Masters of the Universe Review: Travis Knight Strikes the Perfect Balance of 80s Camp and Modern Blockbuster Heart
“The Power of Grayskull” officially took over Toronto last night. Thanks to a generous invitation from MGM Studios Canada, I had the chance to attend the advance Toronto premiere of Amazon MGM’s highly anticipated live-action adaptations of Masters of the Universe at the Scotiabank Theatre.
Before the lights even went down, the energy in the lobby was electric. MGM rolled out the red carpet for fans, critics, and influencers, offering some incredibly cool photo opportunities and setting the perfect nostalgic mood. To top it off, the pre-screening festivities included a costume contest, where the crowd went wild for a winner who absolutely crushed it as She-Ra.
But once the lights dimmed, the real question remained: Could this franchise successfully transition to modern live-action? The short answer is yes.
Honouring the Camp without Punching Down
Directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee), the film takes us right back to the mystical realm of Eternia. The premise follows Prince Adam – played with fantastic charisma by Nicholas Galitzine (The Sheep Detectives) – who must track down his legendary Power Sword to stop Jared Leto’s menacing Skeletor from taking over the universe.
Going into the theatre, I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about how the tone would handle a property deeply rooted in 1980s toy-line lore. Dusting off He-Man for a modern audience is a tightrope walk, but Knight completely nails it.
The movie brilliantly avoids taking itself too seriously. It fully understands and embraces the fact that the original 80s cartoon could be incredibly corny, addressing those quirky, retro elements in a playful, deeply self-aware way. Crucially, it never punches down or insults the audience’s intelligence. It strikes that rare golden balance of being unapologetically campy while maintaining a genuine, emotional heart.
A Soundtrack Fit for Eternia
Beyond the visuals, we have to talk about the music, which is absolute perfection.
The main Masters of the Universe theme is a bombastic, 80s-inspired anthem delivered by the legendary UK glam-rock band The Darkness and boasts a stellar production team consisting of composer Daniel Pemberton and Queen’s iconic guitarist Brian May. It is exactly the kind of fist-pumping, high-energy theme a movie like this deserves. The rest of the soundtrack is equally robust, peppered with brilliant throwback tracks from The Cure to The Killers that keep the momentum moving at a breakneck pace.
Final Verdict & Fan Teases
For the long-time fans heading out to see this, keep your eyes peeled. There is a brilliant cameo tied directly to the 1987 live-action film that will leave you smiling. And whatever you do, do not leave your seat when the credits start rolling. You will definitely want to stay for the mid-credit and post-credit scenes, which are bound to have a massive segment of the audience immediately clamouring for a sequel.
Whether you grew up playing with the action figures or are simply looking for a massive, fun summer blockbuster to kick off the season, this film completely delivers.
Masters of the Universe hits theatres this Friday, June 5th.
