Director: Travis Knight
Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Johannes Haukur Johanneson, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, Idris Elba
Screenplay: Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, Dave Callaham
141 mins. Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence/action, some suggestive material, and language.

How do you make a great film about toys? You understand that they are inherently silly, and you have fun with them. At the very least, the new Masters of the Universe took that to heart, and it successfully learns from every mistake the original film made back in 1987. Director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) has a special talent for understanding and molding tone for his directorial efforts, and he’s this new He-Man film all the energy of a child throwing his action figures into battle-smashing fun, most definitely a good thing.

When Skeletor (Jared Leto, Fight Club) invaded the Kingdom of Eternia, Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine, Bottoms) was sent to Earth to hide until a time when he can reclaim his kingdom. Unfortunately, he’s lost sight of the mystical Sword of Power, which can grant its users the abilities of a god. Without it, Adam spends years living a normal life on Earth until he’s able to reunite with the sword and head back home. Teaming up with childhood friend Teela (Camila Mendes, Palm Springs) and his former Man-at-Arms, Duncan (Idris Elba, Zootopia 2), Adam must muster the strength of the Sword of Power and the own strength within to defeat Skeletor and hopefully rescue his imprisoned family at the same time.

Masters of the Universe, like the recent Mortal Kombat II, really understands that the world and characters have always been silly, and that important tonal choices can make or break a movie adaptation. Thus, director Travis Knight has cleverly embraced the zanier elements and given them a layer of earnest care and attention. These are real living people within the world of Eternia, and they often have peculiar powers, abilities, and looks, but Knight doesn’t try to deconstruct them or make them darker or edgier. He has a vision of these characters, and he is unwavering. Knight wears his inspirations on his sleeves, and nowhere is that more apparent than a few very direct music choices.

The screenplay offers up a number of fun character moments for fans of the original animated series and the decades of pop culture permutations, and making the focal character journey for Adam is a relatable one, albeit a bit simple, but children viewing the film will likely gain a confidence boost from the quirky prince and his awkward stylings. The screenplay allows for a fun reasoning behind some of the (forgive me) dumber character names, and there are more than a few moments that will have lifelong fans cheering (I saw it with members of a He-Man fan club, and I could feel the positive energy), but none of it feels like inside baseball.

Galitzine is solid in the lead role. I was initially struggling to see him in the role of Adam and He-Man, but he nails the goofy sensibilities of the prince and he clearly hit the gym to attain the physicality of He-Man. Standouts include Camila Mendes as Teela and especially Idris Elba as Duncan, who gets his own redemptive arc while showcasing Elba’s emotional and comedic range.

For all its fun, there are a handful of jokes that feel like they were written for other movies, ones that just don’t work, and the run time is a bit too bloated, especially in the midpoint. The narrative is simple enough not to need 140+ minutes to tell the story. It’s not enough to detract from a truly enjoyable experience, and the stuff that works is much more than the stuff that doesn’t.

With shades of Flash Gordon, Speed Racer, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Masters of the Universe is a big boisterous and very goofy time at the movies, but that’s exactly what it needs to be. It’s funny, it has a good message, and it actively refines the original mythology, adapting it for the film medium and the modern pop culture landscape in an inspired way. Not all of it works, but purely as a form of escapism, Masters of the Universe is a thrillride worth taking, even for those unfamiliar with the character and world of Eternia. If nothing else, it’s proof of the importance of a good HR team.

3½/5
-Kyle A. Goethe

• For more Travis Knight: Kubo and the Two Strings.