Review: MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE – Way Better Than It Deserves To Be
For over 20 years Hollywood tried and failed to make a new film version of Mattel’s Masters Of The Universe. The 1987 Cannon film with Dolph Lundgren didn’t exactly set the world on fire back in the day (although it plays better now than it did back then due to its practical FX) and fans have long been hopeful that a new version would be much more faithful to the source material – if you can be overly faithful to a kids’ cartoon and toy-line.
Now, more than 40 years since He-Man and his companions first hit screens/shelves, comes Travis Knight’s Masters Of The Universe. It’s an enthusiastic take on the character, that frankly works way better than it should. It’s a touch too self-referential, overlong (by about 30 minutes) and it features some very soulless green-screen environments, but the film is buoyed by good performances from a strong cast, while also featuring some very well-honed and witty dialogue.
After the evil Skeletor (a campy and unrecognisable Jared Leto) takes over the paradise world of Eternia, young Prince Adam is sent to live in safety on earth with his trusty Sword of Power. Losing the sword on arrival, Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) spends the next 15 years searching for it. He ultimately finds it (in a collectables store no-less) and eventually returns to a now decimated Eternia to over-throw Skeletor, free the planet’s captive people and rescue his parents (James Purefoy and Charlotte Riley)
Masters Of The Universe knows that the whole plot is preposterous and it tries to offer a nod and a wink to its fans with a cartoonish take, but also delivering a look and style that is faithful to the character. It’s a touch too ironic, but it manages to stay on the right side of cloying. Galitzine makes for a good hero and the supporting cast that includes Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Morena Baccarin and Idris Elba all embrace the comic book tone. At times this tone is heavily inspired by Mike Hodges’ Flash Gordon – right down to Queen’s Brian May unleashing his electric guitar riffs – aided and abetted by The Darkness and even a Queen track or two is thrown in for good measure.
Like its ‘80s predecessor, Masters Of The Universe fizzled at the box office, scoring less than $65 million in the U.S. and $113 million worldwide. That puts the teased post-credits sequel into serious jeopardy, but considering that this is an Amazon MGM Studios release, it might just be rescued if enough eyeballs catch it on streaming.
A solid enough big budget fantasy adventure, there’s plenty to enjoy in Masters Of The Universe. It won’t be for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for some dumb, well-acted fun, then it might just scratch that specific itch.
