A star rating of 3 out of 5.
Get ready for ‘Game of Bones’! After almost 20 years in the making, the classic 1980s Mattel action figure line is back. Revived thanks to the huge success of the ‘Barbie’ movie, He-Man and his friends offer a fun dose of nostalgia for today’s audiences.
Sadly, this movie probably won’t become a classic like other toy-based films. Despite its good points, it lacks the special something needed to make it stand out from typical, overblown blockbusters.
The movie stumbles a bit as Adam’s attempts at humor fall flat, but things pick up when he finds his sword in a comic book store. This transports him back to Eternia with Teela (Camila Mendes), a friend from his past and the daughter of Duncan (Idris Elba), his father’s former advisor who is now struggling with alcoholism. After a slow period of learning to control his powers, Adam teams up with old friends of the King (James Purefoy) to restore his family’s honor, retake their castle, and defeat the villain Skeletor, ultimately saving the universe.
The disappointing final fight between Adam and Skeletor highlights the film’s inconsistent tone, which director Travis Knight (known for Bumblebee) couldn’t quite pull together into a satisfying comic book adaptation. The movie jarringly switches between intense action – like Adam being choked by Skeletor – and mundane scenes, such as him getting scolded at work.
The movie tries to be funny with its over-the-top action, but the combination of serious themes and silly jokes just doesn’t land. And the dialogue, especially for the tough character Fisto (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), is really bad – did nobody question these jokes before filming?
The story is a charmingly cheesy science fiction adventure, but it’s also quite drawn-out and relies too much on dialogue. It takes a long time for the basic conflict between good and evil to actually get going.
Galitzine is perfectly cast as the strong, imposing character, though he could have also played a classic hero. Unfortunately, Mendes doesn’t make a very interesting heroine, and Elba barely manages to elevate a weakly written role. And Leto’s over-the-top Skeletor feels like a performance that would have been better suited for a different, more theatrical production.
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The film relies heavily on exaggerated cartoon emotions, predictable culture clashes, and fast-paced action, all seemingly geared towards selling toys. While Greta Gerwig successfully used the absurdity of Barbie to explore themes of female empowerment and finding oneself, this movie doesn’t achieve that same depth. That’s particularly frustrating considering the impressive artistry and nuance of the director’s first animated film, Kubo and the Two Strings.
Masters of the Universe offers a nostalgic experience for some, featuring cameos from Dolph Lundgren, Orko, and brief post-credit scenes. However, others might find it a predictable and lukewarm adventure that relies heavily on the energy of Daniel Pemberton’s fantastic disco-rock soundtrack, which includes guitar work by Brian May. It’s a fun trip down memory lane for fans, but may not offer much beyond that.
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2026-06-02 16:37