HOLLYWOOD—I seriously did not love the title of this movie because it was misleading to me, as a fan of the comic-book and the actual toys growing up. I’m referring to “Masters of Universe,” which is better known as ‘He-Man.’
Why does this character matter so much to me? I played with the action-figure like all the time, he was my “Batman” and “Superman” before I even knew those comic book superheroes even existed. I played with the toys relentlessly and I watched the cartoon series. He-Man was my superhero of choice growing up as a little boy, so of course I was excited to see the superhero finally make it to the big screen, however, not all is great.
For starters, “Masters of Universe” has a pacing issue. The superhero flick is longer than what it needs to be. About 20-25 minutes could have been trimmed from the narrative to have better pacing. There are just too many moments where it seems not much is happening and it loses audience interest as a result.
Nicholas Galitzine tackles the role of Prince Adam, a kid who is considered weak, but finds a way to build the confidence and growth as he tries to find his way back to planet Eternia after it is attacked by the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto). Now, you can’t tell Leto is Skeletor, but he’s impressive in the role. The character has always been one of my favorites because like hello, he’s a skeleton. Not just that, but Skeletor has a take no prisoner’s approach; he is loyal to no one, but himself and that always makes a dangerous villain if you ask me.
With that said, Galitzine is solid as the meek man who grows to become this revered hero. He finds himself on planet Earth trying to recover that iconic sword that was bestowed to him by The Sorceress (Morena Baccarin), that saves him from Skeletor’s imminent threat. Slight problem, we don’t know what happens to Adam as a child, the next time we see him he’s an adult and working at a company that he doesn’t like so much and has a boss who is a bit too excited when it comes to her work.
I wanted to know who took Adam in, and raised him, and the audience gets none of that. You have iconic characters like Teela (Camila Mendes), Duncan/Man-At-Arms portrayed by Idris Elba, Evil-Lyn portrayed by Alison Brie and other iconic characters from the comic book that make their way to the big screen. The action sequences are incredible and satisfying to watch as a viewer, the visual effects live up to what you expect for anyone familiar with character or cartoon series. There is no love story here though, it’s teased between Adam and Teela, but nothing comes to fruition which I wanted as a viewer.
The problem is the story; it doesn’t feel as solid and fascinating to see unfold. It is a struggle to get thru. The first 20 minutes of the movie is solid; you have a major lull in the middle and things really don’t pick back up till the big climax with He-Man and his army confronting Skeletor at Snake Mountain.
If you’re not a fan of He-Man you may have a struggle getting thru this movie, for those who are you will appreciate certain things, but I just needed a bit more to really feel that the filmmakers took this iconic character and brought him to the big screen in a way that made me satisfied.
