IR Film Review: MASTERS OF THE THE UNIVERSE [Amazon MGM Studios]

When one thinks of He-Man, it definitely needs to be 80s strong. The new “Master Of The Universe” leans into this with varying degrees of success. It seems to want to emulate 1980's "Flash Gordon" even down to the Brian May’s guitar solos since Queen did that score. But this is a different film and a different time. The camp of that 1980s film worked well but Flash was different than Adam here who seems to be too woke. It comes down to the separation of the man and the hero. And the way it is played here makes a lot of sense...but it is different. All of the characters are nicely realized for sure. But everyone here in terms of the main characters are more interesting than He Man himself save for Evil-Lyn. Alison Brie would seem perfect with her timing but her readings almost come off wooden. However this might have to do with Jared Leto who is the best thing in this as Skeletor and perhaps is a different kind of actor than she has worked with. They just don't mesh in cadence correctly. Granted the tonal shifts at times seem slightly off anyways but otherwise hidden under those glowing red eye the physicality that Leto brings is right on point and the voice was the exact right choice.

Nicolas Galitzime as He Man is acceptable but not exceptional yet hits the right beats. Again the character is too representative of today’s age but people could say that about "Flash Gordon" in either of its incarnations. Camela Mendes besides Skeletor is the best drawn as Teela because she can play both sides. Idris Elba plays equally well as Man At Arms but that is because he has an arc to play through. Some of the big sequences are pretty good including the final one and it does maintains scale. Some of the known villains and heroes are played in...not all but those could be saved for a sequels especially two characters which were a large part of the animated show but more relegated to cameos here. There is also a passing of the baton as well in a small cameo which is not necessary but does make the film feel more authentic.

Travis Knight knows what this wants to be and had the budget to play with. Whether or not it connects MGM/Amazon going forward with more in this world depends on the life of the movie. The essence of family is of course important here but the loss shown does not reflect necessarily as much as the downfall of a world would necessitate. Kristin Wiig also shows up as the voice of Roboto which is an interesting offshoot to Man At Arms but is only recognizable in the closing credits. While the beginning makes sense and sets up a conceptual structure the MacGuffin which sets the stage for the separation lacks a little bit of connective tissue. Also the ideal of the Sorceress does make sense and Morena Baccarin inhabits her to a point but there was a greater breathe of the mythology that could have been explored. That said, “Masters Of The Universe” is an admirable swing in tone, action and IP striking up enough of balance, not succeeding in all but definitely winning in certain sectors. B

By Tim Wassberg