![\"Masters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/masters_poster.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
I think that if I had a deeper connection to the He-Man
\nuniverse, I might have reacted more positively to the 2026 Masters of the
\nUniverse. It’s apparent to me, even as an outsider, that there’s a whole
\nlotta fan service going on. Too much, in fact, because it sometimes becomes a
\ndistraction. Good fan service is when a movie includes references and Easter
\neggs that feel organic to the project. Bad fan service is when the inclusions
\nare so frequent and obvious that they make the uninitiated feel a little
\nunwelcome. Masters of the Universe hews closer to the latter.<\/p>\n
In adapting the popular 1980s Saturday morning cartoon for
Aspects of the story seem confusingly compressed for anyone
The decision to make Skeletor a preening, fatuous weirdo
While the cast features some established stars, Idris Elba’s
Masters of the Universe is surprisingly violent for a
Masters of the Universe inhabits a gray zone where
\t
\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tMasters of the Universe (United States, 2026)<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tDirector: Travis Knight<\/a> \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScreenplay: Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, and David Callaham<\/a>
\ntheatrical consumption, director Travis Knight (along with an army of credited
\nand uncredited writers, many of whom didn’t actually contribute to the final
\nscreenplay) has jettisoned past continuities to establish a new, clean
\ntimeline\u2014excepting all those aforementioned fan service bits. The filmmakers
\nwisely recognize that the underpinning mythology wouldn’t pass muster in
\ntoday’s climate, so they opt for a quasi-jokey tone, not unlike the one adopted
\nby the recent Dungeons & Dragons<\/a> movie or The Princess Bride<\/a>.
\nFinding the sweet spot for this sort of film\u2014occasionally comedic but not fully
\nsatirical\u2014can be a difficult challenge, and Knight lacks the adroitness of a
\nLord\/Miller or Ryan Reynolds. The most glaring issue is how the movie treats
\nthe central villain, Skeletor (Jared Leto), who comes across more as a fatuous
\nboob than someone to be feared. He’s not unlike Dr. Evil, but Austin Powers<\/a>
\nwas a full-on lampoon, not a story with aspirations to be taken semi-seriously.<\/p>\n
\nwithout prior knowledge (or a handy cheat sheet). Things start with a prologue
\ndetailing how Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) becomes stranded on Earth following the
\ntakeover of his home world, Eternia, by Skeletor and the mass imprisonment of
\nhis friends and family: his father, King Randor (James Purefoy); his mother,
\nQueen Marlena (Charlotte Riley); his sparring partner, Teela (Camila Mendes);
\nand his protector, Man-at-Arms Duncan (Idris Elba). Then, following an
\nunconvincing interlude in which we learn that Adam is a big, delusional dork
\nwith a sword obsession, he finds his way back to Eternia (with a major assist
\nfrom Teela) and begins his quest to rid the world of the plague that is
\nSkeletor and his henchwoman, Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie).<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/masters-of-the-universe-1.jpeg\")
The two biggest issues I have with the movie relate to the
\nrepresentations of both the hero and the villain. Adam is so completely
\nclueless that he seems to have wandered out of a bad ’80s drive-in flick. We
\nare given no indication of how he survived and evolved during the 15-year gap
\nin the story, and his idiocy is more irritating than charming. Actor Nicholas
\nGalitzine has a likable personality, but his performance feels better aligned
\nwith a low-budget TV movie than a big-budget theatrical spectacle.<\/p>\n
\nrather than a genuinely intimidating villain undercuts any chance Masters of
\nthe Universe has of working on a more serious level. Visually, Skeletor
\ncuts a striking figure. But his characterization is simply bizarre, featuring
\ntoo much self-referential material and a decidedly unimposing voice. Instead of
\na deep, grating baritone, we get a cadence that’s more conversational than
\nmenacing. There’s a major disconnect between Skeletor’s appearance and his
\nspoken words.<\/p>\n
\nreputation arguably sits a level above that of almost anyone else in the
\nproduction. Elba doesn’t exactly phone in the performance, but this isn’t the
\nkind of role that requires a great dedication to craft. Still, unlike Marlon
\nBrando in Superman<\/a>, he doesn’t embarrass himself. I assume he was
\nfinancially well-compensated.<\/p>\n
\nPG-13 film. There is a lot of death in the production\u2014far more than one would
\nnormally see in a movie with this rating. It is mostly neutered and bloodless,
\nbut it often feels like there was an R-rated version struggling to get out,
\nultimately precluded by the “family-friendly” nature of the
\nfranchise.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/masters-of-the-universe-2.jpeg\")
The story is riddled with plot holes and dropped threads.
\nAttempts to dismiss this as a result of the film being based on a TV cartoon
\nare disingenuous. The script is a mess, with obvious issues never addressed
\n(why is Skeletor imprisoning, rather than killing, his enemies?), key plot
\npoints glossed over (why Earth for Adam’s exile?), and narrative beats dropped
\n(no follow-up to the romance\/friendship scene between Adam and Teela). Whether
\nthis is the result of laziness, an underestimation of audience intelligence, or
\nconfusion born from combining so many visions into the final screenplay, such
\nsloppiness is inexcusable.<\/p>\n
\nit’s not quite humorous enough to be dismissed as a parody and enjoyed on that
\nlevel, but it’s also not strong enough to be viewed as some kind of epic
\nfantasy. Consequently, although things can be enjoyed on a surface level, nothing
\nfeels consequential. I suspect He-Man fans will likely be enamored with the
\nresult (even the most barbed of its jabs remain respectful), especially the
\nDolph Lundgren cameo and the mid-credits introduction of She-Ra. Others may
\nfeel that the production leans too closely into its cartoon roots \u2013 and not in
\na good way.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tCast:
\n\t\t\t\t\tNicholas Galitzine<\/a>, Camila Mendes<\/a>, Jared Leto<\/a>, Idris Elba<\/a>, Alison Brie<\/a>, Morena Baccarin<\/a>, James Purefoy<\/a>, Charlotte Riley<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tCinematography: Fabian Wagner<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tMusic: Daniel Pemberton<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tU.S. Distributor: Amazon MGM\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I think that if I had a deeper connection to the He-Man
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