Was this supposed to be “Masters of the Marvel Universe?” No? Could have fooled me.
In this titular universe, the focus is primarily on the world of Eternia, where a great cosmic power has long been held in the form of a sword and safeguarded by a royal family. That world comes under attack by a warlock, Skeletor (Jared Leto), hellbent on taking the sword, and the associated power, for himself.
With defenses failing, the young prince of Eternia, Adam, is sent to Earth with the sword to keep it away from Skeletor. The film then picks up with Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) as an adult, who is seeking the sword after losing it in the wormhole to Earth. Once he does retrieve it, he has an opportunity to return to the world he left and stand against Skeletor’s evil.
To be completely transparent, yours truly did not grow up with the 80s cartoon this film was based on. As a 90s kid, I was aware of the likes of “Masters of the Universe,” “Transformers” and “G.I. Joe,” but missed their primary runs. So, with all of their adaptations, it’s been a situation of taking things at face value.
In the case of “Masters of the Universe,” it’s really a mixed bag of a movie with more cons than pros. Those who did grow up with the series and still hold it dear will likely appreciate the attention to detail in creating the costumes and bringing iconic characters to life in a faithful manner. They will also likely enjoy the many references and comedic jabs toward the series, too.
With that said, while these may be a treat for fans of the franchise, they became bitter for the general viewer. This film relies on self-referential humor, along with general attempts at comedy, to an exhausting degree. Nearly every scene in the picture has a gag, joke, or some push for laughter.
As mentioned in the lede, it’s reminiscent of how the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been operating the last few years. That’s not a good thing, as that side of Hollywood has been dealing with more misses than hits since “Endgame.” That action-adventure playbook of having to go for comedy so regularly feels largely played out and uncreative.
Also, on the Marvel note, it has to be noted that the film also has some major parallels to “Thor Ragnarok,” with some particularly blatant. But the bigger issue remains the overall amount of levity this flick goes for, and how it does so.
To be fair, yes, this is meant to be a campy action romp. In theory, it’s fine to have a lighthearted adventure that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This isn’t the type of movie that should feel stiff, cold, or gritty. But it is true that things can be pushed too far, and that’s the case here.
Nearly every scene where something meaningful, somber, or moving takes place, it’s undercut by the film’s creative team going for comedy. On top of this making it difficult for either the hero’s journey or relationships between protagonists to resonate emotionally, it also actively works against how director Travis Knight and his team adapted this material.
Knight and the writers Chris Butler and David Callaham, as well as Aaron and Adam Nee, want the audience to know how silly the universe of, well, “Masters of the Universe,” is. They want to remind a viewer how absurd Skeletor can be as a villain at times. And they want watchers to know that they’re in on the joke and know the memes.
It becomes a problem. Along with the humor feeling like a crutch to keep things breezy as the story progresses, the creative team, in a self-congratulatory manner, use it to play on the nostalgia of theater goers who can who can share a laugh over some memories of the cartoon’s more obnoxious elements. And you know what, that could be fine if that’s all the movie is going for.
However, they also wanted the film to be an earnest adaptation with heart. The film tries to set up stakes, pushes for genuine moments between loved ones and goes for a theme of one finding self-actualization through adversity, all over the course of a sizable runtime of nearly two and a half hours. Yet these attempts are all for naught because Knight’s film is regularly undermining any sincerity in the plot or characters by inserting a joke.
It really doesn’t help that not a lot of the comedy is good, either. Had the humor been cleverer, and the tone perhaps adjusted, the whole project may have been more effective. However, much of the attempts for laughter come down to the lowest common denominator, whether it be an on the nose needle drop, or recurring jokes about a character’s name sounding like a sex act. That’s the type of stuff we’re dealing with here.
Of course, humor can work in films in the fantasy action genre. “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” and the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films pulled it off. However the humor there was not only witty, but convincing. It felt well incorporated in the narrative flow, and was natural from the characters. That’s not the case with “Masters.”
With all of that said, though, “Masters of the Universe” isn’t a complete disaster as all the previous text may have implied. While it is too long, it’s not one of those flicks where a person is begging for it to be over. One of the reasons why is because it actually delivers fairly well on the action front.
Many of the film’s set pieces are quite enjoyable. They’re entertaining, fast-paced and include some cool visuals. The moments where He-Man is able to really let loose with the sword at full power are definitely exciting. As long as blasters are going off or swords are being swung, a viewer can stay invested.
It’s also not that much of a surprise that decorated actors, like Academy Award winner Jared Leto and BAFTA nominee Idris Elba gave the best performances of the picture. While not all of Skeletor’s scenes work, he’s still a proper big bad. Leto manages to bring out a smug superiority in the character while also portraying him as a ruthless menace, and doing both with the correct level of camp.
Elba, meanwhile, does what he can with a fairly generic concept of a man and father vying for redemption. He commits to the role and manages to give some humanity to the character. It’s not his best work, but there’s a realness to his portrayal, which benefits some of the more emotional sequences.
Galitzine is fine considering what he’s tasked with as well. He has to juggle the aforementioned approach the film takes, and as the star of the show, is required to put in the most work. He embraced that task, and through it all, gave Adam a likable, consistent personality. It helps being able to at least root for the protagonist.
The rest of the cast and their respective characters are less memorable, though. Nearly the entire roster of side heroes is reduced to punch lines, while Teela, Adam’s longtime friend and potential love interest, just isn’t all that interesting. Despite being important to the plot, it regularly feels like she doesn’t have much to do, and Camila Mendes’ performance adds little energy to get invested in the arc.
At the end of the day, though, this film does have a target audience and there’s plenty of material her that will satisfy what they’re looking for. To those not as familiar, there’s less to enjoy. Mismanagement of humor and heart ultimately cause this one to stumble regularly, yet it still offers enough pure entertainment value and good cheese to still be watchable. 2.5 out of 5.
Photos courtesy Amazon – MGM Studios
