The Sword of Power leads Prince Adam back to Eternia, a world shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor. Joining forces with Teela and Man-At-Arms, Adam must embrace his true destiny as He-Man -- the most powerful man in the universe.
Director: Travis Knight
Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Alison Brie, Idris Elba, James Purefoy, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Charlotte Riley, Kristen Wiig, Morena Baccarin
Release Date: June 5, 2026
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence/action, some suggestive material, and language.
Runtime: 2h 22m
Review:
Travis Knight’s adaptation of Masters of the Universe leans heavily into the absurdity of concept to deliver a colorfully weird but likable film that, echoes of 1980’s Flash Gordon, boast some fun action sequences and a pair of strong turns from Nicholas Galitzine and Jared Leto but its ultimately held back by a weak script and its overlong runtime. The film opens, much like Knight’s 2018 Bumblebee, with an extended action sequence that delivers everything anybody who grew up with the show in the 80’s could want as we see the various heroes and villains battle it out before settling into the main thrust of the story of Galitzine’s Adam trying to find his sword and his way back home. Galitzine has a likeable, goofy charm that’s reminiscent of Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent from the 80’s Superman which makes it easier to watch as he works through some of the script’s weaker moments in the early part of the film. Once Knight moves the action back to Eternia there’s a healthy sense that everybody is having a blast as we get a series of energetic action sequences and self-referential jokes that are generally fun. Unfortunately, there are more than a few dead zones which makes you wish there had been some judicious edits to make everything flow together more consistently. The script offers up plenty of comedic elements, some working better than others, along with an undercurrent about masculinity and dealing with emotions which is an interesting angle for this muscle-bound cartoon that’s not fully explored. You get the sense that there’s a more interesting version of Galitzine’s Adam and Idris Elba’s Duncan relationship, but the script doesn’t give it time to really germinate. Elba is fun in this role, but you get the sense he’d love to do something more substantial even his relationship with his daughter Teela, played by a focused Camila Mendes. Mendes delivers solid work, but her character feels a bit stiff for all the other goofy going around her as she’s mostly stuck playing the straight girl to everybody else. On the other end of the spectrum are Jared Leto’s Skeletor and Alison Brie’s Evil Lynn with both gleefully hamming it up every time they pop up onscreen. Leto’s work manages to capture the odd insecure megalomania of the cartoon character which makes him the most fun character in the whole movie. His dialogue and deliver are just pitch perfect, especially as he leans into the characters’ unapologetic evilness that doesn’t try to overthink his motivations too much, which lets Leto go wild. Brie isn’t given as much time to shine but she manages to leave enough of an impression that you wish the character was explored a bit more. Something the film could have easily done with its hefty nearly two hours and a half runtime to flesh out some of the character a bit more, as is Master of the Universe has its faults fans of the series are sure to find plenty of nostalgic enjoyment to be had.
B-
