Action-packed, tongue-in-cheek update of the He-Man franchise
Year: 2026
Certificate: 12
This reboot of the 1980s franchise is a blast, mixing explosive fight scenes with eye-catching visuals and plenty of knowing humour. Nicholas Galitzine (Mary & George) stars as He-Man, although when we first meet him he’s nothing like a Master of the Universe, but a lovable dufus stranded on Earth, with a dead-end office job and separated from the source of his superpower – the Sword of Power. But he’s about to have his life transformed when childhood friend Teela (Riverdale’s Camila Mendes) comes back into his life with a bang.
Anyone with fond memories of 1980s children’s TV will appreciate the nods to the original cartoon, but director Travis Knight (Bumblebee) also borrows gleefully from all corners of the fantasy sci-fi genre, from Barbarella and Flash Gordon to Highlander and Star Wars. It wouldn’t do to take what was essentially a marketing strategy for a range of action figures too seriously, and Masters Of The Universe certainly doesn’t make that mistake.
The reported $200 million budget hasn’t all been expended on the noisy action set-pieces, and there’s some high-calibre talent among the supporting cast, not least Idris Elba as drunken veteran general Duncan, with Jared Leto’s Skeletor making for a fabulously camp villain, and Alison Brie revelling in her role as his right-hand woman, Evil-Lyn. If the 1980s nostalgia and callbacks to the original animation go over your head, you might well find the 140-minute running time too much, but if you’re prepared not to take any of it too seriously, then there’s lots to enjoy here. (140 minutes)
