He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Travis Knight’s rendition of Masters of the Universe is nearly here. The cast includes Nicholas Galitzine (Mary & George) as He-Man, Camila Mendes (Riverdale) as Teela, Idris Elba (Luthor) as Man-at-Arms, Alison Brie (Together) as Evil-Lyn, James Purefoy (Rome) as King Randor, Morena Baccarin (Deadpool) as the Sorceress, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Game of Thrones) as Fisto, Charlotte Riley (World Without End) as Queen Marlena, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Game of Thrones) as Goat Man, Kristen Wiig (Wonder Woman 1984) as Roboto, Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper) as Tri-Klops, Sam C. Wilson (House of the Dragon) as Trap Jaw, and more. Oh, and Jared Leto (Tron: Ares) as Skeletor, but the studio has been keeping him under wraps during the press tour, for obvious reasons.
The film is set to hit theaters on June 5.
I HAVE THE POWER!
Masters of the Universe has just had its premiere in Hollywood — complete with redressing Mann’s Chinese Theatre as Castle Greyskull. So, what are people saying about the film now that an audience has seen it? Let’s take a look at the social media feed. Chris Killian of ComicBookNow raves about it, saying, “I LOVED #MastersoftheUniverse! Both a love-letter to all things He-Man and a beautiful, bombastic fantasy/sci-fi crowd pleaser that wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s insane this movie exists but I’m so happy it does. I had the biggest smile on my face the whole way through.”
Courtney Howard of Variety throws out a comparison to Guardians of the Galaxy in her reaction and loved the rock score, saying, “#MastersOfTheUniverse’s shaggy charms worked on me. A colossally epic time. Has a GOTG-style, self-aware tone & a radical message at its core. Nicholas Galitzine & Camila Mendes nailed it. @DANIELPEMBERTON’s rock score (w/ assist by Brian May) hits so good. Stay thru the credits!”
Peter Gray of The AU Review loved the self-aware, 80s vibe and said, “Nicholas Galitzine looks the part in #MastersOfTheUniverse (and how!) but it’s his comedic timing that steals the show. Knowingly cartoonish, packed with 80s vibes (the soundtrack!), and Jared Leto camps it up vocally as Skeletor. Slightly risqué, but mostly family-friendly fun.”
Junior Felix of That Hashtag Show says that Jared Leto nails Skeletor. His reaction was, “#MastersofTheUniverse is any 80s kids dream come true. It’s campy in the absolute BEST way possible. The call backs to the series are incredible and beautifully nostalgic. I love that this cast goes all in and shows what made the original such a classic. Leto’s Skeletor NAILS IT”
Germain Lussier of Gizmondo seemed to enjoy the finale more than the rest of the movie, calling it a mess. His reaction was less impressed, saying, “#MastersoftheUniverse has a very fun, weird, yet enjoyable last 20 minutes or so. As for the rest of the movie? It’s a mess. Serious played for laughs, laughs played for emotion, it works, it doesn’t, it really tries but ends up being too awkward. Great end credits scenes though.”
The Nerds of Color says the movie is a perfect adaptation, even if there’s a part of it that’s heavy handed, saying, “Travis Knight crafted a perfect #MastersOfTheUniverse! It knows exactly what it is, and embraces it in all its campy, colorful glory. A love letter to the 80s with a nice (though heavy handed) message about masculinity. I needed a bowl of sugary cereal w/ this.”
Nick L’Barrow says the movie is truly an 80s cartoon come to life, saying, “#MastersOfTheUniverse has THE POWER! It genuinely feels like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life on the big screen. It’s colourful, vibrant, action-packed, and leans very hard into its cartoonish nature. It feels made for those who grew up with the characters in the 80s and 90s, but still carries a Marvel-esque family friendly tone. There are two truly fantastic action set pieces where Travis Knight flexes some strong creative muscles, and Nicholas Galitizine flexes his literal muscles. At times it can feel a little too silly for its own good, and its “hero’s journey” plot structure is very formulaic, but this is a genuinely enjoyable surprise.”
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed