‘Masters Of The Universe’ review: Nicholas Galitzine wields the Sword Of Power in irreverent, conventional actioner

Dir: Travis Knight. US. 2026. 141mins

Approaching its source material with self-deprecating humour and a playful spirit, Masters Of The Universe brings the 1980s Mattel toy back to the big screen, laughing at the property’s more ludicrous qualities while trying to satisfy an ageing fan base. That mixture of irreverence and by-the-numbers action spectacle makes for an unpredictable, fitfully amusing experience that, unfortunately, fails to sustain its charm over an extended running time. But as he did with his 2018 Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, director Travis Knight nobly attempts to enliven standard franchise fare.

Fails to sustain its charm over an extended running time

Rolling out worldwide from June 3 (it opens in the UK on June 3 and the US on June 5), the film is unlikely to reach the commercial heights of previous Mattel adaptation Barbie, which boasted bigger stars and a more ubiquitous brand name. Masters Of The Universe began as a toy line in the early 1980s, with He-Man and his archnemesis Skeletor soon turned into a popular animated series, which was then adapted for a live-action film in 1987 starring Dolph Lundgren; a box-office failure. Subsequent television series followed, but this is the first film based on the property in nearly 40 years. Starring Nicholas Galitzine (a former Screen Star Of Tomorrow), Jared Leto and Idris Elba, it is likely to face mediocre reviews and a crowded marketplace.

Skeletor (Leto) has enslaved the citizens of the planet Eternia, but not before young Prince Adam managed to escape to Earth with the mythical Sword Of Power, which might one day help him defeat the wicked sorcerer. Fifteen years later — and unable to get home — Adam (Galitzine) has resigned himself to working in a human resources department as he searches online for the whereabouts of the missing sword. Just as he finds it, Skeletor’s forces chase after him — as does Teela (Camila Mendes), a brave rebel warrior Adam knew back when they were both children on Eternia.

Assisted by six credited writers, Knight envisions Masters Of The Universe as a throwback blockbuster, recalling the sincere heroics of Star Wars and the wholesomeness of the 1978 Superman. After making his feature directorial debut with Laika’s animated 2016 picture Kubo And The Two Strings, Knight supplied a sweetness and humanity to Bumblebee that were lacking in Michael Bay’s earlier Transformers films. His latest film similarly benefits from its refusal to take itself seriously, although the picture never resorts to camp or self-parody. The franchise’s lore is lovingly teased throughout, including a running joke involving Adam, who becomes He-Man when he wields The Sword Of Power, being mocked for his familiar loincloth get-up.

Galitzine plants his tongue in his cheek while playing Adam, who was notoriously wimpy as a boy (and as an adult) before he embraces his destiny to save Eternia. The actor has the appropriate flowing blond locks and rugged handsomeness, but he undercuts the character’s imposing physique by being endearingly awkward. That said, the screenplay’s insistence that Adam incorporate conflict-management speak that he learned in H.R. while fighting Skeletor is just one example of the film’s hit-or-miss comedy.

The demonstrably boyish enthusiasm extends to the adorable but chaste chemistry between Galitzine and Mendes, with Teela insisting she sees Adam as just a friend. The two characters’ intentional lack of a sexual spark does run counter, however, to the screenplay’s litany of snickering double entendres — a supporting character is named Fisto — which suggests that Masters Of The Universe wants to appeal to the juvenile side of its audience, who may not themselves be all that young. The broad comedic approach extends to performances by Elba, who portrays Teela’s once-mighty father Man-At-Arms, now a drunk since Skeletor took over Eternia, and Kristen Wiig voicing the de rigueur wisecracking robot sidekick.

Eventually, Adam will face off against Skeletor, whose skull face and glowing red eyes are menacing — an impression that Leto intentionally undercuts by making him almost Trumpian in his desperate desire to seem like a tough guy. It would be a spoiler to reveal other ways in which Knight pokes fun at the cliches of megalomaniacal cartoon supervillains, but here too the film sports a relentless mischievousness that pushes against the nostalgic fan service that usually powers such projects.

Sadly, Masters Of The Universe does overdo its myriad nods to earlier He-Man shows and films — not to mention piling on end-credits scenes introducing other characters who might appear in sequels. At nearly two-and-a-half hours, the film ultimately succumbs to blockbuster conventionality and the stifling demands of brand management. But like the timid Adam transforming into the swaggering He-Man, occasionally the picture transcends those confining strictures to become something a little more confident and carefree.