Masters of the Universe Review: By A Fan, For The Fans
· BCPosted in: Amazon MGM Studios, Movies, Review | Tagged: Amazon MGM Studios, he-man, masters of the universe, motu, skeletor
Masters of the Universe Review: By A Fan, For The Fans
Masters of the Universe is the He-Man film fans have waited their whole lives for, but non-fans might not fall under its spell.
Published Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:18:10 -0500
by Jeremy Konrad
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Article Summary
- Masters of the Universe delivers the He-Man movie fans have waited decades for, packed with loving callbacks across the franchise.
- Travis Knight embraces classic MOTU tone, mixing sincerity, camp, and spectacle in ways longtime fans will instantly recognize.
- Jared Leto’s Skeletor steals the film, while Nicholas Galitzine brings real power and heart to this faithful He-Man.
- Masters of the Universe may thrill devoted fans, but uneven humor, jarring shifts, and weak effects could lose newcomers.
Masters of the Universe is logic-defying. Here is this seminal property from the 80s, with such a fervent fanbase that kept the brand alive for 40 years, praying to the ghosts of Castle Grayskull that they would get the kind of treatment other nostalgia properties have received. Their time has come, as the new film, directed by Bumblebee's Travis Knight, is a love letter to all of the various versions of He-Man and friends we have gotten over the years. Nods to the toy line, the various animated series, comics, and more are everywhere. But that is precisely why this may not work for non-fans, and what will prevent this film from catapulting the brand to the new heights so many of us were hoping for.
Masters Of The Universe: IYKYK, And That's The Problem
There are moments on screen that will legitimately bring a tear to the eyes of filmgoers of a certain age. It was in the trailer, sure, but it doesn't make it any less exciting when Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) holds the power sword aloft and yells, "By the Power of Grayskull, I HAVE THE POWER!!! Full on goosebumps both times it happens. Seeing these characters come to life in an authentic way, presenting them as nothing more than what they are, is so refreshing. No changes, no reimaginings, just straight MOTU goodness that anyone who had these figures or watched the classic cartoon could recognize in an instant. All major complaints about the 1987 film fly out the window in the opening five minutes here; you instantly know that this was made with care by people who love the other material.
This is where Masters of the Universe is going to face an uphill battle with some. For fans, the shifts in tone from serious to campy feel right at home, but they will feel very jarring to anyone new to the franchise. It happens frequently and without warning, and some of the cringeworthy humor is going to put off people in a big way. While there are also many fantastic-looking effects in the film, any scene where the film slows down for a second becomes a green-screen nightmare with some of the worst background work you will find in a film. It really is that bad, and very hard to ignore. The score is overwhelming, and while it fits what they are going for, it is also way overused and distracting.
These are all things that any Masters of the Universe fan will eat up, though. Knight and the production team did such a faithful job recreating the tone of the original animated series that it really is something. There is a cameo right at the beginning of the credits that any fan of that show will cackle at. That sensibility trickles down to the performances as well. Nowhere is this more evident than with Skeletor (Jared Leto). He is absolutely perfect. He cackles, he complains, he's whiny, he's menacing, he's powerful. His design and performance are perfect, and even those who dislike the film should agree that he steals the show. That is not to say that Galitzine is not also strong here, pun intended. He is the ideal He-Man, adding layers to the character that have only been hinted at before. The rest of the cast of heroes and villains all get their time to shine, especially Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), just being himself, which is always strong. Also good here is Teela (Camila Mendes); she seems to be having a blast, though she has zero chemistry with Galitzine's He-Man.
But the dilemma will always be that He-Man is just not for the masses. Nothing in this film is going to make a believer out of you if you already don't geek out at Beast-Man fighting Battle Cat. Masters of the Universe fans have waited a long, long time for a studio and filmmaker to treat their favorite characters and universe with respect, and they got it, and that is great. Anyone else walking out of that theater will feel dizzy and wonder what the hell just happened.
Masters of the Universe
Review by Jeremy Konrad
7/10
Masters of the Universe is the film He-Man fans have been waiting their whole lives for. Sadly, non-fans might have a hard time finding anything here to grasp onto.
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