One of my biggest questions for the 2026 movie year has been simply this – how much of a demand is there for a new big screen, live-action movie adaptation of “Masters of the Universe”? The franchise started with a wildly successful 1980s Mattel toy line which inspired an equally popular mid-80s cartoon series which ran for 130 episodes. Over the years there have been several animated revivals that have mostly appealed to a niche audience.
But Mattel and Amazon MGM Studios are betting big on this new iteration, to the tune of a $200 million production budget. In one sense it’s great to see them investing the resources needed for such an undertaking. They certainly bring in a capable director in Travis Knight. And they assemble together a rock-solid ensemble who all seem to know the assignment. The result is an adaptation that captures the spirit of the original material without taking itself too seriously. I just wish they had taken things a little more seriously.
“Masters of the Universe” hearkens back to the days of the sword-and-sorcery movies, and that honestly excited me more than all the IP dressing that came with it. But this is an existing franchise, so naturally it works hard to recreate what fans will undoubtedly expect. And for the most part, it succeeds in doing that. Knight infuses the film with an after-school vibe similar to the original show. It’s silly, action-packed, fantastical, and campy, often all at the same time.
Nicholas Galitzine stars as Adam Glenn, the 25-year-old prince of a faraway world called Eternia who is living in modern-day Oklahoma City. A prologue set fifteen years earlier introduces us to young Adam living in his enchanting home-world of Eternia. There he tries his best to win the acceptance of his overly stern father, King Randor (James Purefoy) while his mother, Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley) basically stands sighing in the background.
But after their palace is attacked and overran by the armies of the evil Skeletor (a wildly entertaining Jared Leto), young Adam is sent away through a portal to Earth, entrusted with the mythical Sword of Power which is his key to one day return home. But Adam loses his grip on the sword and spends the next fifteen years trying to find it. In the meantime he works in a go-nowhere Human Resources company, training for boring seminars while wishing he was back home.
Adam’s life forever changes when he finally finds the sword. He inadvertently reveals his location to Skeletor who sends the ravenous Beastman to Earth to retrieve the sword. But Adam is saved by his childhood friend from Eternia, Teela (Camila Mendes) who gets him and the Sword of Power back to Eternia, which now lies in ruin under Skeletor’s rule. There Adam discovers the sword’s true power when it transforms him into the mighty Champion, He-Man. But will that be enough to save his home world?
A big part of the fun is found in the many side characters from the established universe. Among the heroes are Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), Ram-Man (Jon Xue Zhang), Mekaneck (James Wilkinson), Fisto (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), Roboto (voiced by Kristen Wiig) and Sorceress (Morena Baccarin). Skeletor’s villains include Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie), Trap Jaw (Sam C. Wilson), Tri-Klops (Kojo Attah), Spikor (James Apps), Moss Man (Stephen Adentan), and Goat Man (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson). Most exist in the film’s margins, but they’re fun nonetheless.
But there are some issues that creep in early and ultimately keep this very good live-action adaptation from being great. The biggest annoyance is in how far Knight and screenwriters Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, and David Callaham ride Prince Adam the oaf. The movie is about the transformation into the heroic Champion of Greyskull. But it spends far too much time on his dimwitted side. There’s also the baffling inclusion of random profanity and groan-worthy sexual innuendo that makes you question what audience they’re vying for.
Those bad choices aside, it’s clear “Masters of the Universe” is built upon a genuine affection for the source material. And while it’s very loyal to the style and tone of its inspiration, it’s also a very accessible for newer audiences. Sadly, Adam’s goofiness never fully goes away, which stands out more when held up next to the exceptional (and more serious) action scenes. Ultimately, Knight and company hit their mark, and fans who hold the source material dear will have a great time. But is there enough to attract a wave of new fans? I guess time will tell.
VERDICT – 3.5 STARS
Keith & the Movies 
It’s frustrating a movie that’s colorful, goofy fun and even joyful didn’t really take off. It was a blast and added to the lore but lots of throw backs as well. It was way more fun than Minecraft and the newest Mario movie . Plus perhaps it’s the mood I’m in but my soul can’t take the new depressing horror movies like Obsession ( which I found annoying as hell ) , He-Man made me smile and I left feeling upbeat for a change from a movie that hasn’t happened in a while .
It really is a bummer to see it perform so poorly in its opening weekend, especially considering they clearly have some cool aspirations for the future.
I enjoyed it as well, but I wish the movie took itself a little more seriously than it did. The awkward humor and the blatant nostalgia-baiting were problematic for me. Some of the jokes definitely landed, especially at the end of the movie, but the rest? Good grief. That said, I LOVE the way the movie looks. The acting was fantastic, although I think Meg Foster from the original movie was far more intimidating than Alison Brie. Jared Leto as Skeletor? Fantastic…although, again, I prefer Frank Langella’s performance. The action sequences are where this movie truly shines. Also: Daniel Pemberton’s soundtrack is…AMAZING. Sadly, I don’t see another Masters of the Universe movie being made. The weekend box office for this movie wasn’t particularly great. 54 million world-wide on a 170 million dollar budget? Usually, I wait a week before making a judgment like that, but that’s not a good start.
As I wrote, the humor really wore me down too. I’m glad it didn’t take itself too seriously. But I really wish it had taken itself more seriously. The ‘Adam the Oaf’ bit got old for me.
I enjoyed it as well, but I wish the movie took itself a little more seriously than it did. The awkward humor and the blatant nostalgia-baiting were problematic for me. Some of the jokes definitely landed, especially at the end of the movie, but the rest? Good grief. That said, I LOVE the way the movie looks. The acting was fantastic, although I think Meg Foster from the original movie was far more intimidating than Alison Brie. Jared Leto as Skeletor? Fantastic…although, again, I prefer Frank Langella’s performance. The action sequences are where this movie truly shines. Also: Daniel Pemberton’s soundtrack is…AMAZING. Sadly, I don’t see another Masters of the Universe movie being made. The weekend box office for this movie wasn’t particularly great. 54 million world-wide on a 170 million dollar budget? Usually, I wait a week before making a judgment like that, but that’s not a good start.
3.5 ✨⭐️ so it’s still on my list.
Good! I couldn’t go any higher, but it does deserve a good recommendation. It’s quite fun.
I watched the Dolph Lundgren version, the whole thing. So I’m sure at some point I’ll watch this for free on streaming.
Oh mercy. I haven’t seen the Dolph version in years!
Mercy indeed!
This looks like harmless fun. I watched the series as a kid and it was good fun. He-Man was awesome. I’ll wait for it on streaming as I do not want to pay money to watch Jared Leto. He’s a fucking cocksucker.
Couldn’t agree more with this review… I brought my kids and the profanity and sexual innuendos were not cleverly placed and a bit cringeworthy, and some of the jokes and emotional scenes were played out a bit too long. But the action sequences, the characters (good and evil), and dare I say the MESSAGING of the movie is way better than it ever should have been, and I’m a huge fan of the franchise. It never feels like they’re trying to keep He-Man on a leash or act like physical confrontation is always toxic, they just emphasize that violence isn’t his first and only strategy, but he will not hesitate to employ it for the right reasons. This movie reminds me of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves… it deserves a lot more love than it’s getting.
It really does deserve more of an audience than it’s getting. It’s a shame because it looks as if they had big plans for future movies.
Glad to see this one do decently, my nephew was a huge He-Man fan back in the day and I want to take him to see this.
Sadly, the late box office numbers haven’t been great. I had hoped it might get a good audience. But I’m afraid we may not get the sequel that was clearly planned.
I guess a demographic of men in their 40’s is pretty narrow. Also, the cost of taking a family to the movies is insane. It’s never been cheap entertainment but we opted a few nights ago to get a bag of popcorn to go and rent one off of Apple TV. $7 for the movie and $11 for popcorn, but that was for all 5 of us.
I’ve never actually seen the original Masters of the Universe. I have it on my list on tubi and haven’t hit play yet. I do kind of want to see this eventually, but probably at home.
It leans pretty hard into the nostalgia. Without it, it’s definitely worth waiting to stream.
I liked it