Us Indian millennials, and even plenty of Gen Z viewers, grew up watching He-Man cartoons on television before school. The premise was simple and endlessly appealing: Prince Adam, heir to the kingdom of Eternia, raises the Sword of Power and declares, “By the Power of Grayskull, I have the power!”, transforming into the mighty He-Man. Alongside allies like Teela, Man-At-Arms, and his faithful companion Cringer, He-Man protects Eternia from the schemes of the evil Skeletor. It is classic good-versus-evil fantasy, packed with larger-than-life heroes, colourful villains, magical creatures, and enough adventure to fire up a child’s imagination.
Director Travis Knight’s adaptation of the film understands why people loved that formula in the first place. More importantly, it understands that there is no need to apologise for it. The story itself is fairly straightforward. There are no shocking twists or attempts to reinvent the mythology from scratch. What impressed me was how confidently it tells a familiar story. A lesser adaptation could have settled for generic fantasy, but Masters of the Universe is consistently engaging throughout its runtime.
The writing keeps things moving at a brisk pace, and the film rarely wastes time. There is usually something entertaining, funny, or character-driven happening on screen. Once it settles into its rhythm, it becomes an easy film to get swept up in. The tone of He-Man: Masters of the Universe deserves particular credit. This is a movie made for people who grew up with He-Man, and it is packed with fan service and references. At the same time, it doesn’t slips into full-on mocking parody. The film pokes fun at how some things about this story are so ridiculous, but it never comes at the expense of the material itself. The film is happy to laugh with its characters without laughing at them.
Nicholas Galitzine turns out to be excellent casting as Adam and He-Man. Physically, he not only looks the part, but his performance goes beyond simply fitting the image of the character. This version of Adam spends much of the film trying to convince people that he truly is the prince of Eternia. Galitzine handles the character’s awkwardness and humour just as comfortably as he handles the heroic moments. He never pushes Adam too far into comedy, nor does he reduce him to a one-note action hero. For example, Adam is shown has working in human resources while stranded on Earth. He repeatedly tries applying workplace conflict-resolution techniques to situations that clearly do not call for them, creating some funny moments that fit naturally into the story.
Camila Mendes delivers a solid performance as Teela. Her character plays an important role early on, although the film gradually focuses fully on the main hero. While this is undeniably Adam’s story, the relationship between the two characters feels like an area that could have received a little more attention. By the end, it felt like some interesting possibilities were left unexplored.
Idris Elba is equally dependable as Duncan, better known as Man-At-Arms. He brings the warm and strong mentor presence to the role. The relationships and chemistry between the main characters is nice to watch and adds the human touch to this fantastical world. If there is one character who threatens to walk away with the entire film, it is Skeletor. Jared Leto’s performance captures exactly what makes the villain memorable. Skeletor is intimidating and dangerous, but he is also flamboyant, sarcastic, and endlessly entertaining. The film understands that those qualities are inseparable. His dialogue hits the mark every time as his delivery is excellent, and he manages to be menacing without losing the darkly funny personality fans remember. This version feels recognisably like the Skeletor many of us grew up watching, while also fitting comfortably into a modern blockbuster. The skull-faced villain looks fantastic on screen, and the visual design sells his presence. Alison Brie also makes the most of her role as Evil-Lyn, delivering exactly what the cunning character requires and forming a one-sided partnership with Skeletor throughout the film.
Fans will also be pleased to see familiar names such as Cringer, Ram-Man, Fisto, Mekaneck, and several other Eternian favourites. Importantly, they do not look out of place in live action. The film successfully translates many of these designs without making them appear ridiculous. The action sequences in the film are quite enjoyable throughout. The fighting is very He-Man like, i.e., using various moves to throw away your opponents with some punches here and there. While these are unlikely to rank among the greatest action scenes ever filmed, they provide plenty of exciting moments and make good use of the characters’ abilities.
Visuals wise, you will see dragons, alien races, magical creatures blending into the world naturally. At no point did the CGI distract me or pull me out of the experience. The visual effects team clearly understood the challenge of bringing Eternia to life and generally succeeds. The soundtrack features familiar musical motifs and references to classic He-Man themes appear throughout the film, providing a welcome dose of nostalgia without becoming overbearing. For much of its runtime, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe keeps things light, funny, and adventurous. Then comes a scene near the climax between He-Man and Skeletor and reveals a deeper understanding of the material. The sequence explores Adam’s identity and Skeletor’s obsession. Despite it all being about swords and magic, the story also is about Adam’s responsibility to be Eternia’s champion. You see a sincerity in this and shows Travis Knight has a good understanding of these characters and why their motives matter.
