Masters of the Universe Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1987

It was not uncommon for movies based on popular 80's franchises/cartoons to be developed for the big screen, but whereas the film adaptations of G.I. Joe and The Transformers were also animated, the He-Man franchise was given the live-actor treatment. Transferring a cartoon to a live movie is a dangerous feat, but surprisingly Masters of the Universe, while by no means a perfect film, meets the challenge with admirable aplomb.

As Masters of the Universe opens, we see that things look bleak for He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) and the righteous populace of the planet Eternia. The evil commander Skeletor (Frank Langella) and his massive army has crushed Castle Grayskull, once thought to be an unconquerable bastion, and imprisoned the powerful Sorceress of Grayskull (Christina Pickles). Now all that remains is for Skeletor to capture the last of his opposition: He-Man.

Meanwhile as He-Man, Man-at-Arms (Jon Cypher) and Teela (Chelsea Field) battle Skeletor's forces on a barren mountain, they stumble across an eccentric dwarven inventor named Gwildor (Billy Barty). They come to discover Gwildor is in possession of an item Skeletor is actively seeking: a harmonic key that allows people to transport to far-off destinations through the power of song.

The trio and the not-so-heroic dwarf decide to use this ingenious invention to rescue the imprisoned Sorceress, but alas their plan is thwarted when an ambush party corners them. With no time to think, Gwildor desperately uses his invention to open a portal leading to anywhere – the destination is unimportant as long as the would-be rescuers can escape the trap.

Well, escape they do, but the foursome find themselves on a foreign planet called Earth. They must use the harmonic key to return to Eternia, but during the transportation it was lost, only to be discovered by two teenagers: Kevin Corrigan (Robert Duncan McNeill) and Julie Winston (Courteney Cox).

Kevin believes the mysterious object is a cool Japanese synthesizer, but little does he know his life is in serious jeopardy every moment he holds onto it. Skeletor wants the invention and has sent an elite task force to Earth to track down the invention and capture He-Man. What results is another battle between good and evil, with two confused and scared teenagers caught in the middle.

Can He-Man and his friends find their way back to Eternia and put a stop to Skeletor's evil plans? Obviously for a movie of this nature it's a fairly rhetorical question.

I remember He-Man well. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the Masters of the Universe franchise, like any child of the 80's I did have a certain fondness for the cartoon. It was good, cheesy fun.

I didn't expect the film version of Masters of the Universe to be anything more than cinematic sludge, but surprisingly I kinda enjoyed it. This movie is definitely not high-art, but it does an admirable job of offering a family-friendly fantasy / sci-fi action flick. Masters of the Universe is rarely dull, and while you have to check your brain at the door, if you do so you'll find the film possesses a certain charisma.

Fanatical fans of the original cartoon and/or series will almost certainly take offense with some of the liberties the film took with the original franchise. While menacing old favorites like Evil-Lyn (Meg Foster) and Beastman (Tony Carroll) are represented, other Skeletor henchmen have been replaced by new enemies. In addition He-Man's alter ego is not represented; you'll find no Prince Adam here.

Masters of the Universe is no Star Wars, so let me stress that right away. That disclaimer having been said, it's clear that Star Wars was an inspiration for this movie. Everything from Skeletor's stormtrooper-esque soldiers to the colorful laser-pistol battles virtually demands comparisons to be made.

The bottom line is Masters of the Universe is a fun (and yes, somewhat cheesy) little fantasy film that can appeal to viewers of all ages provided they are in the mood for a light and breezy action flick.

Movie rating: 7 stars

If you enjoyed Masters of the Universe you may also find the following films to be of interest:

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