Masters of the Universe (2026) Movie Review

Masters of the Universe (2026) Movie Review: Plenty of Power But It's Not Enough

We're not exactly the target audience for Masters of the Universe and in fact, our memories of He-Man and the franchise are slim to none. But we actually see this as an advantage allowing us to approach the film with an open mind and without the weight of nostalgia. The end result is a serviceable fantasy adventure that's entertaining enough on its own. But if you're expecting more, it falls short of delivering the modern-day resurgence the franchise was gunning for.

After spending more than a decade separated from Eternia, Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) finally locates the Sword of Power. The weapon leads him back to his home world but only to find it devastated under the tyrannical rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and restore peace to Eternia, Adam reunites with old allies such as Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan (Idris Elba) to finally stop Skeletor for good.

As an origin story, Masters of the Universe deserves credit for attempting to do it differently. One of the film's more interesting choices is avoiding the familiar trope of a hero who has forgotten their past. Adam remembers Eternia and has actually spent his years on Earth searching for the Sword of Power. This approach works particularly well during the film's opening acts where Adam struggles to find his place on Earth while remaining obsessed with returning home. Unfortunately, the film begins to lose momentum as it progresses. Despite running for more than two hours, it never fully develops the relationships between Adam and the large supporting cast surrounding him. The focus shifts toward comedic moments at the expense of meaningful character interactions are too often leaving several key relationships feeling underdeveloped.

One pleasant surprise for us is Jared Leto as Skeletor. Given some of his more divisive recent performances, he delivers a committed and entertaining take on the iconic villain. For us, he actually ended up being one of the film's standout elements. Visually, the film is a mixed bag. Some sequences successfully capture the beauty of Eternia while others are weighed down by unconvincing CGI. At the end of the day, Masters of the Universe is a fun and a largely mindless adventure that offers enough entertainment to justify the ride. However, while it succeeds as a standalone blockbuster, we're not convinced it does enough to justify a franchise comeback.

Rating: 3 reels