Movie Review: "Masters of the Universe" (2026)

Masters of the Universe Movie Review

Written by Stuart D. Monroe

Released by Amazon MGM Studios

Directed by Travis Knight

Written by Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, and Adam Nee

2026, 140 minutes, Rated PG-13

Released on June 5th, 2026

Starring:

Nicholas Galitzine as Adam / He-Man

Camila Mendes as Teela

Idris Elba as Duncan / Man-At-Arms

Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Fisto

Jon Xue Zhang as Ram Man

James Wilkinson as Mekaneck

Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress

James Purefoy as King Randor

Charlotte Riley as Queen Marlena

Kristen Wiig as Roboto (voice)

Jared Leto as Skeletor

Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn

Sam C. Wilson as Trap Jaw

Hung Dante Dong as Karg

Kojo Ata as Tri-Klops

James Apps as Spikor

Review:

This probably goes without saying, but Masters of the Universe exists on a pretty sacred pedestal for a literal entire generation. It certainly does for me, and I have the grainy pictures of six-year-old me in my He-man Underoos holding my (plastic) Sword of Power aloft to prove it. I still own that sword, for the record. And yes, I’m the only one allowed to touch it. Absolutely zero shame.

Director Travis Knight (Bumblebee) clearly understands the weight of the power that he carries. If he shits the bed, he’s raised the ire of that aforementioned generation. If he nails it, though, he becomes a hero in his own right for finally getting live-action He-Man and the Masters of the Universe done right and proper. So, a generation’s worth of inner children said an earnest prayer to the gods, asking for Knight to do our beloved franchise justice.

And by the power of Greyskull, he did it.

Masters of the Universe keeps it stripped down and to the point on the plot: Prince Adam of Eternia must flee his home world as a young child to keep himself and the Sword of Power safe from the wildly evil Skeletor (Jared Leto; Suicide Squad ). He’s sent to Earth, where he promptly loses the Sword of Power for fifteen years. Growing up as Adam Glenn (Nicholas Galitzine; The Sheep Detectives), he’s seen as a little on the crazy side, always rambling on about magic swords and talking green tigers (to the chagrin of his fellow office workers). Soon enough, though, Adam finds the sword… and then trouble finds Adam. Before you can say “Thanks, Teela!”, he’s back on Eternia and learning to become the mighty champion, He-Man. Skeletor is pure evil, however, and with his army of monsters and loyal soldiers, he’s nearly ruined the once beautiful Eternia. Only He-Man and his fellow Masters of the Universe can stop the wicked Lord Skeletor.

My biggest critique of the 1987 Cannon Films cult classic has nothing to do with the casting of Dolph Lundgren in the titular role, that silly musical key thing, or even Gwildor. The issue was the film’s tone and overall vibe. The original cartoon series was quite lighthearted and occasionally silly; it never took itself too seriously and used plenty of humor. The ‘87 film was pretty damn dark and drab by comparison and took place mostly on Earth. Luckily, the 2026 version fixes all that with a surprising amount of jokes that land and a playful tone that keeps the grin plastered on your face. I will say that I wasn’t expecting near as many penile innuendos and fisting jokes, but it is 2026 after all.

Here’s the thing, though- when it’s time to get down to the action, Masters of the Universe takes it quite seriously. Damn solid fight choreography blended with cartoon-style camera cuts and VFX flashes make it feel like you’re watching an episode on a Saturday morning with a bowl of Cookie Crisp cereal. For that matter, everything from the art design to the costume design to the sets is made to take you right back to that old cartoon. We even get plenty of extended belly-laughing from the heroes at the end to the point of awkwardness. It’s low-key perfection.

Then there’s Skeletor. In a role that’s purely voice and physical mannerism, Jared Leto steals so many scenes that it’s downright evil. His performance is self-referential and cheeky as fuck. The quips come fast before he suddenly slides right back into pure, unadulterated, believable menace. Then he reminds you that this is still a He-Man movie and does some Dr. Evil-esque belly laughing of his own for fun. It doesn’t hurt that his makeup and VFX are unapologetically sick, a true action figure come to life with glowing red eyes.

All the roles are well cast and deftly played. Idris Elba’s character arc as Duncan is a lot of fun and gives him a chance to play it a few ways. The physical casting for the more heavily made-up heroes and villains (like Fisto, Ram Man, Trap-Jaw and Karg) is sublime. Again, the entire cast feels straight out of the cartoon, and everyone gets at least a moment or two to shine.

There will be folks who will say this film leans a bit too heavily into the comedy side of things, but I would argue that OG He-Man has humor at its core and always has. There’s even a running joke about how utterly awful and simplistic the names of all the heroes and villains are that gets funnier and funnier as the film goes on. How will it land outside of the target demographic (aka dudes in their forties)? I think it’ll gain a strong word of mouth that will carry it through a respectable theatrical run for the sheer fun factor if nothing else. It really is a blast.

Simply put, Masters of the Universe is the kind of film that (as cliched as this may be to say) will have the audience cheering, hooting, and hollering. It’s a love letter to a piece of your childhood, a brightly colored and cartoonishly violent slice of fantasy goodness that understands where it came from and treats the original with respect and reverence. So, grab your Sword of Power (wherever/whatever that may be) and your Underoos and get ready to shout, “I HAVE THE POWER!”

You know you want to.

Grade:

5.0 out of 5.0 stars