George and Josh Bate
For ’80s kids, few fictional characters evoked the glee and adoration that He-Man did. 44 years after the original Mattel action figures hit toy stores and 43 years after the groundbreaking He-Man and the Masters of the Universe became one of the most popular shows of the 1980s, Bumblebee and Kubo and the Two Strings director Travis Knight attempts to bring the Power Sword-wielding Prince Adam out of relative obscurity and introduce him to a new generation of potential fans. But the result of Knight’s efforts is a film that, while bolstering superb technical elements and an Oscar-worthy score, ultimately doesn’t have the power to consistently entertain.
Masters of the Universe stars Nicholas Galitzine as Adam Glenn, the former Prince of Eternia, who was raised on Earth after being forced to flee his home as a child. In adulthood, Adam finally finds the Sword of Power and is led back to Eternia by his childhood friend Teela (Camila Mendes). But home has changed quite a bit in the 15 years since he last lived there. The once majestic kingdom has fallen under the rule of the fiendish Skeletor (Jared Leto). With the help of Teela and his old mentor Duncan (Idris Elba), Adam must fulfill his destiny and use the power of the Power Sword to overthrow Skeletor and restore peace to Eternia.
Drawing on his vast experience in animation, director Travis Knight seamlessly translates the visual language of the 1980s and early 2000s He-Man series to the big screen. Rather than toning down the personality of its source material, Masters of the Universe unabashedly embraces the cheesiness, color, and action-figure origins of He-Man.
Production design by Guy Hendrix Dyas faithfully recreates the aesthetic of the original ‘80s animation, blending retro-futurism with Arthurian ideas. The fusion of practical effects and CGI that brings Eternia to life, in particular Castle Grayskull, feels tangible and old-school. There’s somewhat of a movie quality to the sets—that is to say, Dyas doesn’t go for immersive realism. Instead, he creates worlds and locations that are clearly movie sets, not in a cheap sense due to budgetary constraints, but, rather, in a refreshingly throwback manner that harkens back to the likes of Labyrinth and Jason and the Argonauts.
Richard Sale, meanwhile, oversees costume designs that, again, champion the source material’s visual language, rather than shy away from it. Skeletor in particular stands out as a perfect translation from animation (at least visually).
Knight further leans into his background in animation by engineering a host of action sequences that feel as if they’ve been lifted directly from iconic animated shows. Knight rarely keeps the character stagnant during fight scenes, while simultaneously ensuring that his use of dynamic camera movements, zoom-ins, and 360-degree movements doesn’t disorient the viewer. Coupled with brilliant fight choreography, the result of his efforts is a big-budget studio film that more than delivers when it comes to its action and spectacle, especially in scenes in which He-Man wields the Power Sword against his enemies.
Unfortunately, as aesthetically faithful as Masters of the Universe is, the film suffers in several key areas. As the movie begins, Galitzine’s Adam Glenn is continually gaslit by everyone around him, who fail to believe that he is from a mystical, faraway world. Rejection continues when he eventually returns to Eternia and is doubted by the kingdom’s soldiers, who do not see how the bumbling, awkward young man is their prophesied savior. It makes for an interesting set-up for our protagonist, one that quickly engenders investment in his journey and a desire to see him proven right and his doubters proven wrong. Galitzine plays Adam with ample energy and the disposition of a dumb blonde (we love seeing clever gender swaps!). He’s likable, endearing, and just about nails every beat of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey.
Where the film begins to err is in its humor, much of which woefully misses the mark. This is perhaps never more glaringly evident than it is with Skeletor. The big baddie of Eternia is conceived far too humorously and is so silly that any menace inherent in the character’s incredible design quickly dissipates. Leto delivers dialogue that is far too on the nose (ironic, since his character doesn’t have one) with the cadence and drawl of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow. It’s a misguided approach to a villain that, while admittedly humorous at times, suffers from the filmmakers being too in on the joke.
Most of the comedic beats that land come from Idris Elba, whose Man-At-Arms proves to be an unexpected standout. After a badass introduction, we learn that Elba’s Duncan has mentally struggled with his failure to protect the King and Queen of Eternia, turning to alcohol as a means to drown his sorrows. Duncan’s arc of redemption and personal fulfillment mirrors Adam’s nicely, while Duncan’s drunkenness and awkward approach to masculinity affords some good laughs along the way.
Conversely, Masters of the Universe fails to provide its female characters and the actors that portray them with the quality of material they deserve. Camila Mendes’ Teela is as dry and unaffecting as supporting characters come, while Alison Brie seems like she’s in an entirely different movie as a version of Evil-Lyn that feels distractingly over the top, even by this movie’s standards.
Stumbles with humor and characterization are made more apparent by the film’s bulky 141-minute runtime. A compelling first act that leans heavily into its Thor and Superman influences eventually transitions into a drab middle portion as Adam and Teela make their way back to Eternia. An overwillingness to draw inspiration not only from those films but also from Star Wars, King Arthur, and a myriad of other, better projects further hinders this overly long second act. Thankfully, Knight’s film largely finds its footing again in a more epic finale, although, at this point, interest has likely waned.
Interest will not wane, however, in Daniel Pemberton’s operatic, rousing score. Pemberton has already had an impressive 2026, composing the music for The Drama and Project Hail Mary, but outdoes himself here with a score that is delightfully Queen-coded and ‘80s-styled. Queen guitarist Brian May even lends his hand to guitar solos in the score, which renders the music reminiscent of Queens’ unforgettable score for Flash Gordon. It’s rare that a score elevates a film’s quality as greatly and resoundingly as Pemberton’s music does for Masters of the Universe.
Last but not least, fans of Masters of the Universe should certainly stick around for the credits as Knight’s film makes the wait worthwhile. One mid-credits scene in particular had us grinning ear-to-ear and excited to see what can come from the expansion of this franchise.
Overall, Masters of the Universe benefits from superb production design, costume design, fight choreography, and cinematic realization of Mattel’s beloved characters, but frustratingly overstays its welcome, feeling too derivative of better things (e.g., Thor, Superman, King Arthur, Star Wars), and missing the mark with its humor, especially with its Jack Sparrow-y turn from Jared Leto as Skeletor. There may be some fun to be had seeing Eternia back on the big screen, but Knight’s film isn’t quite worthy of the Power Sword.
