'Masters of the Universe' embraces He-Man's cheesiness in a ridiculous and fun adventure; g1 already seen

To the surprise of many people, after some trailers of dubious quality and the questionable idea of ​​updating a somewhat outdated franchise of 1980s heroes, "Masters of the Universe" is a good film.
It's fun, it's colorful, it's funny and it's ridiculous - very ridiculous, just like the cartoon that inspired the new adaptation, more than four decades after its original release.
The "new He-Man movie", which premieres this Thursday (4) in Brazilian cinemas, proves that the mega-muscular doll's greatest strength has always been embracing the tackiness of his Chanel haircut and laughing at himself.
With an experienced director in the genre and a cast full of great surprises, like Perhaps Jared Leto's best performance since "Dallas Buyers Club" (2013), "Masters of the Universe" does a great job of introducing the characters to a new generation.
It remains to be seen whether anyone will actually want to see it.
Watch the trailer for 'Masters of the Universe'
On a not-so-superficial level, the film is very reminiscent of the ill-fated "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Rebels" (2023), which it also modernized a franchise born in toys and forgotten in cinemas, won over critics and the public who watched it - and in the end it failed resoundingly at the box office.
The comparison is inevitable since, like its distant cousin in spirit, the new He-Man is colorful, honors the original material much more than it should and doesn't take itself seriously. To the point of risking alienating fans of the original animation, who may have another version of the barbarians and burly monsters built over the years in their affective memory.
At the same time, at a time when the heyday of superhero films seems to have passed, the biggest challenge for the bombshell in gladiator shorts is actually convincing Gen Z and Gen Alpha viewers to buy tickets.
Nicholas Galitzine in a scene from 'Masters of the Universe'
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Well-done origin
If no one can stand more origin stories, "Masters of the Universe" is at least a well-done origin story.
In it, the exiled prince (Nicholas Galitzine) from a distant planet needs to find a legendary sword to return home and defeat a megalomaniac (Leto) and insecure skull-faced villain.
Of course, like other examples of the genre, it takes time to show the protagonist in all his glory or to exalt his famous catchphrases - and it even commits the sin of taking him to Earth, an idea that historically goes much more wrong than right.
But the film makes it work, even though the entire initial sequence with the hero's childhood is a bit painful.
Most responsible for this is Galitzine ("An idea of you"), who gives credibility to the ridiculousness of the premise and the character's absurd powers with an enviable timing for humor.
On the other hand, Leto is wasted with the caricatured mannerisms of the skeletal antagonist and, even hidden behind a face created by computer graphics, remembers because he was once one of the most promising actors of his generation.
Jared Leto as Skeletor in a scene from 'Masters of the Universe'
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He-Mannaissance?
With the excellent stop motion animation "Kubo and the Two Strings" (2016) and the competent "Bumblebee" (2018) on his resume, director Travis Knight was the biggest - and perhaps only - reason to have a little hope.
Luckily, the filmmaker delivers the sensitivity necessary for "Masters of the Universe" to work, with the fan's perspective necessary for an author who doesn't worry about what other admirers of the cartoon will think.
Along with screenwriter Chris Butler, Knight's former partner who wrote the plot based on previous versions by other people, he mixes references that go beyond the animation, such as the countless memes that support the characters over the years, and an updated message for a new audience.
In between, he still found space to give a completely acceptable justification for the characters' silly names, such as Aríete (Jon Xue Zhang) and Mekaneck (James Wilkinson).
More than anything, the film also boasts a lightness that represents the true spirit of the franchise in the 1980s.
Idris Elba, Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes in a scene from 'Masters of the Universe'
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Finally, it is mandatory to praise the score sound by Daniel Pemberton. Along with his work on the incredible "Star Eaters", in March, the composer of both "Aranhaverso" is increasingly establishing himself as one of the most exciting in current cinema.
"Masters of the Universe" is a bad idea that had no right to work. Against everything and everyone - and with a good helping of right choices in cast and crew -, somehow it works.
If new generations come to watch, it could be the beginning of a He-Mannaissance (a Rebirth of the hero, if you prefer). But someone needs to be willing to give a chance to a barbarian in a leather thong in 2026.

Art/g1
Nicholas Galitzine in a scene from 'Masters of the Universe'
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Source: G1