The funny thing about living in the ‘Golden Age’ of remakes in conjunction with an ever-changing and neverending nostalgia boom is that we either get a) grade A slop that lacks in a compelling story in favor of fan service or simply ignores the source material altogether, or b) something so good it heals your inner child and makes you genuinely happy that a brand new generation gets to discover it for the first time. Enter: Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe, which takes everyone’s favorite loincloth-wearing warrior prince (and all of the memes that have surrounded him in the years following his debut) and turns it into a campy action-comedy about the pesky need to prove yourself.
Though you could easily compare it to Transformers or Voltron, He-Man is one of those toy-turned-cartoon phenomena that stands out especially for its overall weirdness. The titular character is a rather aloof prince and his nemesis is a dude with a skull for a face who’s really into maniacal laughter. Rather than lean into the overall absurdity, the 1987 live-action movie starring action man Dolph Lundgren plays it pretty straight, and wants the viewer to think they’re watching a true fantasy-adventure film a la The Dark Crystal (which I don’t really think is speculation, seeing as both films share the same screenwriter).
Travis Knight’s 2026 take on Masters of the Universe, however, is more of a Marvel-esque blockbuster that embraces the absolute goofiness of He-Man’s lore and puts him on Earth as a confused 20-something who’s desperate to find his way home – and doesn’t mind telling everyone he comes into contact with about it. A first date goes badly because he tells her about his childhood on Eternia, he gets fired for his incessant sword searches on company time, and he gets arrested for finally finding said sword. Let me just say: it’s not what I expected.
Looking camp right in the eye
It’s the way Adam is so unapologetically himself and doesn’t see the need to make up a backstory (at the suggestion of his roommate) and settle for a life on Earth that just… got me completely. There’s one part where his roomie says, “Can’t you just live for the weekend and wait until your next vacation?” Well, no, actually. Adam knows he’s meant for something more. And I think Knight wanted us to take that and apply it to ourselves. In fact, I think the entire movie is meant to give us a kick in the pants by way of feeling happy and hopeful and never settling for less than what we truly deserve.
And if you’re wondering what that has to do with He-Man, well, that’s kind of what the whole thing’s about (to me, anyway). When he yells, “I have the power,” it’s not because his super cool sword is giving it to him. It’s actually because the power inside his heart (if you want to get cheesy about it), and there’s a beautiful scene in the film where the Sorceress reminds Adam that she chose him for a reason… and that it doesn’t matter who gets their hands on the sword, because only he has the true power to wield it.
So yes, the movie is a big ol’ metaphor. And it really does beat us over the head with it. However, I didn’t really mind it all that much. I love the idea of a kiddo sitting down to watch the movie and walking away feeling enlightened and inspired… and while all the meme references and other ‘adult’ themes are meant for the adult He-Man fans watching the film, I truly think the rest is meant to instill hope in a younger generation.
Yes, the movie spends far too much time on Earth. Yes, the joke-per-minute format was a rather, uh, interesting choice. But Nicholas Galitzine and Idris Elba made me cry. And even the post-credits scene made me cry! And Skeletor is so brilliantly acted that I’m almost ready to forgive Tron: Ares for all of whatever that was. I don’t know if Masters of the Universe is the movie that the world needs right now, but it’s definitely the one that I need right now.
Masters of the Universe is in theaters now. For more, check out our list of upcoming movies, or plan out the rest of your movie-going year with our 2026 movie release dates guide.
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