A review of 'Masters Of The Universe' which brings back the popular Mattel toys in an all new screen version from director Travis Knight
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Now in the wake of the enormous success of transferring their prize dollto movie immortality in 2023, we have Mattel’s next stab at the box office with a new take on the'Scary Movie' & 'Masters Of The Universe' To Freak Each Other Out With $35M+ Openings - Box Office Early Look Does it work over four decades later?
On its own terms it certainly does thanks to a younger attitude with genuine humor weaved in and out, plus an appealing star inwho invests his future He-Man with self -deprecating wit and an instant rapport with the target audience of today’s youth, and maybe even a nostalgic blast for their parents who were the first to play with all these action toys.now turns to his live action directorial debut with this spirited new version that takes us from here to Eternia, the planet where we first meet young boy, Prince Adam who is being schooled by faithful Duncan aka Man-At-Arms in all the proper swordsplay and other attributes to be a warrior for the Castle Grayskull presided over by his father, King Randor and mother , Queen Marlena when the evil force of Skeletor , a bad bad man with no face brings his minions in and sets off non-stop destruction.
After seeing his parents vanquished, young Adam is quickly sent by the Sorceress arrives to take him back to Eternia. After this action-filled encounter he does return to see the burned out land Skeletor has torched and is now ruling over.
Joined by his trusty buddies he actuallyback on earth, including Fisto , Ram Man , Tri-Klops and Mekaneck among others, he is now awkwardly trying to find his natural place back at home which has been torn apart. Slowly after coming into contact with a virtual wreck of a man whom he recognizes as Duncan, and teaming with him and the crafty and talented Teela, as well as his talking green tiger, Cringer , Adam must find his lost power in order to become a true hero taking on Skeletor who is desperate to claim the sword as his own.
Once back in Eternia the action ramps up big time and Knight gets to stage several kick-ass battles . What makes this new visit to the prized, if a bit long-in-the-tooth Mattel IP is a tone and script that knows to keep it light and moving. Chris Butler and Adam Nee & Aaron Nee, and Dave Callaham are the credited writers and they keep it all amusing enough, if not earth shattering.
The cast is also right on the money with Galitzine a perfect and perfectly confused Adam/He-Man, and whether on earth or Eternia he has us rooting for the guy. Mendes is an attractive and lively partner, and Elba really adds some gravitas and credibility to this show.
Leto, who has done more than a few of these kinds of villainous cartoon characters, brings some scene-stealing sly humor and sharp line readings to his despicable Skeletor with a voice that sounds like a cross between James Earl Jones and Sir Ian McKellen.gets some nice screen time as his faithful assistant, Evil-lyn. Look for a brief, but welcome cameo from originial He-Man Dolph Lundgren who offers some sage advice to Adam in the gym.
Kristen Wiig in a voice over role also melts hearts as the lovable Roboto. Production values are top notch across the board with standout work from production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas, and a soaring score from Daniel Pemberton with an assist from Brian May on guitar to help revive the sound of Queen in the 1987 film Knight has pulled elements from all the past incarnations of this property while making sure this is a loving return to a property that still provides a good time at the movies, and a reason to stay through all the end credits.
Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Charlotte Riley, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Kristen Wiig, Jon Xue Zhang, Johannes Haukur Johannesson.
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