Masters of the Universe (United States, 2026)

I think that if I had a deeper connection to the He-Man universe, I might have reacted more positively to the 2026 Masters of the Universe. It's apparent to me, even as an outsider, that there's a whole lotta fan service going on. Too much, in fact, because it sometimes becomes a distraction. Good fan service is when a movie includes references and Easter eggs that feel organic to the project. Bad fan service is when the inclusions are so frequent and obvious that they make the uninitiated feel a little unwelcome. Masters of the Universe hews closer to the latter.

In adapting the popular 1980s Saturday morning cartoon for theatrical consumption, director Travis Knight (along with an army of credited and uncredited writers, many of whom didn't actually contribute to the final screenplay) has jettisoned past continuities to establish a new, clean timeline—excepting all those aforementioned fan service bits. The filmmakers wisely recognize that the underpinning mythology wouldn't pass muster in today's climate, so they opt for a quasi-jokey tone, not unlike the one adopted by the recent Dungeons & Dragons movie or The Princess Bride. Finding the sweet spot for this sort of film—occasionally comedic but not fully satirical—can be a difficult challenge, and Knight lacks the adroitness of a Lord/Miller or Ryan Reynolds. The most glaring issue is how the movie treats the central villain, Skeletor (Jared Leto), who comes across more as a fatuous boob than someone to be feared. He's not unlike Dr. Evil, but Austin Powers was a full-on lampoon, not a story with aspirations to be taken semi-seriously.

Aspects of the story seem confusingly compressed for anyone without prior knowledge (or a handy cheat sheet). Things start with a prologue detailing how Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) becomes stranded on Earth following the takeover of his home world, Eternia, by Skeletor and the mass imprisonment of his friends and family: his father, King Randor (James Purefoy); his mother, Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley); his sparring partner, Teela (Camila Mendes); and his protector, Man-at-Arms Duncan (Idris Elba). Then, following an unconvincing interlude in which we learn that Adam is a big, delusional dork with a sword obsession, he finds his way back to Eternia (with a major assist from Teela) and begins his quest to rid the world of the plague that is Skeletor and his henchwoman, Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie).

The two biggest issues I have with the movie relate to the representations of both the hero and the villain. Adam is so completely clueless that he seems to have wandered out of a bad '80s drive-in flick. We are given no indication of how he survived and evolved during the 15-year gap in the story, and his idiocy is more irritating than charming. Actor Nicholas Galitzine has a likable personality, but his performance feels better aligned with a low-budget TV movie than a big-budget theatrical spectacle.

The decision to make Skeletor a preening, fatuous weirdo rather than a genuinely intimidating villain undercuts any chance Masters of the Universe has of working on a more serious level. Visually, Skeletor cuts a striking figure. But his characterization is simply bizarre, featuring too much self-referential material and a decidedly unimposing voice. Instead of a deep, grating baritone, we get a cadence that's more conversational than menacing. There's a major disconnect between Skeletor's appearance and his spoken words.

While the cast features some established stars, Idris Elba's reputation arguably sits a level above that of almost anyone else in the production. Elba doesn't exactly phone in the performance, but this isn't the kind of role that requires a great dedication to craft. Still, unlike Marlon Brando in Superman, he doesn't embarrass himself. I assume he was financially well-compensated.

Masters of the Universe is surprisingly violent for a PG-13 film. There is a lot of death in the production—far more than one would normally see in a movie with this rating. It is mostly neutered and bloodless, but it often feels like there was an R-rated version struggling to get out, ultimately precluded by the "family-friendly" nature of the franchise.

The story is riddled with plot holes and dropped threads. Attempts to dismiss this as a result of the film being based on a TV cartoon are disingenuous. The script is a mess, with obvious issues never addressed (why is Skeletor imprisoning, rather than killing, his enemies?), key plot points glossed over (why Earth for Adam's exile?), and narrative beats dropped (no follow-up to the romance/friendship scene between Adam and Teela). Whether this is the result of laziness, an underestimation of audience intelligence, or confusion born from combining so many visions into the final screenplay, such sloppiness is inexcusable.

Masters of the Universe inhabits a gray zone where it's not quite humorous enough to be dismissed as a parody and enjoyed on that level, but it's also not strong enough to be viewed as some kind of epic fantasy. Consequently, although things can be enjoyed on a surface level, nothing feels consequential. I suspect He-Man fans will likely be enamored with the result (even the most barbed of its jabs remain respectful), especially the Dolph Lundgren cameo and the mid-credits introduction of She-Ra. Others may feel that the production leans too closely into its cartoon roots – and not in a good way.

Masters of the Universe (United States, 2026)