Who is “Masters of the Universe” for? I don’t mean that to sound like there’s no audience for a “He-Man” movie, but rather what group is being aimed at by this particular “He-Man” movie. At times, it’s colorful, quick, and simplistic in a way that works for younger viewers. But other times, it’s full of pubescent humor and fake swear words. And then other times, there are references to the 1987 Cannon version, cubicle farm humor, and attempts at profundity. In the hands of better artists, you could serve all these different segments with a cohesive film that manages to pull off tonal shifts amidst action, humor, and pathos that service all manner of fan and age group (looking at you, 2023’s “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”). But director Travis Knight (who actually pulled this off with 2018’s “Bumblebee” and has done outstanding work with Laika) simply cannot thread this needle, working with a crazy quilt script from at least four writers that can never decide how it feels about the story—or even what story it wants to tell. While trying to appease all audiences, instead “Masters of the Universe” is really for no one, leaving viewers unfulfilled and making the movie—despite having good elements—ultimately into a big ole mess.
After Skeletor (Jared Leto) storms Eternia and captures its rulers, frail young Prince Adam is sent far away to Earth. Unfortunately, he loses the magical Sword of Power that would help get him home and so he spends 15 years in Oklahoma, remembering his fantastical youth and all the colorful people that surrounded the royal court. Now an adult, Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) works in human resources while pining for his homeworld and trying to find the sword that can bring him back. Various elements fall into place and soon Adam is whisked back to Eternia by Teela (Camila Mendes), who enlists the awkward man into the rebellion against Skeletor’s evil forces. But can Adam become the hero that Eternia needs?
Yes, yes, he can. But is that the real question the movie asks? No idea! Because “Masters of the Universe” is constantly playing whackamole with tone and messaging, so what seems like a theme in one scene is ultimately abandoned a few minutes later. At one point it’s kiiiiind of about toxic masculinity, and how empathy can be the real source of power.
Cool!
But then that gets almost immediately scuttled for superpowered fisticuffs.
Weird!
“Masters of the Universe” feels like so many drafts smooshed together, without proofreading the other parts. Does all this homoerotic humor fit in with the (admittedly overly simple) emotional arcs of dying and sacrifice? Nope! Oh well, onto the next part of the movie. Not only is all this muddled messaging and tonal whiplash exhausting, it also makes the long runtime of 140 minutes feel exhausting.
And yet, it’s not all horrible. The cast all do great work with the scripts handed to them and are incredibly likable and engaging. Particularly Galitzine, Mendes, and Leto bring superb performances to “Masters of the Universe” that are bold, funny, and heartfelt. The F/X and costuming are spot on and impressively recreate the look of the various He-Man incarnations wonderfully. And Daniel Pemberton’s score is a terrific bit of space opera pop that really helps the film feel much better and more entertaining than it really is. It’s just a shame that so much of these good aspects are left adrift with the constantly shifting tones and messaging. A lot of good work is stranded in isolated sequences and moments due to the fact that it’s a barely cohesive movie.
It’s clear that “Masters of the Universe” was modeled after “Flash Gordon” or, for a more modern take, “Thor: Ragnarok.” Fantasy and space opera colliding in colorful fashion that’s funny but also about something more and thoroughly entertaining throughout. And yet what arrives is sub-“Thor: Love and Thunder,” a completely bizarre mix of tones and messages and themes that refuses to be consistent or feel like it’s part of a greater whole. There are flashes of true inspiration and a decent film here and there, but mostly it’s buried under insecurity and sad pandering to all sorts of different audiences. That desperate need to appeal to everyone results in a disjointed movie that never knows what it’s trying to say or how it wants to say it. What should be a fun bit of action figures smashing each other ends up a flailing exercise in mediocrity and disappointment.
2.5 / 5 Stars
Directed by: Travis Knight
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Morena Baccarin
