After being stranded away from Eternia for years, Prince Adam is drawn back home by the Sword of Power to face the evil Skeletor and finally embrace his destiny as He-Man.
Masters of the Universe (2026), directed by Travis Knight, is exactly the kind of colourful sci-fi fantasy adventure many fans have wanted to see for decades. Although it is annoyingly another origin story, once it gets going the film fully embraces the spirit of the classic franchise and delivers a hugely entertaining ride packed with action, humour, heart, monsters, vehicles, magic and cosmic adventure.
For fans of the cartoon it thankfully returns to its animated action sci-fi adventure roots. The film is packed full of nods to the many He-Man and the Masters of the Universe media and incarnations, including Dolph Lundgren's 1987 outing. There is plenty of product placement throughout and, surprisingly, quite a lot of strong language for younger viewers, which certainly contributes to the rating.
In many ways, this is the film kids would have wanted from the previous 1987 adaptation. Jared Leto is absolutely fantastic as Skeletor, seemingly channelling a mix of Tim Curry's flamboyant menace from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Legend, while also blending in shades of his own Hatbox Ghost performance. His Skeletor is menacing, theatrical and packed with quips, stealing nearly every scene he appears in.
The main cast are all very strong. Nicholas Galitzine makes for a likeable Adam/He-Man (although not big enough), while Camila Mendes gives Teela real strength and warmth. Idris Elba brings authority and gravitas to Duncan/Man-at-Arms, despite the slightly inaccurate chin guard design on the costume. Alison Brie is also solid as Evil-Lyn. The classic characters, for the most part, all appear or are at least referenced, including several iconic vehicles, which longtime fans will appreciate.
There are some genuinely heartfelt scenes throughout and a few surprising deaths that some give the story real emotional weight.
The editing by Paul Rubell keeps the pace energetic and flowing even during the heavier exposition moments, while Fabian Wagner's cinematography beautifully captures the scale and colour of Eternia with a sweeping fantasy look that often feels ripped straight from classic painted box art.
The soundtrack is outstanding. The inclusion of The Darkness gives the film glorious old-school rock energy that strongly echoes Queen's Flash Gordon vibes. The score itself, composed by Daniel Pemberton with contributions from Brian May, is epic, adventurous and wonderfully pulpy, perfectly matching the film's tone.
Snake Mountain hits the nostalgia nail on the head, but the Palace, Grayskull and some of the geography don't quite meet expectations. That said, casual viewers won't notice and die-hard fans can forgive these issues. Some iffy special effects do appear occasionally - no doubt due to time and budget limitations - but these, like the chin guard design, are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a genuinely fun fantasy blockbuster.
Special mention should also go to the lead visual effects artists and creature teams, who manage to bring many of these bizarre and beloved characters to life far more convincingly than expected. This includes Tim Burke and David Vickery, along with ILM, DNEG, Rodeo FX, Cinesite, Untold Studios and Host VFX. Credit is also due to production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas and costume designer Richard Sale.
With mid-credits scenes firmly setting up a welcome sequel or possible side-quel, the groundwork has now been laid.
Now that the setup is out of the way, what the franchise really needs next is a full old-school Eternia adventure with He-Man charging headfirst into battle from the outset.
Great fun and thoroughly enjoyed.
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