As a fellow Mattel property, the comparisons to Barbie have been swift. In this vein, Masters of the Universe tries to be an all-encompassing treatise on non-toxic masculinity, and in some places does a fantastic job. However, there is a much woker version of this review that I could write for you – one where the ridicule of Human Resources, or "dialogue", is swift, harsh and never materially disproven, despite the film trying to imply that this is Adam's core virtue. The use of "protection of family" as a motive for violence, as opposed to the protection of the defenceless (a la Superman), became a bit too hard to endorse once He-Man, with the Red Cross on his chest and blonde power fantasy realised, was in full form beating goons. I do think even good-faith readings of the film could read very harmful messages in that.
That's not the review for right now – this film was surprisingly good. It is not trying to be a realistic masterpiece, but rather a full-fat fantasy of the little guy getting to wield power for "good". There is even a jab at the "relatable villain" trope that has featured heavily in modern blockbuster cinema, and complicated the relationship between good and evil in the zeitgeist.
Nicholas Galitzine is genuinely amazing in this, and after loving him in 100 Nights of Hero, has cemented himself in my high esteem. Idris Elba is given a surprisingly large amount of creative work to do, and the camera work, aided by some brilliant sound design across the entire film, was genuinely gorgeous.
This also marks the first time I've actually enjoyed, truly relished, a performance by Jared Leto. They managed to make Skeletor a very animated villain, no pun intended - although the voice changer does make some of his lines hard to hear. Alison Brie was also fantastic and deeply underused as Evil-lyn.
The goal is clearly awe, and it does feel like an awe-some film, and will likely be a core memory for a lot of kids and reignite the passion for the franchise with a whole new generation. The deeper themes, however, felt confused – in trying to be Barbie for Boys, it ended up biting off more than it had time to achieve. The Earth aspects of Adam's life felt 2D and underdeveloped, but with any more time spent in the real world, the film would have flopped completely. I think the attempt was noble, but it ended both without real emotional impact and potentially in a dangerous place.
Don't expect to cry or be moved, honestly – but you will be entertained.