Film Review: Masters of the Universe

Masters of the Universe
Director: Travis Knight
Mattel Studios, Escape Artists
In Theaters: 06.05.2026

A big part of the summer movie season is those deeply “toy-etic” franchise blockbusters that have kids leaving the theater saying, “I’ve got to get me one of those!” On the heels of The Mandalorian and Grogu bringing Star Wars back to the simple realm of matinees and merchandising, we have Masters of the Universe, a property that was literally designed as a reverse Star Wars. Instead of being geared towards making kids come out of the movie wanting the toys, the idea was to get them coming home from the toy store, figures in hand, longing for a movie that is finally here. 

Fifteen years after escaping the magical world of Eternia as a child, Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine, The Idea of You, The Sheep Detectives) has grown up on Earth with only fragmented memories of his true home. Living an ordinary life in Oklahoma City, he becomes obsessed with finding the lost Sword of Power — the key to his destiny. When the sword is recovered, Adam is reunited with the warrior Teela (Camila Mendes, Riverdale, Do Revenge), and returns to Eternia only to discover that the kingdom has fallen into ruin under the rule of the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club, Tron: Ares). Dismissed as an outsider, Adam must rally a fractured band of heroes, embrace his true identity and unlock the power of Castle Grayskull to save Eternia.

Masters of the Universe is a gaudy and goofy film that finds its center by lovingly embracing its source material even as it’s making it the butt of the joke. This is a movie that is as much a parody as anything else, with the clever concept of turning the ridiculous names of characters such as Fisto and Ram Man into creations of a 10-year-old Adam who was trying to piece together a home and childhood with fragmented memories. Director Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Bumblebee) and his screenwriting team have found an ingenious take on Masters of the Universe, inviting us to see Eternia through the eyes it was always meant for: those of a young boy filled with wonder, vulnerability and uncertainty. Beneath the film’s epic battles and fantastical imagery is the story of a child struggling to reconcile a rigid ideal of manhood with the far messier reality of discovering who he truly is. Adam’s journey is driven as much by confusion, imposed expectations, wrongheaded teaching and self-doubt as it is by courage and determination, giving the film an emotional core that feels surprisingly sophisticated while never taking itself too seriously. Complementing that spirit is the unabashedly cheesy, gloriously nostalgic ’80s-inspired score by Daniel Pemberton (Project Hail Mary) and Queen guitarist Brian May, which captures the era’s bombastic energy while underscoring a thoughtful exploration of what we teach young people about strength, heroism and what it means to be a man.

Galitzine is a revelation as Adam, playing the character as an oddball adult who is still a scared child inside, possessing a heart of gold under a musclebound physique that allows him to work as a relatable “every geek” type. However, regardless of all of the baggage that comes with the name Jared Leto, it’s the Oscar winner’s outrageously entertaining take on Skeletor that everyone is going to be remembering. Knight has found the perfect vessel for Leto’s scenery-chewing antics, and this is a performance that brings to mind the kind of gleeful brilliance that we saw in Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, or Jim Carrey in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, with one big difference: Knight never lets his star’s energy become self-indulgent enough to overshadow the rest of the film. Mendes is a strong and capable female lead, and Idris Elba’s Doncan, aka Man At Arms, is a mix of toxic masculinity and deep regret that balances thoughtfulness with boisterous bluster.

Masters of the Universe is an absolute hoot, and sets a new standard for what this sort of movie should be that Hasbro could learn from. It’s as smart as it is endearingly stupid, and it’s a terrific opportunity to open discussion between parents and children about concepts surrounding gender roles. It’s also a chance for people without kids to be transported back to the magical realm of their own child. This movie has the power! —Patrick Gibbs

Read more film reviews by Patrick Gibbs:
Film Review: Power Ballad
Film Review: The Mandalorian and Grogu