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Review: ‘Masters of the Universe’ is a Crowd-Pleasing Love Letter to the ‘80s TV Series that Perfectly Captures the Spirit of Its Cartoon Counterpart
June 4, 2026Ben MK
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For anyone who grew up in the '80s, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is one of those pop culture touchstones that left its mark on an entire generation. Adapted into a live-action movie starring Dolph Lundgren in 1987, He-Man's film debut didn’t fare as well, however, derailing the franchise's future cinematic plans and relegating He-Man to the small screen for decades to come. Now, 43 years after Masters of the Universe changed the face of cartoons forever, director Travis Knight is bringing He-Man back to the big screen. But is '80s nostalgia and blockbuster action enough to bestow this latest reimagining with the power to captivate a new generation of moviegoers? The time and place is 15 years ago on the planet Eternia, and ten-year-old Prince Adam (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) is a boy struggling to find his place. The scrawny son of King Randor (James Purefoy) and Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley), Adam has never been able to live up to the expectations of his father, who has been trying to turn Adam into a warrior by having him trained by his man-at-arms, Duncan (Idris Elba). However, when the villainous Skeletor (Jared Leto) launches a surprise attack on Eternia's capital in an attempt to seize the all-powerful Sword of Power, Adam's mother and the guardian of Castle Grayskull, the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin), are forced to send him and the sword to the last place where Skeletor would think to look — Earth. Fast forward to the present day, and a now-25-year-old Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) has been searching in vain for the Sword of Power, ever since losing it upon his arrival at his new home. One day, though, he receives an anonymous tip about where he can find his long-lost weapon. The only problem is, Skeletor has also learned of the sword's location. And after Adam goes to retrieve the Sword of Power, he ends up getting more than he bargained for. Luckily, Adam's childhood friend, Teela (Camila Mendes), who also happens to be Duncan's daughter and a skilled warrior herself, is there to rescue him. And before long, both Adam and Teela are aboard her ship and on their way back to Eternia, where Adam is reunited with his talking green tiger, Cringer, and his former mentor. Unfortunately for Adam, the two people in the world he longs to see the most, his parents, haven't been heard from since that fateful day that Skeletor sieged Eternia. And if Adam is to have any hope of ever seeing them again, he'll have to harness the power within himself and summon the strength of Castle Grayskull itself to become the man he was always destined to be. Along with some of Eternia’s greatest heroes, Fisto (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), Ram Man (Jon Xue Zhang), Mekaneck (James Wilkinson) and Roboto (Kristen Wiig), Adam, Teela and Duncan will journey to Snake Mountain to face Skeletor, as well as his right-hand woman, Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie), the ruthless Trap Jaw (Sam C. Wilson) and the vicious Beast Man (Gary Martin). But with Skeletor still eyeing the Sword of Power for his own sinister machinations, could they be walking towards their own doom? A funny, action-packed love letter to the original animated series that doesn't hold back on crowd-pleasing nostalgia and blockbuster fan service, what follows is a Guardians of the Galaxy-like adventure that also borrows heavily from the likes of such movies as Star Wars, Thor: Ragnarok and The Matrix. What stands out most of all, however, is Knight's adoration of the source material. And while Masters of the Universe does change up some of the characters dynamics from the Filmation TV show, it nonetheless captures the spirit of its cartoon counterpart perfectly, delivering nothing short of a minor miracle that will leave fans of the '80s series cheering in their seats. Make no mistake, with its copious violence, not to mention the adult-oriented jokes and language, this is a film geared more towards older fans, rather than younger audiences. Still, in a year where Hollywood appears to be embracing the franchises of yesteryear, it's hard to fault this movie for trying to appeal more to those who actually grew up with He-Man, as opposed to making it more kid-friendly. Suffice to say, this new Masters of the Universe more than makes up for the failings of the 1987 film adaptation. And given that even that movie has developed a devoted following, you can be sure that this 2026 version will garner its own loyal fan base, especially if the sequel plans teased by the film's post-credit sequences come to fruition. Either way, you'd be hard pressed to find a more fun big-screen adventure this summer movie season. And when it comes to the moral of the story, isn't that what truly matters? Masters of the Universe releases June 5th, 2026 from Amazon MGM Studios. The film has an MPAA rating of PG-13 for sequences of violence/action, some suggestive material, and language. Its runtime is 2 hrs. 20 min. |
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