Masters of the Universe – Film Review

Director – Travis Knight
Writers – Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Stars – Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba

We first meet Adam (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) as a ten-year-old. He’s a typically gawky child and certainly not the fighting type. As the son of the King, however, he is expected to become both a hero and a warrior. Under the watchful eye of the King’s Man-at-Arms, Duncan (Idris Elba), he is trained in the art of swordsmanship. When Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his followers launch a surprise attack on the castle, chaos erupts. The King is taken prisoner, while young Adam and the Sword of Power are sent through a portal to his mother’s homeland: a distant planet called… Earth!

The film marks another attempt by Mattel to establish itself as a major force in cinema following the success of Barbie, and it adopts a similarly self-aware approach. While this adaptation of a popular toy line may not enjoy the same worldwide recognition as the iconic doll, it nonetheless holds a special place in the hearts of many men of a certain age.

There is almost as much comedy as action here. We next encounter Adam as a 25-year-old working in HR in America. His desk nameplate even lists his pronouns as “he/him”. More inclined to resolve conflicts through conversation than with his fists, he’s far from the conventional action hero, and much of the film’s humour stems from that contrast.

The cast is strong throughout, with Jared Leto given free rein to deliver a gloriously over-the-top interpretation of one of the campest villains seen on screen in recent years. Some of the innuendos he directs at his muscular counterpart feel as though they’ve been lifted straight from a Carry On film. The battle scenes are well crafted, with both fast-moving aircraft and hand-to-hand skirmishes.

If you’re expecting a painfully straightforward action movie aimed solely at pre-teen boys, prepare to be surprised. This is a light, breezy adventure that offers something for a much broader audience. Not every joke lands, and the film feels every bit as safe as its 12A rating suggests, but it’s refreshing to see the filmmakers embrace comedy rather than relying on the familiar spectacle of two men battling atop a mountain—a climax that has become all too common in many Marvel films. It’s refreshing to see a woke superhero get the job done!