Review of Masters of the Universe (1987) by Lewis C — 19 Dec 2008

Masters of the Universe is a lot like the Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers movies. If you were fans of this stuff when you were younger, then nostalgia alone pretty much guarantees that you will enjoy this movie. If you don't have those fond childhood memories to fall back on, then Masters of the Universe may not be your cup of tea.

I only have vague memories of He-Man and Skeletor from my childhood, so I'm not a fan by any definition. To me, this was just another cheesy 80's movie. I didn't particularly like the whole "coming to Earth" angle. The story would have been better served by staying in Eternia and not bothering with the lame couple and annoying police officer. Some elements seem to be stolen outright from Star Wars, the acting was hilariously over the top, and the backstory wasn't explained in a way that makes the movie accesible to someone who is unfamiliar with the plot. And let's not even talk about the horrible costumes.

But if you're a general fan of all things Masters of the Universe, you don't need this review. This movie was probably made for the fans specifically, the rest of us won't even realize what we're missing.