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

During the later days of the video game arcade era, two wildly popular fighting games found themselves competing against each other for the quarters of players everywhere. Those games were “Street Fighter II” and the considerably more brutal “Mortal Kombat”. Both had legions of passionate fans who would gather around the cabinets and pump in coins for hours. Both ended up leaving a surprising footprint on pop culture, even getting their own mid-1990s movie adaptations.

While a “Street Fighter” reboot hits theaters later this year, “Mortal Kombat” got its own back in 2021. Unfortunately, with the exception of its terrific opening sequence, the movie was serviceable for fans but ultimately a letdown. Director Simon McQuoid went all-in for the R-rating, gifting fans of the video games with all the blood-drenched throwdowns and gory fatalities they could want. But the film didn’t tell a compelling story. Instead, it just expected you to know enough. And if you didn’t, too bad.

McQuoid returns to direct “Mortal Kombat II”, this time working with a different screenwriter, Jeremy Slater. Their film does a lot of the same things. For starters, they once again expect you to know the basics. But if you don’t, they throw in brief yet jarringly on-point exposition drops that only serve that one purpose. They surround these scenes with some incredibly silly and stilted dialogue that aren’t always meant to earn the laughs they get. But to be honest, I’m not sure how many people go to a Mortal Kombat movie for the storytelling.

On the positive side, instead of building the story around an unknown and mostly uninteresting new character like the first film, the sequel leans on franchise favorite Johnny Cage as a co-lead. He’s played by Karl Urban, whose seismic smirk, comical snark, and overall bad attitude puts an interesting spin on the character. Gone is the Cage’s signature narcissism. Instead, here he is a washed-up action star who makes his living signing autographs and selling DVD copies of his old movies at small conventions.

A second story thread follows Princess Kitana (Adeline Rudolph). As a child, she witnessed her father’s death at the hands of the power-mad emperor Shao Kahn (a fittingly ominous Martyn Ford). The two faced off in Mortal Kombat with the fate of their realm on the line. Shao Kahn’s brutal victory gave him control of the realm, and he took Kitana to be his daughter. But as the years go by, Kitana trains and prepares for a moment where she might have her revenge on the oppressive emperor.

The two stories merge after Shao Kahn seeks to take control of Earthrealm. And he does so in the only way one settles such a conflict – through a tournament featuring one-on-one combat to the death. Kitana is chosen to be one of Shao Kahn’s five warriors. But Earthrealm has a problem – they are one fighter short. So Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), the protector of Earthrealm who selects and mentors the warriors who defend it, recruits a down-on-his-luck Johnny Cage to fight for Earth’s survival.

That is the story in a nutshell. There are some vague attempts at dramatic depth in Johnny’s road to redemption and Kitana’s attempt to unseat Shao Kahn and free her people. Both are welcomed, but neither move the needle much. That’s because the movie is much more interested in speeding through to the next fight while dropping in characters from the game for fans to check off. That’s almost enough to keep the movie afloat. The problem is the fights grow more repetitious instead of more exciting.

To its credit, “Mortal Kombat II” delivers some enjoyably gruesome fatalities, especially early on. And Karl Urban does a good job generating some legitimate laughs. But nearly everyone else are trapped in character skins so scantly defined that they barely register. So we’re left with a thinly sketched and overly crass feature that puts more energy into magical portals, ancient amulets, and stolen god powers than characters we want to root for or against. And once the fights start blurring together, there’s not much left for us to cling to.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Living up to the zaniness of its title, the new film “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” is a proudly bonkers concoction that’s impossible to fit in any single genre box. Originating in the mind of writer-director BenDavid Grabinski, this consistently entertaining mash-up is an action crime comedy seasoned with a dash of science-fiction. But most surprising is the film’s big heart and unexpected charm that turns a silly creation into a strangely endearing experience.

While the movie is lively, inventive, and full of personality, it’s the sparkling chemistry between its central leads that forms the sturdy foundation for everything else. James Marsden, Eiza González, Vince Vaughn, and….Vince Vaughn maintain a terrific rapport that generates a number big laughs while also striking a human chord with the audience. The story is a little messy in spots. But Grabinski never loses his focus or his control, not matter how crazy things get.

This high-concept romp introduces us to Nick (Vaughn), a gangster and loan shark who is friends with an enforcer named Mike (James Marsden). Both work for a mob boss named Sosa (the always delightful Keith David) who is throwing a night of wild parties for his dim-witted son Jimmy (Jimmy Tatro) who was just released from prison. Sosa invites his partygoers to have a good time but informs them that he knows who set up Jimmy and they will get their comeuppance.

Sosa’s warning startles the gathering, including Mike and Nick who decide to skip the rest of the festivities. The two friends make an entertaining pair with Vaughn and Marsden bringing a ton of personality to their characters. But one terrible secret could turn the two chums against each other. What’s the secret? Well, Mike is having an affair with Nick’s wife Alice (Eiza González) who has had enough of her husband’s negligence.

Mike and Alice have made the decision to run away together. But just as they’re about to leave, Nick shows up at Mike’s apartment needing help on a job. A nervous Mike is certain he’s about to be put on ice. But instead, Nick needs Mike to help him kidnap a mystery man who turns out to be….Nick. Are you following me so far? Even if you are, you’re probably wondering, “What the heck is Grabinski doing here?

Without giving away too much, a version of Nick from the future has traveled back in time to stop present-day Nick from making a mistake he will regret for the rest of his life. It involves both Mike and Alice, and Nick will need their help if he is to have any chance of pulling it off. Now how does time travel fit in? We get some brief backstory involving Alice’s close friend Symon (Ben Schwartz) who takes mob money and secretly builds a time machine. It’s an outrageous sidebar that is more comical than it has any right to be.

From there “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” bops along with an almost carefree spirit. As it does Grabinski throws everything into the pot: some good laughs, intense action, crazy side characters, a handful of killer needle drops, and even a touch of heartwarming romance. There’s no way it all should gel as well as it does. Yet it mostly clicks thanks to its lights-out cast, a wacky imagination, and a playful energy that’s only matched by its infectious charm. “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” is streaming now on Hulu.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

High among my favorite international filmmakers working today is German auteur Christian Petzold. Few in his field have maintained the consistent excellence of Petzold, whose career began in 2000 and has spanned the course of eleven movies. He’s been on an exceptionally good run, starting with 2012’s “Barbara”. It was followed by the superb “Phoenix”, “Transit”, “Undine”, and “Afire”. His latest, “Miroirs No. 3” falls right in line with those quietly alluring gems.

“Miroirs No. 3” sees Petzold following his uniquely compelling formula of utilizing grounded contemporary realism while subtly engaging classic genre conventions. And as before, it results in another richly human yet slyly evasive story with a striking emotional undercurrent. But while political allegories have often been central to his movies, here Petzold brings his steady-handed and economical style to a family drama.

The film pulls much of its strength from its lead, Paula Beer. Equal parts captivating and enigmatic, Beer has long been a perfect fit for Petzold’s storytelling form. “Miroirs No. 3” is their fourth film together. And while it could be considered a minor work compared to their past collaborations, the pair once again find the beguiling harmony that has become a signature of their films.

Beer plays Laura, a piano student from Berlin who reluctantly agrees to join her boyfriend and fellow musician Jakob (Philip Froissant) on a weekend getaway with a producer he hopes to impress. Things take a fatal turn after the couple have a car wreck on a quiet rural road. Jakob is killed and a dazed Laura is found by a older woman named Betty (Barbara Auer) who witnessed the accident.

Betty walks Laura to her nearby home and calls the police. After being examined by paramedics, Laura refuses to go to the hospital. Instead she makes a strange request – she asks if she can stay with Betty. Puzzled yet accepting, Betty agrees which sets up Petzold’s unusual scenario. Similarities between the two begin to surface with both seeming lost and detached. But it’s Betty’s situation that ends up getting thenmost of the attention.

Petzold throws several early clues at us, to the point that we get a sense for what’s going on well before it actually plays out. Betty’s house in various shades of disrepair; the near maternal care she shows for Laura; the strange looks the two get from neighbors passing by. But the biggest pieces of the puzzle come with the appearances of Betty’s son Richard (Matthias Brandt) and their moody adult son Max (Enno Trebs).

I won’t spoil where things go from there, but what starts as a beguiling mystery quickly gives way to a story about grief, healing, and the power of human connection. Again, it turns out to be a nice fit for Petzold’s minimalist yet broadly observant style. The film also shares a similar ambiguity with his past films, although here it leads to a slightly less satisfying ending. But Petzold has never minded opacity. He’s more interested in patiently sorting through the emotional journeys people take. And who better than Paula Beer to be our guide?

VERDICT – 4 STARS

A movie that I’m worried might slip under too many radars is “Midwinter Break”, a deeply human adult drama that could sell itself solely on its two stars, Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds. And while Manville and Hinds are every bit as wonderful as we expect, there’s so much more to connect with and absorb in Polly Findlay’s extraordinary directorial debut. And it will stick with you well after the credits roll.

“Midwinter Break” has the look of an easygoing relationship drama, and in a way it is. But it doesn’t take long to realize Findlay has much more on her mind. As we tag along with married couple Stella (Manville) and Gerry (Hinds) on a vacation in Amsterdam, we witness the film’s rich themes making their way to the surface. And as they do, Findlay patiently explores them through the couple’s seemingly sweet relationship as well as their individual struggles, which both have kept buried for years.

Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Bernard MacLaverty. “Midwinter Break” tells a story that’s likely to resonate with anyone who has been married for some time. From one insightful angle, it looks at the long-lasting impact of trauma and how it can set the course for someone’s life. But it also looks at the complexity of relationships. Findlay captures the joy of growing old with someone you love, but also the absolute necessity of communication.

Stella and Gerry have had a long and loving life together. Their early days as an Irish couple was marked by a traumatic incident during The Troubles that could have turned tragic. But they endured, even though the event certainly left some scars. They moved from Belfast to Glasgow where Stella became a teacher and Gerry an architect. They had a son Michael who is now off with his own family, leaving them to enjoy the later years of their lives.

But the more we observe the more we notice details that point to deeper frustrations. For example, Stella is devoutly religious which is quite the contrast to the much more skeptical Gerry who rarely skips a chance to rib her about her faith. Then there is Gerry’s drinking which is much worse than he’s willing to admit. Hoping to give their marriage a jolt, Stella surprises an enthusiastic Gerry with a trip to Amsterdam.

As they enjoy the city’s beautiful sites and unique personality, Stella and Gerry learn they can’t escape their individual internal crisis. It comes to a head once Stella opens up about her feelings, setting up the film’s poignant second half. It’s here that Findlay casts a new light on their relationship which reveals new layers to each character. Manville and Hinds navigate it all with such moving authenticity. There’s not a false note to be found in their performances.

Findlay allows it all to play out deliberately and organically to the point that some might consider it slow-moving. But that’s hardly the case. Every scene, no matter how trivial or mundane it may seem on its own, is revealing in some way and is presented with purpose. Findlay reveals so much detail in the ‘small’ moments. And as more plays out before our eyes, the clearer the portrait of their marriage becomes.

“I’m married. Although I’m not sure how much marriage we have left in us.” Stella’s heartbreaking confession hits like a ton of bricks, much like “Midwinter Break” as a whole. It’s a movie that’s not afraid to deal earnestly and honestly with its themes, while treating an underserved adult audience the kind of offering they rarely get these days. It’s intimate, nuanced, emotionally textured, and remarkably restrained. Altogether, it makes “Midwinter Break” the first must-see drama of 2026.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS