Movie Review: ‘Masters Of The Universe’

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Review by Adam Courtliff

It’s been almost forty years since the cult classic Masters of the Universe hit the big screen, with fans of both the film and He-Man himself clamouring for his return. After what has seemed like an eternity, Amazon MGM have finally dusted off the franchise and proved once again that good things come to those who wait, with Masters of the Universe (2026) delivering a sword swinging, face-melting blast easily cementing itself as the feel good blockbuster of the summer.

Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe opens with the story of how Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) was forced to flee his native Eternia following Skeletor’s (Jared Leto) invasion alongside his army of tyrants and miscreants. Their ultimate goal is to seize the Sword of Power from Castle Grayskull and wield the unimaginable strength the weapon possesses. In the heat of battle, a young Adam is hurried through a portal by the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin), taking the sword beyond Skeletor’s reach. There is just one problem. The sword is lost in transit.

Fifteen years later, after a mundane existence in Oklahoma City, Adam finally locates the missing weapon. With the Sword of Power once again in his possession, he can finally make the journey home, only to discover that Eternia has changed dramatically under Skeletor’s rule. Reuniting with old allies including the King’s General Duncan (Idris Elba) and his daughter, the fierce warrior Teela (Camila Mendes), Adam must find the strength and courage within himself not only to save his world, but to become the hero he was always destined to be.

Working from a screenplay by Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, and Dave Callaham, Masters of the Universe is, on paper, a fairly straightforward coming of age underdog story built around familiar tropes. Yet what makes it so refreshing is its complete awareness of exactly what it is. It knows its audience, understands its purpose, and leans into both with absolute confidence. It has no interest in reinventing the wheel. Instead, it doubles down on everything that made people fall in love with these characters in the first place while putting a fresh spin on them. It is unapologetically cheesy and all the better for it.

The same applies to the humour. While there will almost certainly be a generational divide over how much people enjoy the jokes on offer, the film plays like a genuine throwback to the 1980s when Masters of the Universe first became a phenomenon. It is absurd one minute and completely ridiculous the next. At times it dances dangerously close to becoming too much, but for the overwhelming majority of the runtime it strikes the balance beautifully. The result is genuine laugh out loud comedy, some of the sharpest one liners you’re likely to hear all year, and enough material to keep dads supplied with terrible jokes for months.

Away from the barrel of laughs that Masters of the Universe undoubtedly is, the film is packed to the brim with spectacular action sequences that grab your attention from minute one until the very end. Every set piece is expertly crafted, made all the more remarkable by the sheer volume of CGI and visual effects required to bring Eternia to life. Lesser blockbusters would have buckled under the weight of such ambition, but Masters of the Universe never comes close. Instead, it remains immersive, inventive, and outrageously entertaining throughout, delivering some genuinely jaw dropping imagery along the way before culminating in a finale that will leave most audience members sporting the cheesiest grin imaginable.

The music has always been a huge part of Masters of the Universe and this modern incarnation rises to the challenge of its predecessor. The soundtrack is packed with soaring guitar solos that will have both kids and adults reaching for imaginary air guitars, alongside a selection of classic tracks that are bound to find their way onto plenty of playlists. Composer Daniel Pemberton has done an excellent job with the score, crafting a soundtrack that complements almost every scene seamlessly while perfectly capturing the film’s 1980s spirit. It injects even more energy along the way into what is an already wild and wacky ride.

For a film this silly and this camp to work, every actor needed to buy in completely. Thankfully, each member of the cast understood the assignment and committed wholeheartedly to their role. There are, however, two standouts who tower above the rest. Nicholas Galitzine proves to be an inspired casting choice. He captures Adam’s heart, vulnerability, and humanity with ease while also bringing genuine presence and authority once he transforms into He-Man with his body transformation certain to give audiences members some hot flushes.

Even more impressive, though, is Jared Leto as Skeletor in what is, unironically, one of the strongest performances of his career. His comedic timing is immaculate and he embodies Skeletor’s gloriously over the top personality almost perfectly. Every line delivery and every exaggerated mannerism feels completely in tune with what this version of the character demands. As much as I’ve been a critic of Leto’s body of work over the years, casting him was an absolute masterstroke. His performance is so memorable that he may well have cemented Skeletor as one of the standout comic book villains of recent years.

That’s not to say the supporting cast aren’t impressive, but with screentime at such a premium for many of them, it is difficult for anyone beyond the core players to leave a lasting impression. Camila Mendes as Teela and Idris Elba as Duncan fare best, largely because they are afforded enough development for audiences to become invested in their journeys. Both slip effortlessly into their respective roles and deliver more than their fair share of crowd pleasing moments along the way.

Masters of the Universe is not without its flaws, though. Because the film leans so heavily into the comedy at every opportunity, it becomes almost impossible to take seriously. As a result, some of the more emotionally charged scenes fall flatter than intended. While the humour undoubtedly worked for both myself and the audience I watched it with, it is easy to imagine newcomers to the world of He-Man being completely put off by the relentless barrage of in your face jokes.

Galitzine’s initial transformation from Adam into He-Man also misses the mark slightly. It arrives before Adam’s journey of self belief feels fully earned, with too much uncertainty still surrounding whether he truly possesses the power, making the moment less satisfying than it should have been. There is also the criminal underuse of several iconic supporting characters, many of whom spend most of the runtime on the sidelines before being awkwardly shoehorned into the final act as little more than narrative afterthoughts.

Even with those fairly glaring flaws, it is incredibly difficult not to be won over by this new take on Masters of the Universe. Expectations were admittedly low going in, but within the opening five minutes it became clear that audiences were in safe hands with Travis Knight and his team. They have delivered not only one of the year’s biggest surprises but also a joyous blockbuster of enormous scale that more than justifies the near forty year wait. An absolute must watch on the biggest screen possible.