By the power of Grayskull we have a live actionfilm!
After a much loved 1980’s animated TV series, a far less loved 1987 live action film and a belated couple of animated Netflix series we now have a new live action Masters of the Universe film. Starting with a lengthy prologue that sees hero to be Adam as a child in the land of Eternia where his father the King along with his mother and close protection guard Duncan (Idris Elba) trying to fend off a villainous army led by Skeletor with a face that suggests he’s OD’d on Ozempic. Overwhelmed by Skeketor’s marauding troops the boy Adam, is charged with looking after a magical sword and escapes via a space wormhole, losing the sword in the process, to Earth where he grows up in the shape of actor Nicholas Galitzine.
Aware that he is not of this Earth he’s also frustrated that he lost the sword that would help him reclaim his father’s kingdom and Castle Grayskull that Skeletor has captured. A cryptic message from a comic shop owner finds him the sword and his way back to Eternia alongside space warrior Teela (Camila Mendes) to reclaim Grayskull whilst Skeletor wants the sword that will give him absolute power.
Behind those Masters of the Universe…
High tech and high budget the latest version of the film has passed between a lot of studios before landing with Amazon who have put a huge amount of money into this and for writers Chris Butler, Aaron & Adam Nee and Dave Callaham who are all huge fans of the series this has obviously been a dream project. They are savvy enough to realise that there’s a sense of ridiculousness about the series and gently lean into it with a number of wink-to-the-audience jokes. That the characters have names like Trap Jaw, Ram Man and even worse, Fisto it’s a wonder this was ever a kid’s TV show and the writers have knowingly included a line for that last character that will go over kids heads but have Dad’s stifling a laugh hoping their kids won’t ask about it afterwards. It never takes itself too seriously even to the lengths of parodying the animated series itself notably in a shot after the inevitable big climatic battle as the heroes heartily and endlessly laugh with their hands on their hips.
Galitzine embraces the role with gusto but for an animated character who was a man mountain of muscle it might be expected to have him with a peak Schwarzenegger physique. Jared Leto, normally box office poison after Tron Ares and Morbius, perhaps understandably is therefore kept permanently out of sight behind the Skeletor mask and you have to wonder if the makers should have kept Mark Hamill to voice the role.
Running at well over two hours it is overlong and even with some what generic action sequences its unlikely to hold the attention of far younger audiences. For fans of the series there’s a lot to like here but for such a big budgeted film it would seem quite a niche demographic aimed very much at the now grown up fans of the original TV series only.
Bonus scenes?: Yes there’s mid and end credit scenes
related feature : Kevin Smith talks about the possibility of a series 3 of Masters of the Universe
related feature : Three iconic superhero moments James Gunn refuses to film…
Here’s the Masters of the Universe trailer…….
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