by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Kristen Wiig
Intro:
Funny, action-packed, chockers with references for Gen-Xers to chuckle at and with enough heart to avoid feeling cynical.
Growing up in the 1980s was a trip, man. Smoking was allowed on planes, the cinema abounded with blockbusters that weren’t all patronising drivel, and the toys … Oh baby, the toys were just amazing. Madballs, Cabbage Patch Kids, Rubik’s Cubes, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and, of course, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. That last example was formative for a lot of male Gen-Xers (your humble scribe included), and showcased an imaginative sci-fi/fantasy landscape whereupon buff men and monsters (who looked more than a little Tom of Finland, just quietly) battled one another for dominance and the ultimate goal: flogging expensive plastic action figures to pre-teen boys. To be fair, the toys were of a pretty high quality and the tie-in cartoon was remarkably solid, featuring the early work of notable writers like Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series) and J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5).
In 1987, cheerful B-grade maestros Cannon Films (Bloodsport, Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo) had a crack at bringing the property to the big screen. Starring a then very in demand Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella, the result was an ambitious but unintentionally hilarious mess that ended up bankrupting Cannon and kind of killed interest in the property outside of the seven (!) or so animated series that have cropped up over the years. However, after Barbie was a huge hit in 2023, a new crack at the Mattel toyline was pretty much guaranteed.
Now, in 2026, it’s here thanks to director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Bumblebee). So, how does Dude-Bloke fare in 2026?
This might just be the nostalgia goggles talking, but honestly, surprisingly well.
Masters of the Universe is the story of Adam Glenn (Wilkinson-Hunt/Nicholas Galitzine), a prince from the magical land of Eternia who has been hiding on Earth for 15 years after the kingdom of his father King Randor (James Purefoy) was taken over by evildoer and camp, messy bitch, Skeletor (Jared Leto).
Throughout his time on Earth, Adam has insisted that his memories of Eternia and the Sword of Power were all true, much to the chagrin of potential romantic partners and the HR Department where he works. However, when he finally finds the missing weapon in a comics and collectibles store, the truth is revealed and Adam/He-Man must join forces with childhood friend Teela (Camila Mendes) and Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba) to reclaim what is rightfully his. If only Adam, softened by years in our reality, knew how to bloody fight!
At its core, Masters of the Universe is a nostalgic comedy adventure film, with clever knowing meta commentary (the ridiculousness of the MotU’s naming convention is frequently mocked) for the grey hairs who grew up with the toys and plenty of over-the-top action to keep the ruggies and perpetually distracted engaged. Like Barbie, it mines the IP for plenty of amusing sequences but unlike that massive blockbuster, doesn’t get bogged down in mawkish (not to mention poorly executed) social commentary. Oh, there’s some light subtext about the place of a man in society, but it’s generally pretty breezily handled and never lands with a thud.
Performances are uniformly good, with Nicholas Galitzine imbuing the role of Adam with a charming innocence but managing to be a convincing He-Man when it’s time to lay the smack down. He does come a cropper in a later scene where he’s required to emote, but most of the time, he owns the role. Camila Mendes is also strong as Teela, acting as a confident foil for Adam’s initial lack of skill and self-confidence, whilst Idris Elba is absolutely perfect as Duncan/Man-At-Arms, veering from bad arse to drunken buffoon with panache. Also, and it brings us no joy to admit this, but wannabe cult leader and bloke you’d never let babysit your daughter Jared Leto does a really good job as Skeletor. Funny, nasty and unapologetically villainous, he tends to steal whatever scene he’s in and has great chemistry with Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie).
Also, honestly, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn is pretty much a reason to watch this all on its own.
On the downside, the script leans a little too hard into the Marvel playbook of subverting every moment of gravitas or emotion with a zinger or gag. It gets tiring after the first 40 minutes. Like, guys, we get it: this is a ridiculous movie. You don’t need to draw our attention to it, it’s kind of the whole reason we’re here. The pacing also slows a bit in the middle and would have benefited from 10-15 minutes trimmed and about 10-15 quips snipped.
All that being said, Masters of the Universe is a hoot. Funny, action-packed, chockers with references for Gen-Xers to chuckle at and with enough heart to avoid feeling cynical. If it’s successful, will it usher in a dark new age of endless movies where your old childhood nostalgia is artlessly reheated over and over again? Probably, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that this toy-based opus feels as engaging as the ones you made up as you played with these characters in the bath all those many years ago.
You probably won’t be able to convince these ones to join you in the bath, mind you. More’s the pity…
