Masters of the Universe

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1. ›Masters of the Universe Is Pure Eighties Fantasy Action. Flawed, Over the Top, and Still a Lot of Fun.@thefed96d

   Released in 1987, Masters of the Universe brought the popular He Man franchise to the big screen with a live action twist. It had a built in fan base from the toys and animated series, and expectations were high. What audiences got was something a little different. Not quite the epic fantasy many expected, but still an entertaining ride that has built a loyal following over the years.

   

   The film was directed by Gary Goddard, making his feature film debut. Goddard leaned into the action and spectacle while working within the limits of the budget. Instead of spending the entire film in the fantasy world of Eternia, much of the story takes place on Earth, which gave the movie a very different feel compared to the source material.

   Dolph Lundgren stars as He Man, and physically he looks the part. He brings the presence and strength you would expect from the character. While the role does not give him a ton of dialogue, Lundgren carries himself like a true action hero and fits the role well.

   Frank Langella as Skeletor completely steals the show. His performance is theatrical, intense, and fully committed. Langella does not hold back at all, and it works. He turns Skeletor into a memorable and entertaining villain who dominates every scene he is in.

   The supporting cast adds some interesting pieces to the film. Courteney Cox appears early in her career as Julie, one of the Earth characters who gets pulled into the story. Robert Duncan McNeill plays her boyfriend Kevin, bringing a lighter and more grounded presence.

   Billy Barty appears as Gwildor, the small inventor responsible for the cosmic key that allows travel between worlds. His character replaces Orko from the original series and adds a bit of comic relief to the film.

   

   The plot centers around Skeletor taking control of Eternia and attempting to gain ultimate power using the secrets of Castle Grayskull. He Man and his allies must stop him, leading to a battle that eventually shifts to Earth after the cosmic key falls into the wrong hands.

   One of the biggest criticisms of the film is the limited use of the Eternia setting. Fans wanted more of that fantasy world, and instead got a story that spends a lot of time in small town America. It is a noticeable shift, but it also gives the movie a unique identity.

   The action scenes are fun and very much a product of the eighties. Laser blasts, practical effects, and physical combat all come together to create an entertaining mix. It may not be polished by today’s standards, but it has a certain charm.

   Visually, the film does a solid job with costume and set design, especially when it comes to Skeletor and his forces. The look of the villain and his surroundings stands out as one of the stronger elements.

   What really keeps Masters of the Universe enjoyable is its energy. The movie knows it is a big, bold fantasy story and leans into that tone. It does not try to be subtle or overly serious.

   Frank Langella’s performance alone is worth the watch. He brings a level of commitment that elevates the entire film and makes Skeletor one of the most memorable parts of the experience.

   

   Masters of the Universe may not be a perfect adaptation, and it definitely has its flaws, but it remains a fun piece of eighties action fantasy. If you go in expecting a wild, slightly uneven, but entertaining ride, the movie absolutely delivers. It is a classic in its own unique way.

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2. ›Masters of the Universe (film): Definitely one of the best "bad" films ever@gooddream2596d

   I think this will possibly hit home with people that were alive and aware of their surroundings in the 80's. I believe the sentiment will kind of be lost on anyone who wasn't old enough to understand the allure of afternoon and weekend cartoon binge-watching sessions.

   [source](https://www.comicsbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/masteroftheuniverse.jpg)

   The He-Man and Masters of the Universe (errr, universe?) was everything back in the mid 80's. Rivaled by maybe only G.I. Joe, the amount of plastic crap that my family and friends of the family managed to acquire was easily from a retail perspective hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. We had Castle Greyskull, Snake Mountain, and whatever that rock cave was called, I think it was Hordak's lair. We also had dozens of action figures, all of which functioned in pretty much the same manor and a bunch of mounts (some of these things are worth quite a lot of money today.)

   Therefore, it is understandable that they would eventually make a feature-length film out of all this.

   [source](https://cdn3.movieweb.com/i/article/G5gQVR5WaTeqyJqQ3vgZJyLpw2ebI7/798:50/Masters-Of-Universe-Movie-Dolph-Lundgren-He-Man.jpg)

   They made a lot of mistakes in this one: The main one being that an animated series with mostly non existent entities (like giant tigers that serve as horses) was going to be very difficult or impossible to portray in a film. Keep in mind that this was 1987 and computers were all but non-existent and therefore CGI was too.

   The film is a mess and at the time this was universally panned because yes, it is pretty terrible and the action seemed to have little to no choreography and was extremely sluggish. However, if you watch this movie today it is one of those "so bad it's good" type things.

   [source](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNWE0MzE5ZTItNDRhNy00MmY3LTg2YTktYjUyNDQ1YmI1Zjg3L2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDAxMTYzMjQ@._V1_.jpg)

   Due to the fact that they didn't really have much of a budget for such and undertaking, it was necessary for the fantasy world that He-Man and Skeletor live in to not be in much of the film and they needed a much cheaper filming location.... something like.... New Jersey.

   and that is exactly where the battle for humanity ends up taking place... in all its ridiculous glory.

   [source](https://cdn-static.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeek/files/styles/main_wide/public/he-man-main.jpg?itok=GVrzAVNi)

   The acting is bad, the sets are obviously sound stages, the special effects are laughable and other than a few well-known MOTU characters, the film has nothing in common with the very popular cartoon and collectible empire. These stormtrooper-esque foot-soldiers that are simply cannon fodder... they don't exist in the cartoon.

   The laser effects used on weaponry is just hilarious and of course, just like their brethren in white, these Strormtroopers are also completely incapable of hitting anything with a blaster.

   So why am I writing about this now? As it turns out, a remake of this movie (hopefully not based at ALL on the source material) will be released in 2020 and while I am not getting my hopes up, it does seem like the increased technology that exists today should ensure a slightly better production. However, the 1987 original is unintentionally hilarious in the same way that many large-scale attempts at epic action / fantasy productions ended up being back in that time. If you enjoy a good laugh mixed in with some 80's nostalgia (as well as some critically acclaimed actors who regret being in this movie (Monica from Friends is in it!) then this is a great way to spend an afternoon.

   It is so entertaining in fact that it will get an overall rating that has never been used before.

   and yes, this was an actual character from the cartoons

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