The latest adaptation of the 1980s franchise, "Masters of the Universe," available on Amazon Prime Video, has been met with significant criticism, with reviewers calling it an "annoying, dopey, soulless slab of IP." Directed by Travis Knight, the film reportedly cost $200 million to produce and has garnered a meager $114 million at the box office.
The movie begins with Prince Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine, who is not seen in his He-Man alter ego for over an hour. Adam is introduced as the prince of Eternia before a villain, Skeletor, voiced by Jared Leto, attacks and enslaves his parents. Adam is then transported to Earth, where he spends 15 years as a drone in Oklahoma City before finding the Sword of Power.
Galitzine’s portrayal of Adam is described as a "physically attractive and fit moron who looks alpha but acts beta-minus." His attempts to de-escalate conflicts through dialogue with villains like Trap Jaw (Sam C. Wilson), Beast Man (Gary Martin), and Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie) are ineffective. The film’s pacing is also a point of contention, with reviewers noting extensive "screwing around and dragging-of-feet."
Journey Back to Eternia
Once Adam, accompanied by his former friend Teela (Camila Mendes), returns to Eternia, they reunite with his mentor Man-At-Arms, portrayed by Idris Elba, and an annoying robot ally voiced by Kristen Wiig. The narrative culminates in Adam finally transforming into He-Man to confront Skeletor and his henchmen. The film includes supporting roles from actors like Johannes Haukur Johannesson as Fisto and Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man.
Comparisons have been drawn to "Barbie" and "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," as well as "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Lord of the Rings." However, the film's tone is likened to the "1980 cheeseball unclassic Flash Gordon."
Jared Leto's performance as Skeletor, characterized by a distorted voice and unseen face, is noted as intermittently amusing, though questions are raised about the financial benefit of such a casting choice. The film contains no explicit sex or skin, relying instead on "lame innuendo and double-entendres."
Creative Decisions Under Scrutiny
Critics point to the film's "intense commitment to inanity" and a "visually and conceptually overstuffed" nature, combining "dumb characters, glossy/empty Marvel-ized CG action, and self-loathing disguised as cheeky self-awareness." The screenplay, attributed to four writers and two additional story contributors, is criticized for its lack of editing and an excessive amount of "irritating unjokes and one-liners."
The visual style is described as having a "plasticky sheen" that is both "conceptually appropriate but unmemorable, generic CG-enhanced junk." The musical score is characterized as "glossy-but-grating" and includes needle drops such as Snap!'s “I’ve Got the Power” and 4 Non-Blondes’ “What’s Up.”
Ultimately, "Masters of the Universe" is deemed a "very busy movie that feels like nothing of interest happens," leading to a recommendation to "SKIP IT."