He-Man and the Masters of the Universe review: Nicholas Galitzine shines in old-school campy and fun superhero adventure

HE-Man and the edgar lee masters of the UniverseDirector: Travis KnightCast: saint nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared latona, Alison Brie, james iv Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, and Idris ElbaRating: ★★★⯪ societal media is a curious beast. Over the years, it has revived several beaten-down IPs and franchises from the past, transforming them into ‘cult classics’ through the magic of memes and chat forums. Masters of the Universe is one such franchise. Skeletor memes and dancing He-Man GIFs began a resurgence of interest in the universe, and the reboot dutifully followed. And, as a few other franchises have done of late, Masters of the Universe plays up the fun, playful, campy side of its predecessors, providing entertainment by being unserious yet not frivolous.The premisePrince Adam of Eternia must flee his utopian kingdom after the evil warlock Skeletor overthrows his father, the king, and seizes control of Eternia. Entrusted with the magical Power Sword, he escaped through a portal to Earth. But as he loses the sword, Adam grows up searching for it, trying to convince anyone who believes him about his magical homeland. Eventually, he finds a way to return and must now battle Skeletor for his kingdom. The biggest weapon in his arsenal - the sword that turns him into the mightiest warrior in the universe - He-Man. A fun ride through and throughHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe never takes itself too seriously. It knows it is a film about a toy line from the 70s, popularised by a campy 80s cartoon. It brings the same irreverence to a big, mainstream action film in a style that is reminiscent of the 80s and 90s. But it does so quite smartly, akin to how Mortal Kombat did it very recently. The film knows its stakes and sets them up quite neatly. But it also knows that the original characters had names like Fisto and Ram Man, and never fails to poke fun at it.The character of Skeletor, in particular, has been handled quite well. In the original show, he was an evil buffoon - scary yet corny. Somehow, Travis Knight has managed that in a live-action adaptation without diluting the character’s aura and heft. The character design and his glowing eyes do help. And his quips and jokes are managed in a way that he never loses his inane threat.The visuals are striking, beautifully building the world of Eternia. In a day and age of VFX oversaturation, Masters of the Universe manages to create a believable world of wonder. It follows the usual tropes, but you are not out here looking for an Avatar-level world-building. You just want to be ‘sufficiently’ immersed, and this film manages that.One of the highlights of the film is Nicholas Galitzine. Many were amused by the casting when it was announced two years ago. In the interim, Nicholas built himself up to look like He-Man. But more than his physical transformation, he brings innocence, humour, and likability to this role, which makes you root for him. Not since Chris Hemsworth have we had a ‘beefcake’ who was more than that - warm, likeable, and a solid performer.The minor faultsYes, there are a few things that do not work in this film. Its penchant to diffuse tension with a line or joke at heightened moments gets to you after a while. Marvel has overdone it for a decade, and He-Man threatens to follow the same path before course-correcting. There is also the Jared Leto question. The actor brings nothing to Skeletor beyond his name. The voice is the weakest aspect of the villain’s characterisation, and one wonders if a Jim Carrey-esque route would have been a better choice for the part.But He-Man and the Masters of the Universe offers what few films today do: a fun time at the cinema. It allows you the luxury to unwind, laugh, and cheer for your heroes, adding a tinge of evergreen nostalgia for good measure.