NEWS

Starring Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam (He-Man) and Jared Leto as Skeletor, “Masters of the Universe” (2026) tells the story of Adam, prince of Eternia. Years after fleeing to Earth to protect himself and a sacred power from Skeletor's takeover of Eternia, Adam returns to learn to harness this power and take back his home. Based on the famous, and, often cartoonish, franchise from the 1980s, “Masters of the Universe” (2026) rarely takes itself too seriously. Comedic, almost satirical, the movie’s characters are exaggerated with witty one-liners and corny dialogue. Thankfully, these characterizations fit well into a franchise like this.

Jared Leto steals the show as Skeletor. Evil and proud of it, Skeletor is constantly trying to one-up himself in his cruelty and theatrics. Leto's performance is based heavily on the cartoonish, mustache-twirling villains of the 90s, complete with elaborate speeches, dark jokes, and exaggerated body language. Idris Elba is excellent as Duncan, the head of Eternia’s Guard. His timing and wit benefit the film greatly.

At the same time, while completely intentional, the levity can take away from more dramatic moments of the film. Serious scenes are sometimes hindered by the sudden injection of humor shortly afterwards. Yet, it keeps the overall mood light and fun, underscoring the fact that the film doesn’t take itself too seriously.

A very campy film, “Masters of the Universe” (2026) is a pleasant change of pace from the recent slate of dramatic, oftentimes dark, films appearing in theaters. With plenty of action and lots of comedy, this film is easily fun for the whole family.

6/10