Masters of the Universe has never been a franchise built on subtlety. It is swords, sorcery, muscles, monsters, skull-faced villains, cosmic castles, absurd character names and declarations of power shouted toward the heavens. The smartest thing Travis Knight’s live-action reboot does is understand that trying to sand down that ridiculousness would be a mistake. Instead, the film embraces the colourful strangeness of its source material, leaning into the heightened, knowingly cartoonish energy that made He-Man such a beloved figure for a generation of fans.
The film follows Prince Adam, played by Nicholas Galitzine, who was separated from Eternia as a child after Skeletor (Jared Leto) seized control of the realm. Having grown up on Earth with only fragmented memories of his former home, Adam is pulled back by the Sword of Power (quite an enjoyable quest in itself to obtain) and forced to confront a destiny he barely understands. Eternia is now fractured under Skeletor’s rule, and Adam must reunite with childhood companion Teela (Camila Mendes) and one-time mentor Duncan (Idris Elba) to reclaim his home and embrace his identity as He-Man.
Galitzine looks the part, without question (you have to hand it to anyone who pulls off a leather loincloth with ease), but it is his comedic capability that proves most surprising. He finds the awkwardness in Adam without making him a joke, and he brings a wide-eyed, slightly self-aware charm to the character’s transformation into He-Man. The balance between the two sides of the role is where he shines: Adam is unsure, funny and disarmingly human, while He-Man carries the mythic weight of someone learning how to wield power rather than simply possess it.
Knight’s film is clearly made with deep affection for the fans who grew up with these characters. It has a heavy ’80s vibe, especially through its soundtrack and fantasy-adventure tone, and it never feels embarrassed by the world it is building. The strange names (Fisto, Goat Man, Ram Man), the dramatic poses, the operatic villainy and the toy-box imagination are all part of the fun. This is not a film trying to reinvent Masters of the Universe as gritty or cynical. It knows exactly what it is.
Mendes makes for a strong Teela, bringing both physicality and presence to a role that could have easily been reduced to sidekick territory. She gives the film a grounded heroic energy opposite Adam’s more comic uncertainty. Leto, meanwhile, camps it up as Skeletor, and the performance works best when it embraces how weak, whiny and entitled the character really is beneath all the theatrical menace. His unrecognisable voice does much of the heavy lifting, but Leto clearly has fun playing Skeletor as a villain whose hunger for power is rooted in insecurity rather than strength.
Alison Brie is perhaps underutilised as Evil-Lyn, Skeletor’s right hand, but she understands the assignment nonetheless. Even with limited room to fully explore the character, she brings a sly, controlled darkness that suggests there is more to Evil-Lyn than the film has time to unpack.
What ultimately makes Masters of the Universe work is its sincerity. Beneath all the cosmic spectacle and cartoonish bravado is a simple story about self-acceptance, courage and learning that power means very little without humanity. Knight gives the film enough humour (at-times veering into surprisingly risqué territory) to keep it buoyant, but he never treats the material with contempt. That affection is what makes the ridiculousness land.
It would be a shame if this version of Masters of the Universe doesn’t get to continue, because the film is very clearly building toward a larger mythology. Its mid-credit and post-credit sequences hint at future adventures, including a healthy tease for one character of major importance in the He-Man universe. For fans, that promise will likely be enough to leave them excited. For newcomers, the film offers a bright, strange and surprisingly charming invitation into Eternia.
Masters of the Universe may be proudly silly, but it is silly with purpose, passion and a great deal of heart. For those raised on the power of Grayskull, it feels like a fantasy long imagined on bedroom floors finally brought to life.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Masters of the Universe is screening in Australian theatres from June 4th, 2026, before opening in the United States on June 5th, 2026.
