Masters Of The Universe

Masters of the Universe (1987)

Runtime: 106 minutes

Directed by: Gary Goddard

Starring: Dolph, Frank Langella, Courteney Cox, Robert Duncan McNeill, Meg Foster

From: The great Cannon studio

I rewatched this on Monday for a good reason, as I explain below: 

It was most appropriate for me to watch this film on 8/7/17, as it was released into movie theatres on 8/7/87, and I did see it on the big screen as a 6 year old-my mom took me to see it with my two sisters. I know it wasn't my first-ever theatrical experience but it was the first movie I remember definitively seeing that way. After the fact I watched it on VHS then DVD but the last viewing was a long time ago, so what better time for a blast to the past?

I understand those that don't like the movie either due to its incredibly cheesy quality or how due to the great Cannon studio was having a lot of money trouble so most of the movie is not in the universe's homeworld of Eternia but instead due to a wacky device known as The Cosmic Key that makes musical tones, those characters are in mid 80's California... I recognize that and yet due to nostalgia, I can't hate the film. I have no idea why it's taken years to get a proper He-Man movie started... 80's nostalgia is so strong now, there's no good excuse for it not happening already. While the movie may turn out to be not good, it'd still be nice for the fans to hope it'd be bitchin', and they would get to see Battle Cat/Cringer, Orko, and the other favorite characters.

This movie is quite silly and you don't want to think about the plot too much; even then, it has its 80's charms. It definitely is hardcore 80's, and not just for the plot of The Cosmic Key being mistaken for “a new Japanese synthesizer”. At least the heroes are likable, including the teenagers on Earth played by Robert Duncan McNeill and Courteney Cox; those two could have been aggravating. Those that remember James Tolkan from 80's films like Top Gun and Back to the Future will know what to expect here in his role as a police officer. I did laugh that Skeletor's minions included Meg Foster, a short silver creature, a bootleg Predator, a hairy bipedal beast, and a bald dude known as Blade, which helpfully explains what his gimmick is. And of course it's always nice seeing Dolph Lundgren, and he certainly looks the part... even if he hadn't perfected his acting skills quite yet.

But the biggest highlight is Frank Langella as Skeletor; he devours the scenery as the villain, spouting plenty of dialogue you'd expect a stage actor to spout during a play; it's a lot of fun. Other cool things include some great matte paintings & an amazing final battle that looks like the setting of a Duran Duran music video. Series fans not liking this, I can understand; I only have faint memories of the cartoon so that doesn't get in the way of me liking this. I do appreciate how the people involved tried their best with what they had, and to list an example, the Castle Grayskull set does look pretty nice. I just hope the new Masters of the Universe movie-set to not come out until late 2019-isn't a flop that does not even have the charm of this or is a product that the people involved don't really care about.