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Masters of the Universe Review: Can He-Man Bring Back the Magic?
By Paul Perez
There are some movies you watch because you want to see a good story.
And then there are movies you watch because you want to feel something.
For me, Masters of the Universe falls into that second category.
I grew up with He-Man in the 1980s. Along with Transformers and G.I. Joe, these were the characters and worlds that helped define my childhood. So sitting in a movie theater decades later and watching characters like Skeletor, Trap Jaw, and Ram Man appear on the big screen(some of these characters for the second time) was more than simply watching another fantasy adventure.
It was a chance to revisit something I loved as a kid.
And that is probably the biggest benefit of Masters of the Universe: if you grew up with He-Man, this movie allows you to experience that excitement again.
But does the movie actually deliver?
Jason and I watched the film on June 4th at the AMC Empire 25 in New York City.
Here's our YouTube review.
The Movie Feels Like a Big Adventure
One of the first things we noticed was just how impressive the movie looks.
Jason described it as a high-end Amazon MGM production with incredible visual effects, and I agree. The movie feels like a legitimate big-screen fantasy adventure.
But it doesn’t take itself so seriously that it forgets what He-Man is supposed to be.
When I was thinking about what other movies could help someone understand the experience, I immediately thought about Shazam! and Dungeons & Dragons.
Those movies have action, adventure, comedy, and heartfelt moments. They’re fun without being straight-up comedies.
That’s exactly the kind of experience I got from Masters of the Universe.
And that matters because the wrong approach could have made this movie feel either too silly or too serious.
Instead, it finds a middle ground.
You get the big action sequences, but you also get humor. You get powerful heroes and dangerous villains, but you also get moments that remind you not to take everything too seriously.
The benefit? You can enjoy this as a fun adventure even if you’re not analyzing every detail of the story.
Then Skeletor Appears
But for a longtime fan, the real magic happens when you start seeing the characters.
Skeletor looked incredible.
And that was the moment when the kid who grew up watching He-Man came back for a little while.
We’ve seen these characters before, but seeing them realized with modern visual effects gives them a completely different presence.
And Skeletor is especially interesting because the character has evolved beyond simply being a cartoon villain.
Over the years, his laugh, personality, and over-the-top nature have become part of pop culture. Social media has made Skeletor into a meme celebrating his ridiculousness.
The movie seems to understand that.
Skeletor can be threatening.
But he can also be funny.
And Jason and I both agreed that Jared Leto’s performance as
Skeletor was one of the highlights of the movie.
I shot this back in May 2026…this huge display/entrance of #castlegrayskull #mastersoftheuniverse. pic.twitter.com/aiIWdrHuHe
— paul_v_perez (@paulvperez1) August 9, 2026 That’s a big benefit for longtime fans: the movie doesn’t just recreate the characters—it gives them a chance to feel familiar while still making them work in a modern movie.
He-Man Is Actually Easy to Root For
The actor playing He-Man was another pleasant surprise.
I’d never seen him in anything before, but he does something important with the character.
Yes, he’s supposed to be big, strong, powerful, and capable of taking on just about anybody.
But he also has an endearing quality.
He can be a little goofy.
And that makes him someone you want to root for.
He isn’t simply the muscle-bound superhero who walks into a room and beats everybody up.
He can be powerful when he needs to be, but he also has personality.
And there’s another aspect of the character that I appreciated.
Without getting too deeply into spoilers, there’s an idea in the movie that maybe every problem doesn’t have to be solved by fighting.
At one point, He-Man essentially suggests that they should talk things out.
And honestly?
I liked that.
It’s a funny idea coming from He-Man—the guy whose entire image is built around strength and a magical sword—but it’s also a surprisingly positive message.
Sometimes the strongest thing you can do isn’t throw a punch. Maybe it’s finding another way to solve the problem.
But There’s One Thing Holding the Movie Back
Unfortunately, nostalgia can’t fix everything.
Jason and I both agreed that the story is the movie’s biggest weakness.
It’s loose.
The movie has plenty of things happening, but the story doesn’t always feel as tightly connected as it could be.
And I had a specific problem with He-Man’s transformation.
Adam becomes He-Man, but the movie doesn’t give us enough of the journey.
There’s no real training montage where we watch him learn how to become He-Man.
There’s no extended process of discovering what it means to take on that responsibility.
He becomes He-Man.
And then he’s ready to go.
For a character this iconic, I wanted more.
I wanted to see the journey.
Because that’s part of what makes a hero interesting.
We don’t just want to see what someone can do.
We want to see how they became the person capable of doing it.
That missing development is what keeps Masters of the Universe from being a great movie for me rather than simply a really fun one.
But Here’s Why I’d Still Watch It Again
Despite that criticism, I had a really good time.
And I think that’s important.
There are movies you watch once because you’ve seen them.
Then there are movies you want to put on again because they’re fun to spend time with.
Masters of the Universe is that second kind of movie for me.
The visuals are fun to look at.
The characters are entertaining.
The action delivers.
The humor works.
The nostalgia is strong.
And the soundtrack, including some of the rock-oriented music and songs from the past, adds another layer to the experience.
All of that gives the movie rewatchability.
If you’re someone who enjoys putting on a movie at home after a long day simply because you want something entertaining, Masters of the Universe could fit nicely into that category.
You don’t necessarily have to watch it because you need to solve the mysteries of its complicated story.
You can watch it because you want to have fun.
So, Is It Worth Seeing?
Jason gave the movie a 7.5 out of 10.
His biggest issue was the story. He enjoyed the visuals, action, performances, and overall experience, but felt the lack of a stronger story holding everything together kept the movie from scoring higher.
I gave it an 8 out of 10.
And I’m willing to admit that nostalgia probably gave my score a little extra juice.
But that’s okay.
Movies are supposed to make us feel something.
For me, seeing these characters brought to life reminded me of being a kid and watching He-Man, Transformers, and G.I. Joe.
And if you’ve ever had a movie, television show, toy, song, or video game that transported you back to your childhood, you know exactly what I mean.
The Bottom Line
Masters of the Universe isn’t perfect.
The story could have been tighter.
He-Man’s transformation could have been developed much more.
But if your biggest question is “Will I have fun watching this?”, my answer is yes.
Especially if you’re a longtime He-Man fan.
You get impressive visuals, memorable characters, action, comedy, nostalgia, and a strong performance from Jared Leto as Skeletor.
And perhaps most importantly, you get the opportunity to see something you loved as a kid become something you can enjoy as an adult.
You can rent/watch/buy Masters of the Universe here. This is an affiliate link.
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