Masters of the Universe Review: He-Man Reminds Us How Fun Cinema Can Be

With so many superhero movies floating around, many got lost in making them adult-ish and forgot that they were initially supposed to be fun. Thankfully, Masters of the Universe didn’t.

A Blast From The Past: Not Just For the He-Man Series But for 90s Cartoons

It’s easy to fall into the line of thinking where they’re just making a He-Man movie for the sake of nostalgia farming.

Admittedly, it did get some people excited because He-Man reminded us of the time when we would stay up late and watch cartoons during the weekend. The simpler times.

Honestly, I didn’t exactly grow up with He-Man, and he wasn’t as prominent here in Malaysia. Still, I really appreciate how they retained the vibrant color scheme that was the meta back then. It worked so well with the luminous Eternia and its residents.

In many ways, it reminded me of Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok -, and while it might be a hot take, I liked Masters of the Universe more.

Also, TGV covered who are some of the best 90s cartoon characters brought to the screen!

Nicholas Galitzine and Jared Leto: Perfect Cast and Perfect Redemption

Let me start with Galitzine.

Does he look a tad bit like Erling Haaland with blonde hair – no? Maybe the World Cup fever is getting to me.

In all seriousness, he is perfect in it. Superficially, we can say his abs do the talking, but I do feel he carries a sort of vulnerability we rarely see in superhero movies. If I were to take a more recent example would be Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. While both possess power, there is still emotional and character vulnerability in both of them.

And know for Jared Leto.

Phew, where do I start? It’s always difficult with Jared because there are so many different camps with him where you either hate him or love him. Good for him, though. He was stellar as Skeletor.

The dialogue delivery is insane. Jared Leto manages to make sinister scenes in the movie light-hearted and not in a tacky way. Critics might need to dig a little deeper if they want to find fault with him for Masters of the Universe.

The Score Goes Hard, and Daniel Pemberton is a Genius

Image Source: Cool Music

The music score for Masters of the Universe is, for me, the best thing in the movie.

And Daniel Pemberton, please do not stop making movie soundtracks. After his excellent work with Project Hail Mary, his amazing streak continued here. The Eternia theme is adrenaline-inducing and, paired with the orchestral ad-lib, is a gem. After the movie finished, I immediately added it to my Spotify playlist and had it on loop on the way home.

And then I turned on my PC and played it again.

Oh, and a special shoutout for including Boys Don’t Cry by The Cure. It’s the cherry on top because the song was made as a satire to combat toxic masculinity, which is also kind of a subtheme in the movie.

Here’s something funny in the song’s official music video comments section:

At End of The Day: Masters of The Universe Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously

If you were to ask a Gen Z or a Gen Alpha, they’d associate it with He-Man with memes on social media. For the older generation, it might be different, but they share one thing in common.

It’s all about FUN.

This is what Travis Knight understands and how he made the story flourish, even though it may not be the most in-depth storyline ever written.

It’s simple to digest, and everyone, even for those who have not watched the original series, can hop in along for the fun ride.