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Producers tried to make sense of “Masters of the Universe” once before. The extraordinarily popular toyline/cartoon show was previously brought to the big screen in a 1987 film starring Dolph Lungren as He-Man. Unfortunately, it was a Cannon Films production, which means the budget was tight for an epic fantasy feature, and the production team didn’t have a firm grasp on the appeal of the source material. He-Man returns in 2026 with a whole bunch of money to help director Travis Knight (who did a wonderful job with another toy-central tale in 2018’s “Bumblebee”) realize Eternian conflict for several generations of fans and newcomers, with the new “Masters of the Universe” a spirited adaptation of the brand, bringing some much needed bigness to the endeavor. It’s a fun picture with several tonal and dramatic issues, but Knight understands how to translate a world of brawn, battles, and campiness, generating a decent cinematic ride with a newly self-aware He-Man.

As a child on the planet Eternia, Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) was the timid son of the king and queen, offered training from Duncan (Idris Elba) to become a tough warrior for his kingdom. When Skeletor (voiced by Jared Leto) arrives to take over the royal home of Castle Grayskull, Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) sends Adam and the Sword of Power to Earth, where they are promptly separated. 15 years later, Adam is compelled to reunite with the magical weapon, looking to make his stories of Eternia a reality to doubters. After locating the sword in a comic book shop, Adam is found by his old friend, Teela (Camila Mendes), who returns him to Eternia to help rescue his parents and stop Skeletor’s evil plans. Having trouble locating his inner power, Adam begins to understand his He-Man ways, teaming with Teela, Duncan, and Roboto (voiced by Kristen Wiig) as they look to mount a plan to take back Eternia, gathering the “Champions of Grayskull” to support a growing rebellion.

One of the main complaints about the 1987 picture was how little time was spent on Eternia, with Earth the primary setting for the story. The new “Masters of the Universe” only spends a short amount of time on Earth, following Adam’s deflated life, trying to explain his magical world past to others who think he’s crazy. He once had a kingdom and a talking cat in Cringer, but now he’s a human resources employee in Oklahoma trained to handle issues with compassion and concern, using company time to find the Sword of Power, which he lost during his power tunnel trip to Earth years ago. “Masters of the Universe” keeps Adam small and obsessive, finding his room decorated with drawings of the Champions from Eternia, giving them names such as “Ram-Man” and “Fisto.” And Adam is suddenly reunited with his upbringing when Teela finds him battling Beast Man, who’s also looking to take control of the sword.

“Masters of the Universe” returns to Eternia, creating a character arc for Adam where the young man sets out to understand what’s happened to the land and how he can use the power of magic to become He-Man, a muscle-bound warrior version of himself. The screenwriting tries to take the basic mission seriously, but the rest of the picture is happy to indulge in campiness, with Knight replicating the animation experience, especially with Skeletor. The faceless ghoul retains his fondness for theatrical representations of power, and he’s a bit of a goof, trying to sell authority to his minions, such as Trap Jaw and Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie). The writing certainly gets the original cartoon’s approach, and it hopes to butch up a bit with PG-13 humor that loves double entendres, but Knight gets a little carried away with comedy, fearful of taking “Masters of the Universe” too seriously.

Knight keeps “Masters of the Universe” mostly active, following Adam as he transforms into He-Man, taking on waves of attackers with tremendous force. The tale explores Duncan’s boozy mentorship and Teela’s partnership as well. Adam’s fears about his role in the middle of the conflict make up most of the dramatic journey, and the picture gets lost in speeches and concerns in the last act, losing interest in physical activity for a little too long before mounting a large-scale finale. “Masters of the Universe” has the ingredients for a big screen blast, with Knight clearly borrowing plenty from 1980’s “Flash Gordon” (Queen’s Brian May contributes to the score) while attempting to make sense of this Mattel-branded playground of characters and settings (some time is spent inside Skeletor’s Snake Mountain compound). The offering gets too carried away in its quest to make audiences understand that the production is in on the joke, but technical credits are often outstanding (costume and production design are aces, Skeletor looks amazing) and Galitzine is inspired casting as Adam/He-Man, bringing the right mix of brawn and insecurity to define his version of conflicted heroism.

Featuring Work by Costume Designer Richard Sale

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Richard Sale

'Masters Of The Universe' Review Highlights Costumes Designed by Richard Sale

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