Courtney Howard // Film Critic
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Rated PG-13, 2 hour and 12 minutes
Directed by: Travis Knight
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Sam C. Wilson, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Jon Xue Zhang, Charlotte Riley, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Kristen Wiig, Artie Wilkenson-Hunt, James Wilkinson
BARBIE proved that live-action films based on a Mattel toy isn’t all child’s play. Filmmaker Greta Gerwig and co-scripter Noah Baumbach deserve much of the honorable credit with their ability to think out-of-the-box when it came to their poignant comedy that straddled both a fantasy land and real world environs. In similar fashion, the company chose yet another underestimated heavy-hitter to helm their second foray into their newly established Mattel Cinematic Universe.
With MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, director Travis Knight (BUMBLEBEE, KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS) masterfully exercises a genuine reverence for all the incarnations of the He-Man character throughout its animated, illustrated and cinematic iterations, as well as a respect for the once stratospherically popular action figures. He’s even got our modern meme-loving hearts covered too. Much like the 1987 feature MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, Knight’s swords-and-sorcery sci-fi spectacular contains a noteworthy soundtrack and a killer Skeletor performance of equal dastardly acclaim. Its GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY-esque, DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES-ish humorous overtones and the radical message at its core gives way to an awesome, colossally epic time spent in the theater.
We begin on our hero’s origin story. Young Prince Adam (Artie Wilkenson-Hunt) was an inexperienced fighter before being cast out of the beautiful, enchanted land of Eternia. Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his evil forces – led by villainous henchwoman Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie) – descended upon Castle Grayskull, hoping to seize the throne and the Sword of Power, a weapon said to bestow those who wield it with a God-like super-abilities. Under the imminent dire threat to King Randor (James Purefoy) and the kingdom, Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley) and magically ethereal consult Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) made a split-second decision to hurl Adam and the sword into an iridescent portal on a one-way ride to Oklahoma. Trouble is Adam loses the sword in the midst of the chaotic travel, separating him from his destiny and a way home.
15 years later, hapless Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) – now a twenty-something with a rom-com loving roommate and boring corporate job in human resources – is still on the hunt to find his elusive sword and desperate to return to his homeland. His obsession has made him a dorky outcast, awkward on romantic dates as no one believes his tall tales of a mythic place. He’s hopeless. That is, until he finds the sword. It summons his childhood crush, tough-as-nails warrior Teela (Camila Mendes), who swings by in her spaceship to pick him up before Skeletor’s crony Beastman (Gary Martin) beats him to a pulp. Adam then has his work cut out for him, evolving into the ripped royal warrior he was raised to become. He must reunite with Teela’s washed up adoptive father, Man-at-Arms/ Duncan (Idris Elba) and exotic pet tiger Cringer (Tom Wilton) to help reunify his enslaved people and take back the power of Grayskull.
Adam’s time spent in the real world is kept to a minimum, presumably because the 1987 film already showcased what would happen if these galactic heroes and villains traveled to Earth to wage their war. However, Knight, along with writers Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee and Dave Callaham (working from a story by the Nee Brothers, Alex Litvak and Michael Finch), makes good narrative use of the no-frills locations. Part of Adam’s frustration surrounding not living up to his full potential stems from his bland Earthly surroundings, from the grey cubicles boxing him in to boring beige bedroom covered in crayon illustrations of his past colorful life. He’s a sadsack, completely out of his (literal) realm, too big for his constricting car and too puny in stature to blend in at the gym. During this real world portion, the filmmakers effortlessly work in a perfect cameo appearance, the first of a few HIGHLANDER references, a needle drop nod to a viral video, and a Big Action Set Piece where Teela exercises her wit, wisdom and skillful handling of weaponry.
The notable delineation between the two worlds comes to greater expansive immersion once Adam returns to a changed Eternia. Toyetic environments come to imaginative life through practical set designs in production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas (INCEPTION) capable hands. Dank, dark dungeons, Skeletor’s dramatically lit lair, the royal grounds of Castle Grayskull carry an oppressive weight. The vibrant orange-and-fuchsia-forward forests of Eternia where a space-age pursuit occurs (perhaps a riff on RETURN OF THE JEDI’s speeder chase through the redwood forests of Northern California) represent the glimmer of hope the good guys hang onto in their hours of need. The blend of visual and practical effects tends to be a little ropey, but ultimately forgivable as the potent emotional charge that motivates their use is present.
Easter eggs abound and are incorporated with sensible craft and care. Legacy sidekick characters like Fisto (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), Mekanek (James Wilkinson), Ram Man (Jon Xue Zhang), Trap Jaw (Sam C. Wilson) and Skeletor’s other cadre of creeps all come armed with a sense of humor. Mere mention of the Eternian farewell, “Good Journey,” made my own nostalgia loving heart swell and my eyes turn misty. While Adam and Duncan’s redemptive arcs are slight, the heart fueling their respective journeys to become better men is there in spades. Themes ruminating on empathy as a superpower, finding strength through self-acceptance and rejection of toxic masculinity are woven into the film’s tapestry with a light touch, giving the story poignancy. Plus, in a property that could disastrously collapse into cliché especially when it comes to its female characters and their relationships to the men in their lives, Teela, Evil-Lyn and Queen Marlena are given total autonomy.
Daniel Pemberton’s rocking score absolutely rips, sounding akin to HIGHLANDER and FLASH GORDON’s righteous soundtracks. “Eternia” is heavy metal heaven where grandiose chorales spiritually intertwine with Brian May’s bitchin’ electric guitar riffs and its stomping percussive beats play like a reminiscent echo of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” Soundtrack cues also include Queen’s “Princes of the Universe” and The Darkness’ theme track “Masters of the Universe,” which is heavy on wailing guitars, a driving crescendo and an ear-piercing falsetto.
Galitzine laces his character’s charisma and strength with compelling hidden facets of tender vulnerability. He’s both unsinkable and loveably dopey. Mendes elevates her material substantially, gifting us with a kick-ass, fully fleshed out, dynamic heroine for the next generation. Leto (who’s virtually unrecognizable) and Brie understood the assignment, delivering the goods whenever they’re on screen together. They have a commanding grasp on the campy overtones and the subtle underpinnings driving the dastardly duo’s evilness. Leto’s ability to combine the silly and sinister sides of Skeletor reverberate at full volume, stealing the show in the 3rd act montage that places him in outlandish anachronistic Earthly situations. Note to Mattel: Middle-management Skeletor would sell like hotcakes.
Overall, this is the best HE-MAN movie we’re probably ever going to get. It’s big, dumb Summer fun. Though not perfect, it’s perfectly imperfect where its shaggy charms work to their greatest advantage. Stay through the end credits, not only for the inevitable sequel-baiting, but primarily for a classic hit of pure nostalgia. A “good journey,” indeed.
Grade: 4 out of 5
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE will release in theaters on June 5.
