This is under U because it is about the Universe being saved.
Writer: David Odell (Screenplay)
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Meg Foster, Billy Barty, Courteney Cox, Robert Duncan McNeill, Jon Cypher
Plot: The heroic warrior He-Man battles against the evil lord Skeletor and his armies of darkness for control of Castle Grayskull.
Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Cult Classic 101
Story: Masters of the Universe starts as the evil Skeletor (Langella) is looking to gain the power of Grayskull, with only one threat He-Man (Lundgren) needing to stop him before he takes his new power and takes control of the land, which sees the two sides clash and He-Man, Teela (Field), Gwildor (Barty) and Duncan (Cypher) leaving the Eternia world, finding themselves in America.
When Julie (Cox) finds the key to which Skeletor needs, he sends soldiers to retrieve it, which leads her to He-Man that must step up and fight to protect Earth too now.
Thoughts on Masters of the Universe
Characters – He-Man is the fearless warrior that defends Eternia, the good following, the evil want him dead, he is stronger than any other person on the planet and will never back down from a fight no matter what the odds are against him. Skeletor is the evil lord looking to gain complete power of Eternia, he does this by force over anything else, killing anyone that goes against him. Evil-Lyn is the one leading the hunt for the key and He-Man, she has powers which will let her get anything she wants, proving to be an asset for Skeletor to have by his side. Gwildor is one of the soldiers that works with He-Man, he likes what he finds on Earth and is usually used for a laugh along the way.
Performances – Dolph Lundgren in the leading role has the look for the role, which is needed for the film, he looks like he would beat most people in a fight too. Frank Langella as Skeletor is great because his voice adds even more evil to the role. The rest of the cast fit in well, working for the characters they are playing.
Story – The story here follows the adventures of He-Man as he looks to save the universe from the evil Skeletor who is trying to gain control and take over the universe using force. When superhero style movies weren’t a big thing, this was one that gave us the first live-action version of a comic book character, it is big, it is cheesy, being everything it needs to be for the concept behind the film of good versus evil, with the battle showing how one will always try for more power and the other will always step up to prevent it.
Action/Fantasy – The action is big, it is everything you would imagine a live action animated character would have, with the fantasy worlds showing the different mindsets between the characters.
Settings – The film uses the two main settings, with Eternia and Earth, it shows the different in beliefs and styles when it comes to fighting evil.
Special Effects – Being made in the 80s this does have effects that work for the large scale style of the film, they add the charm to what makes this one of the cult classics of a generation.
Scene of the Movie – The final battle.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The humans are annoying.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun over the top 80s movie, it does show how you can bring the larger than life animated characters to life and can enjoy the over the top battles they find themselves in.
Overall: Fun Movie
