Is Masters of the Universe something that resonates with today’s audience? Kids aren’t playing with toys as much these days, and the idea that a movie based on a toy series and animated show from the 1980s is a big question for Amazon MGM Studios and Masters of the Universe. Well, they brought in the same person who revitalized Transformers at the box office with Bumblebee in Travis Knight, to direct the film. Somehow, altogether, the cast and crew behind Masters of the Universe made a film that is simultaneously self-aware and earnest all in one.
Well, it starts with the He-Man in Nicholas Galitzine. He’s a goddamn star in this movie. Not only does he capture the essence of the role of Adam and He-Man, but he also knows just the right tone to strike. He’s simultaneously playing this gorgeous, hulking muscle-man, but with some real edges. Not only does his character have the emotional wound of being forced away from his homeland and family to a strange place, but he’s also been small his entire life. People are constantly telling him that he’s weak and needs to be stronger. It’s a fascinating throughline for the character in the movie.
The rest of the characters get some time to shine, but it’s mostly Adam’s story and how he handles returning to Eternia and defeating Skeletor. Joining Galitzine on the quest are Camila Mendes as Teela, Idris Elba as Duncan/Man-At-Arms, Kristen Wiig voicing Roboto, and the evil Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn and Jared Leto as Skeletor. The rest of the cast also includes Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Fisto, Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram Man, and Christiaan Bettridge as Dian.
Some Tremendous Action And A Shockingly Delightful Jared Leto Performance
Look, I wasn’t super sold on the movie before they showed off the first trailer for it. That trailer showed off more of the action in the film and some of the really fluid camera movement during those action scenes. The action and stunts here are already thrilling, but the camera work that Travis Knight and his crew perform really accentuates what’s going on on-screen. While the on-screen action might be great, the green screen work is kind of what derails the film a bit. Some things look pretty weird from a depth-of-field standpoint. Characters don’t blend in well with the backgrounds; they stick out a bit.
The digital characters do, however, look good. Battlecat looks awesome in motion, and his tiny version in the beginning of the film is adorable. Roboto also looks great, especially when they’re in battle mode near the end of the film. But the true highlight of the digital effects is Skeletor. Not only does he look magnificent in motion and all the various head/jaw movements, but Jared Leto, dare I say, gives a tremendously campy performance.
Leto is delightfully evil as Skeletor, alongside Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn. They both give off an over-the-top performance, especially Brie with her facial expressions. But Leto is on another level as Skeletor. It’s similar to previous versions of the character that we know and love, but he makes it his own, especially with the voice.
Make No Mistake, This Is A Silly Film, But It Knows Itself
So even with some technical issues that drag the film down a bit, Masters of the Universe accomplishes what it sets out to do. This is a movie based on a toy line and an animated show from the 80s. The characters pop off the screen, the music and score thumps, especially “Princes of the Universe”. Another thing that I personally enjoyed about the film was the tone of the script. This is a silly movie. It has silly lines of dialogue, Adam takes the advice of another musclebound “meathead” at the gym early in the film, and turns it into a heroic speech rallying the troops.
The humor on display really drives home that this is a silly film. Some might be turned off by it; there are several slightly sexual innuendos to very sexual innuendos that made their way into the film that could go over kids’ heads, but really make sense for adults. Not all of it lands, but the movie has a consistent tone throughout.
One thing about the film that they absolutely smash is the transformation scene from Adam to the powerful He-Man. The first time it happens, it’s a breathtaking experience. The visuals smash, the music wells up, it’s fitting of a hero like Adam.
It is incredibly rare for a movie these days to be self-aware like Masters of the Universe is, but also be exceptionally earnest. There are winks and nods to the audience, but they’re never at the expense of the movie.
Masters of the Universe provides a blueprint for future “Saturday morning cartoon” movies with its action, character building, and tone. While it might not be perfect, it captures the essence of the toys. It’s a raucous adventure through a vibrant fantasy land with some surprisingly good performances.
Masters of the Universe releases in theaters on June 5th, 2026.
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