masters of the Universe was always meant for kids and this movie is for those kids who now also have kids. I’m not saying it’s a great movie, but it’s a lot of fun.
If you are not familiar with the original He-Man cartoon, you don’t need to be. The entire lore will be explained to you if you’re a newbie, but if you’re familiar with the cartoon then it’s nice to have a refresher course with the lore. They cast this movie really well. Nicholas Galitzine does a great job portraying Prince Adam. He’s funny, dorky, and he’s a perfect hero when he needs to be. Camilla Mendes does a great job playing Teela. And Idris Elba knocks it out of the park playing Duncan. I won’t really comment on Jared Leto because you never see his face and it’s not a typical Jared Leto movie. Honestly, they could have cast anybody to play Skeletor. In addition, Morena Baccarin does a great job as the Sorceress. This movie looks and feels like the He-Man cartoon even If there’s a lot of CGI, but I also have to hand it to the filmmakers for doing a lot of practical effects as well. It’s obvious that their aim was to make this movie for kids and the adults who enjoyed the cartoon.
There’s a lot to like about this movie. It looks good and it has a lot of great action. The jokes land and it’s easy to connect to the heroes. Plus Skeletor was campy and funny which is what he’s supposed to be from the cartoon. So this is not a movie that Jared Leto ruined by some ridiculous stoic performance meant to be artsy. I don’t know if this movie can ever replace the nostalgia for the cartoon. It’s still fun to go back and watch 40 years later, but for a modern day version, they did a great job and I don’t have many complaints. Now it’s not a great story, but it’s a movie that you can certainly watch again. It’s hard trying to make a movie based off a children’s cartoon and really capture the feel. Many properties have failed. I still don’t think the GI Joe movies are all that great. But I can appreciate this movie for what it is…pure escapism and a lot of fun. That’s all it needs to be. If I do have to make one serious complaint, there are times at the sword looks a little fake, However, that doesn’t take away from the action and the silliness within the movie that makes it fun to watch. My final verdict, this movie did not ruin my childhood or my nostalgia for the cartoon and it is definitely nerd-approved. I can’t wait to see it again.
By Chloe James
Besides maybe Sesame Street, Masters of the Universe was the earliest fandom I can claim. Well…sort of. The cartoon series was such an early special interest for me that I was watching it on vibes alone. I didn’t even know it by its proper title until maybe the age of six, simply calling it “He-Man.” Nor did I exactly understand the plot, beyond He-Man and his weird friends and big talking kitty get into fights with other weird guys with swords and there was a castle involved. Oh and I knew Skeletor. I loved Skeletor, because he had a funny voice, laughed a lot, and seemed like he wanted to hang out with He-Man a lot. I didn’t quite understand he was supposed to be the main bad guy, just a friend who had a lot of quarrels with He-Man. Yeah, go easy on me, I had literally just become self aware. Thankfully, around the age of 10, I was able to catch the 1987 film starring Dolph Lundgren on cable tv. It um…sort of clarified the plot I guess?
While there have been some noble attempts to give the franchise new life via animated reboots (as well as many famous memes from the old animated series) Masters of the Universe hasn’t exactly been in the cultural spotlight since the 80’s. That’s why I was surprised with the announcement that a new live action adaptation was going to be released in the year 2026. Are there enough nostalgic Gen Xers and elder millennials who have been yearning for the the world of Eternia? Are the younger generations even going to get any of this beyond the memes?
The new film directed by Travis Knight welcomes old guard and newcomers alike. When the far away magical world of Eternia gets conquered by the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto), the young prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) is magically sent to Earth with the Sword of Power in hopes that one day he will use its power to return and save his homeland. Problem is, not only did he lose the sword on the way, but Adam isn’t particularly keen on being a warrior. Not to mention nobody on Earth believes him when he talks about his past. But when he finally finds the sword, will he be strong enough to face his destiny as the savior of his world?
The earnestness of the world building of this film was all at once a heartfelt love letter to its original source material, and a near parody of it. I can absolutely tell the writers, costume and set designers were actual fans of the original—every detail was either completely accurate or the closest equivalent that would fit in a film made in 2026. Adam’s infamous pageboy haircut and pink colored casual wear shirt for example? Present but still somehow completely viable. Castle Grayskull? It’s exactly as I remember it, not some hyper realistic, modern edgelord version, but the movie version of the coveted toy—brought to life in HD.
As far as the writing goes, it’s all over the place in terms of tone, almost to a jarring degree. But then one has to remember what it is we are watching to really appreciate it. Masters of the Universe takes itself both very seriously and yet not seriously at all. It reminds me of a ten year old kid playing with toys, how they can build an elaborate, high stakes world and then go on an absolute tangent of silly jokes. I think that’s something important to keep in mind to fully appreciate what they are going for here. This is based of a toyline marketed for young boys and therefore benefits by staying loyal to that idea rather than trying to make a grimdark fantasy for jaded adults.
Something that always makes or breaks a movie like this is if the actors look like they are having a fun time with it or just in it for the paycheck. In this case, if they weren’t having fun they certainly fooled me. Nicholas Galitzine is near a perfect cast for Prince Adam—whose awkward friendly nature and nontoxic masculinity create what I consider a perfect himbo character. Jared Leto’s Skeletor is almost as over the top as the 80’s cartoon, complete with a delightfully Disney villain coded voice and cartoonish physical acting. And then they got the Idris Elba, excuse me now Sir Idris Elba to play Duncan (aka Man-At-Arms), the commander of the Castle Grayskull guard and Adam’s mentor. That man continues to have a gift for knowing when to be dignified and when to be just plain hilarious. One of my other favorite performances was Alison Brie as Evil-lyn, Skeletor’s sorceress henchman and over the top villain in her own right.
Did Masters of the Universe live up to my memories I had of it from my early childhood? Once again I can’t say for certain since my brain was too fuzzy to recall the details back then. But it certainly invokes the feeling itself of being a kid again and just enjoying a fun fantasy adventure with heroic good guys and over the top bad guys. Ultimately this is the magical boy movie we never knew we needed—sincere, silly, and completely unashamed of itself. By-Grayskull, it works.
By Jimmy Alford
Masters of the Universe occupies a strange place in pop culture. It was a toy line that became a cartoon phenomenon, then a cult favorite for the millennial generation, and eventually a cautionary tale about what happens when Hollywood misunderstands the property. Back in 1987 B-movie-director and theme park ride designer Gary Goddard tackled this franchise with Dolph Lundgren as He-Man. That movie had its charms, but it didn’t capture the larger-than-life fantasy and hokey playfulness that made kids fall in love with He-Man in the first place.
The 2026 version does just that. Instead of an overly dark drama, we were given something fun, full of action and more than a little silly. Director Travis Knight, who brought surprising heart and sincerity to Bumblebee, approaches Eternia with exactly the right mindset. He doesn’t apologize for the absurdity of a world populated by muscle-bound heroes, talking tigers, skull-faced villains, and magical swords. Instead, he embraces it. The result is a colorful, energetic adventure that understands the assignment and delivers the kind of cinematic scale fans have wanted for nearly forty years. My 8-year-old daughter begged to go for her birthday and she was not disappointed at all.
Speaking of taking my kid to this movie, I’m going to address a few writing choices that made some folks vocally upset after the screening. I say get over it. The script made more than a few jokes related to the classic character names. Names like Ram-Man, Mekaneck, and Fisto. These are names that just scream out double entendre.Not only did we get those gems, but also Evil-Lyn, Trap Jaw, Roboto, Tri-Klops, Goat Man, Pig Boy, Moss Man and Cringer. The movie poked fun at all of them.Whether created in some hazy 80’s drug binge, or in a rushed “don’t give a shit” fit of product development, the sheer stupidly geniusness is astounding. I’m here for it, because I didn’t miss the fact that this movie is an 80’s nostalgia piece rated PG-13. It’s made for teens and adults who remember the good old days. Can you take an 8-year-old to it? Hell yeah. The winks, nods and dirty jokes will go right over their heads.
As for the rest of the movie, the story begins with young Prince Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine, fleeing Eternia with the Sword of Power after Skeletor assaults Castle Grayskull. Adam loses the sword and 15 years later, Adam is living a decidedly less exciting life in Oklahoma, working in human resources. One day, the Sword of Power resurfaces and Teela, played by Camila Mendes, finds him. Adam is thrust back into the conflict.
One of the smartest decisions the film makes is limiting its time on Earth. Unlike the 1987 movie, which largely abandoned Eternia altogether, Knight quickly transports audiences back to the fantasy realm where the story belongs. Eternia looks spectacular. The production design is rich without feeling overdesigned, the costumes walk a line between comic-book ridiculousness and blockbuster credibility, and locations like Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain finally feel worthy of the mythology.
Galitzine proves to be inspired casting. He captures Adam’s insecurity without making him weak and convincingly sells the transition into He-Man. The performance gives the character a humanity that grounds the film’s more extravagant moments. Camila Mendes brings confidence and charisma to Teela, while Idris Elba lends Duncan a weathered mentor quality that adds emotional weight to Adam’s journey.
Then there’s Skeletor. I am not a Jared Leto fan. In fact, I think he is poison for films, which makes Masters of the Universe the rare exception. Maybe it’s the fact that this is a truly cartoonish villain that gets properly thrashed, or maybe it’s because Leto only voices the character. Either way, Skeletor emerges as one of the film’s strengths. Knight wisely understands that Skeletor works best when he’s both threatening and theatrical. He remains a villain who genuinely enjoys being evil, delivering grandiose declarations and dramatic flourishes without ever feeling like a parody. The film’s willingness to preserve that campy spirit is one of its biggest victories.
Masters of the Universe treats fantasy as an excuse for adventure, humor, and imagination rather than endless grimness. That said, the screenplay occasionally works too hard to convince the audience that it understands its own ridiculousness. Much of the humor lands, but there are stretches where the writing seems more concerned with reassuring millennial parents that they’re allowed to enjoy this than simply letting the material speak for itself. Characters frequently comment on the absurdity around them, and several jokes feel designed to generate knowing nods from adults who grew up with the franchise, but this is a necessary evil.
Part of what makes Masters of the Universe work is its understanding of what He-Man means to a generation of viewers. For many millennials, He-Man wasn’t just a Saturday morning hero. He was a fixture of toy aisles, syndicated reruns, and eventually internet culture. The character occupied that sweet spot where sincere childhood nostalgia collided with the ironic humor that defined much of online culture in the 2000s and early 2010s. He-Man remained surprisingly relevant through memes, fan videos, and a steady stream of affectionate internet references. The most famous of those references was undoubtedly the viral “HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA” video, a bizarre but endlessly entertaining remix that transformed Prince Adam into an internet folk hero for an entirely different generation. The video became one of the defining memes of the early YouTube era, introducing countless younger viewers to He-Man through pure absurdity. Travis Knight deserves credit for recognizing that this chapter of the character’s history matters just as much as the cartoon itself for many fans. By slipping in a playful nod to the meme and its unforgettable musical refrain. For the teens that may never have watched the original show, it’s an entertaining fantasy adventure with heart, humor, and spectacle and for the aging adults in the audience it blast from the past that pokes fun at the absurdity we all accepted. It may occasionally try a little too hard, but when it raises the Sword of Power and fully embraces its identity, the movie becomes exactly what a Masters of the Universe film should be. Score: 8/10