MOVIE
Masters of the Universe
Director Travis Knight
Review Ray Chan
For a property that began life as a line of action figures
designed to separate children from their pocket money, Masters of the
Universe arrives with an unexpectedly earnest heart. Under the direction of
Travis Knight, whose Bumblebee demonstrated an ability to eke out
emotion amid toy-based corporate filmmaking, this trip to the world of Eternia
aims for something more substantial than mere nostalgia exploitation.
The plot follows Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine), a
well-meaning if occasionally accident-prone young royal who discovers that he
is destined to wield the Power Sword and become He-Man, champion of Castle
Grayskull and protector of Eternia. Standing in his way is the evil Skeletor,
played by Jared Leto with a theatrical abandon that ignores any semblance of
subtlety.
He-Man's iconic look is a blend of sword-and-sorcery fantasy
and futuristic space warrior: a towering, heavily muscled barbarian wearing a
fur-lined loincloth and tall, furry brown boots. He is most recognisable by his
polished iron chest harness with a gray cross emblem.
Galitzine proves an engaging centrepiece. Rather than
presenting Adam as a pre-packaged hero, the film allows him moments of
uncertainty and awkwardness before he grows into the role. His He-Man remains
noble and brave, but refreshingly human beneath the mountains of muscle.
The film's tone is perhaps its greatest surprise. The
dialogue is knowingly corny, packed with grand declarations, melodramatic
threats and enough questionable one-liners to fill an entire Saturday morning
cartoon schedule. Yet it rarely feels cynical. Knight appears to understand
that the material only works if everyone commits completely to its inherent
absurdity.
No one commits harder than Leto. His Skeletor is gloriously
overcooked, complete with maniacal laughter that should sound ridiculous but
somehow emerges as strangely convincing. It is the performance of a man who
understands that an immortal skull-faced sorcerer is not the place to exercise
restraint.
If the film occasionally stumbles, it is under the weight of
its own mythology. References, callbacks, characters, and Easter eggs arrive
with machine-gun frequency. Longtime devotees of Eternia's lore will likely
spend much of the running time nudging companions and whispering explanations.
Casual viewers may occasionally feel as though they have wandered into the middle
of a reunion party where everyone else knows the in-jokes.
Still, the spectacle is hard to resist. The production
design embraces the colourful weirdness of it all, delivering monstrous
creatures, oversized weapons and fantasy landscapes with considerable flair. Fans
will especially love watching Adam’s cowardly green pet tiger, Cringer,
transform into Battle Cat, a massive, armoured feline that serves as his steed
in combat.
And yes, there are post-credit scenes. The absence of two
major characters throughout the main feature proves conspicuous enough that
even newcomers may suspect something is being held back. Their eventual
appearance all but confirms that the studio hopes this is merely the first
chapter in a larger saga.
Masters of the Universe is an entertaining,
good-natured adventure powered by strong performances, impressive visuals, and
an admirable willingness to embrace the delightful silliness of its source
material. It may leave non-fans scratching their heads at some of the
references, but for audiences willing to surrender to its peculiar wavelength,
the Power of Grayskull remains surprisingly potent.
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