It's probably worth mentioning here at the get-go that Masters of the Universe (hereafter MotU) did not take long to be considered by many to be a box office flop, bust, bomb, disappointment, or whatever your favorite pejorative may be for this phenomenon. It may have cost up to $200 million to make and, at the time I first constructed this comparison sentence, really hadn't made much more than half of that back in ticket sales. I recognize that the accounting of a franchise reboot like this (with loads of merchandising potential) is way more complicated than budget vs. ticket sales, so I don't think that necessarily means we won't get a sequel. This is especially true thanks to the fact that viewers have really enjoyed the film (currently at an 86% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes), with a lot of folks really really enjoying it.
I am one of those folks. It took me over a week to catch it in the theater...and then, a couple days later, I caught it again. And I found myself really wanting to think about it, and talk about it, and listen to the soundtrack, and imagine its impact on my gaming. I think it's a very good movie...maybe even a great one...and either way one whose long-term aura in my mind will be based upon how well it holds up to even more repeat viewing. (And now that it's streaming...so far, so good.) It is noteworthy in itself that I hardly ever see films in a theater at all, so the fact that I took the time to see this twice (including dragging Laura along to viewing #2) has to say something about my gut reaction.
Because I never know how to begin presenting the substance of a review without railroading myself into writing way more words than I intended (just to hash out all of the disparate points I feel the need to introduce), let me try to keep it simple by just listing some of the things that director Travis Knight and the team around him got right with MotU. (Hopefully I'll also slip in some of the related "lows" so I'm not just gushing out what reads like a one-sided take on the film...)
1. The casting and acting are top-notch for a silly adventure movie like this. Nicholas Galitzine pulls off a very likable Prince Adam/He-Man, and Camila Mendes + Idris Elba are both great as Teela + Duncan/Man-At-Arms. The quality extends to the less vital cast members as well. I can't think of any performances that even sunk as low as "meh." So, cast as a whole: Solid and enjoyable. And beautiful. Everyone is so beautiful!
Although...if I were to pick a weak spot in the acting, it would probably be Alison Brie's take on Evil-Lyn. Not because it was a poor performance (not even "meh," as noted above), but simply because Evil-Lyn was underwhelming as a character to me in this film. The thing is: I'm not sure what Brie could have even done to make me feel otherwise. All movie, I just kind of expected more, but never quite got it. (And THAT, my friends, is poorly thought-out nitpicking.)
But then...there's Jared Leto's Skeletor. At this point, I'm too exhausted by how terrible apparently everyone in the world ends up being to look too far into the allegations that would make me question Leto's character as a human, so I'm not even going to approach that. (I am sorry if that's a hard "no" for you as far as watching any of his films; I will say that the few things I have read do paint him as problematic at best.)
For the film though...when it comes to our unambiguously evil antagonist...Leto simply nails it. I've seen people point to Frank Langella's performance as the skull-faced big baddie in the 1987 MotU movie as one of that film's highlights (and rightly so), and I believe Leto takes it to another level entirely. This isn't just "take a crazy role and make it impactful," it's "take a crazy role and give the definitive performance of an absolutely archetypal character." Like if Hollywood buzz supported it, I could see Leto being discussed for a best supporting actor Oscar. (Yes, really! I haven't heard anything about conversations like that, so I probably just sound crazy in writing it, but I think his performance is truly memorable enough that it wouldn't surprise me...like that time Jack Sparrow won an Oscar, or those times the Joker did.)
Skeletor looks great, too. The red light of his eyes shifting within those otherwise empty sockets is pretty striking, and I found myself hypnotized by how the subtle movements of a bone face telegraphed emotions. Overall, I'm sure there will be plenty said about Leto's presence in the blockbuster and how that may have impacted its bottom line (he has a certain history with big-budget action films), but as far as the art goes, Skeletor is a BIG win.
2. The movie is paced surprisingly well. One of the easiest digs to take in a review of MotU is that it goes on too long (it's 140 minutes!). However, the time just flew by for me (both viewings). I wouldn't say that the movie had to run that long to get in all of its vital thematic elements, but its flow is really, really immersive. And of course, that can be attributed at least in part to the fact that...
3. The effects fall somewhere in between Fine and Great. I'm pretty much one of those old fogeys who pines for the days of practical effects and puppets for monsters. Perhaps obviously, there are a LOT of digital effects in play throughout most of MotU; if they were bad, it would be tough to slog through. Luckily, they're really good for the most part. Similar to my Evil-Lyn opinion, I will note that I would have liked Cringer to be a bit more convincing, but he's still pretty darn good, and far from a dealbreaker...I mean, we're still getting to see a decent "live-action" rendering of freaking Cringer on the big screen (that's a big deal for me), so I won't complain too much!
I also get this feeling when watching movies featuring heavily CGI'ed environments where I start to have a lingering sense of unreality...like the artificial backgrounds stack up and start to feel sort of oppressive -- almost claustrophobic -- after a while. (I just want to see a big open outside shot to make me feel like I can breathe again!) MotU walks this line but never hits a point where it's too much, and honestly, some of the digital sets are so cool that they're worth some conscious suspension of disbelief anyway. It is undoubtedly a good-looking film.
4. The screenplay hits just about the right level of being both meta and Easter eggy. These are definitely YMMV factors in evaluating a film like this one, especially since viewers are going to differ so widely both in the need to have these in the story AND in familiarity with the franchise and its history. I would consider myself well "above" the average moviegoer, but well below the average He-Man superfan, when it comes to the details of MotU lore. While watching, I caught plenty of references that literally brought a smile to my face, but it never felt like the film was degenerating into "Easter egg porn." (And that, by the way, is a phrase that I have used in my head for a while but don't really think is ever used by anyone else. Googling it only resulted in the sort of hits you'd probably imagine for a phrase like that. Plus one "Florida woman" article. Anyway...I hope it makes sense...)
And the meta nature of the movie is definitely worth talking about, as that's potentially what will make it or break it in the minds of a lot of viewers. An obvious model to look toward...and one that I'm sure the studio had in mind...is 2023's Barbie. Both iconic properties, pretty gender-specific, more than a little bit silly...and Barbie slayed at the box office, so I know its success was somewhere in the minds of Mattel's bigwigs as they tracked MotU's performance. The thing is...that's kind of an unfair comparison to make at this point, as Barbie was an absolute triumph of a movie on many levels (and one that any IP-focused film would have a tough time living up to)...and its extreme lean into meta storytelling already meant that MotU was going to have to be a bit more subtle in its approach.
And where Knight and team landed...well, I think they really did hit within a sweet spot that would have been very easily misjudged. I'm sure many He-Fans would have preferred a wholesale embrace of the ridiculousness of, say, the classic MotU character naming conventions, rather than the narrative end-around they went with (which I think I rather like, honestly). But it's hard to imagine any filmmaker doing a better job with issues like balancing PG-13 fantasy violence with the expectations that follow a property originally aimed at six-year-olds. And the downright ridiculousness of Skeletor, anchored by Leto's performance, is handled borderline brilliantly. As in...I still think the movie has more to say to me...and going into it, I would have questioned whether I should expect it to actually say anything at all.
5. The soundtrack is killer. Yeah, I've already gone on too long here (me and my self-railroading), but it has to be said before I close things out: The music in this one is just awesome. And to be honest, I think I've only seen and heard praise for this aspect of the film. It veers into a sort of symphonic power metal groove at times, and the inclusion of Queen (plus additional guitar work by Brian May) is both appropriate in itself and evocative of 1980's peerless Flash Gordon flick...a comparison that MotU can and should proudly wear on its sleeve. The covers that are included also work well (and include one specific meta selection that I really enjoyed).
It's just...good stuff.
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| Sir Brian May...a guitar legend and PhD astrophysicist who has said he would rather be remembered for his work helping animals. Ya gotta love him! (Image from MusicRadar) |
If you've been on the fence about watching Masters of the Universe, I hope my obvious love for the film will encourage you to give it a shot. (I want a sequel!) I know it isn't perfect. And even what I consider its borderline greatness...well, I recognize that it isn't for everyone and won't fault anyone who senses within the first half hour that it simply isn't their cup of tea. I think that even some folks who fall into this camp, though, will be able to admit that it is so much better than it has any right to be based on its roots and its timing. For most viewers, if it generates half the number and intensity of smiles that it has for me, I expect it to find a happy home in streaming. And if you missed it on the big screen and ever get a chance to right that wrong, I would certainly recommend you take it!
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Thanks so much for reading, all. I hope to be back, probably continuing with this thread of my MotU love, very soon...!
