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Published 15:58 6 Jun 2026 BST
Updated 19:35 6 Jun 2026 BST
This is the latest reboot of the classic sword-and-sorcery franchise by toy manufacturer Mattel, which has already inspired several animated TV shows and a 1980s film starring Dolph Lundgren.
Directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee, Kubo and the Two Strings), the new movie sees Nicholas Galitzine (Handsome Devil, The Sheep Detectives) play He-Man. As a boy, he lived as the prince of Eternia, a faraway planet filled with magic.
When Eternia was attacked by the villainous Skeletor (Jared Leto), however, He-Man’s parents transported him to Earth for safety. They also left him in the possession of an all-powerful sword, which he lost upon his arrival on the new planet.
Now, an adult and going by the name Adam Glenn, He-Man longs to return to Eternia. This is complicated by the fact that no one on Earth – from his roommate, to his first dates, to his manager in his office job – believes his fantastical claims.
When He-Man eventually tracks down the Sword of Power, he is swept up in an adventure that takes him back to Eternia, which now looks far less glorious than he remembered.
Overlong at 140 minutes and highly derivative of several other recent fantasy films – most notably the Thor franchise, but also Guardians of the Galaxy and Dune – Masters of the Universe nevertheless has a charm.
Galitzine is a likeable lead, with great comic timing. He’s surrounded by a game cast, which also includes a scene-stealing Idris Elba (having a blast playing an inversion of his role in the MCU), as well as Alison Brie and Camila Mendes.
There’s plenty of entertaining fish-out-of-water antics. This is best exemplified by the early section of He-Man on Earth, as well as anytime the hero attempts to use conflict-resolution strategies he learned in his desk job to deal with Skeletor and his cronies on Eternia.
Plus, for fans of the franchise, there are plenty of fun easter eggs and in-jokes.
It must be said that the humour, camp tone, and pleasingly candy coloured aesthetic are often undercut by extended, CGI-heavy fight scenes. The movie cost a reported $200 million to make, and you can tell.
Yet, if you appreciate high fantasy and are looking for a light, undemanding time at the cinema, you’ll probably get a kick out of the 2026 version of Masters of the Universe.
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On top of Erupcja and Tuner (which we’d both recommend for different reasons), cinemagoers this week also have the option of seeing the new action sci-fi Masters of the Universe.
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