Masters of the Universe (2026) dir. Travis Knight
Genre: fantasy, sci-fi, action, comedy - superhero, adventure, cult
15 years ago, Prince Adam of Eternia was sent to our world to protect him from the evil power-hungry Skeletor. Now he returns home to become the hero Eternia has been waiting for. While this may sound like your average action flick, Masters of the Universe ends up being a delightful fantasy movie with a lot of heart, humor, and camp.
To shrug any concerns out of the way: the cast did a great job. Solid performances from Sir Idris Elba and Camila Mendes as the Man at Arms and Teela, respectively. As always, there are concerns about Jared Leto doing anything in a blockbuster. No need for that concern here! He makes an excellent Skeletor, delivering a great voice performance that hits menacing and comedic tones. Alison Brie provides solid support as Evil-Lyn, matching the Leto's energy.
That being said, Nicholas Galitzine had A LOT to live up to, starring as the iconic He-Man, and he exceeded expectations. Often in superhero movies, actors have difficulties balancing both the hero and the alter-ego. In Masters of the Universe, Galitzine brings solid performances as Adam and He-Man—blurring the lines between the two in a way that perfectly suits this story. Since Adam grew up in our world, he is an admittedly pathetic nerd who works in HR. As he becomes He-Man, he carries a sort of sweetness that we really haven't seen in the character before.
There have been critiques of the trailer that say this movie is making He-Man "woke" and, while that is a ridiculous thing to say, it is kind of true! In the film, you get several typically hard-bodied macho action dudes, and they get picked apart revealing flaws beneath the surface. The film reflects on what it means to "be a man." From the Man at Arms struggling with failure, to Skeletor's lust for power and control, to Adam trying to be strong like his father always wanted. The heart of the film is this beautiful exploration of masculinity. (After the film has been out for a bit, I'll likely explore this further in an article that includes spoilers, so stay tuned for that).
The film is also incredibly gay. Yes, there are jokes we can make about how He-Man started as buff doll for boys to play with. But the film is more than I ever dreamed it could be! There's something for everyone: Adam is there for boy-enjoyers, Teela is there for girl-enjoyers, and if you enjoy neither there are a green tiger and sexy skeleton. After Adam first transforms into He-Man, there is a POV shot of him looking down at his abs. Skeletor makes a joke about how He-Man is muscular and has a huge sword dangling between his legs. There are recurring innuendos about fisting. This is the pride month release we've been waiting for.
There are two sorts of film faux pas that are actually done incredibly well in Masters of the Universe. First is the excessive use of CGI. I feel that they did a nice job of building this fantasy world and had a solid mix of CGI and practical. I find that other films cough The Mandalorian and Grogu cough have difficulty balancing the two and become a mess of CGI goop that makes you crave practical. While the CGI in Masters of the Universe is evident, it doesn't take you out of the world.
The second faux pas is using popular music as needle drops. Masters of the Universe is a masterclass (no pun intended)! Every use of a popular song was done excellently and meshes with power rock score. I don't want to give too much away but at one point early on, they have a sad moment where Adam reflects on being away from Eternia. He's thinking about his childhood on Earth, how difficult that was, and a piano instrumental of Boys Don't Cry plays. He falls asleep then his alarm clock goes off, and the score transitions into The Cure's original version of the song while showing a montage of his mundane life. It's just a really fun time.
5 stars: I highly recommend this film and encourage you check it out in theatres. I know I'll try to catch another screening!
