Masters of the Universe (1987)

Score: 4 / 10
Category: Movie
Platform: Streaming

One-line verdict

A childhood staple that doesn’t survive adult scrutiny—ambitious, oddly derivative, and weighed down by clumsy plotting despite its nostalgic charm.

Why I revisited this

I decided to rewatch Masters of the Universe because a new iteration is slated for release in June 2026, and this movie was a big part of my childhood. I was barely ten when I first saw it, so it felt like the right time to revisit something that once defined that era for me.

Watching it now, as an adult, was… revealing.

How it plays today

The movie almost feels like a parody—though I know it isn’t meant to be. He-Man was a massive 80s cartoon, and this was clearly an earnest attempt to bring it to live action.

The opening leans heavily into a Superman-style grandeur, and once Skeletor is introduced, it’s hard not to notice how much of his presentation feels lifted straight out of Star Wars. The influences aren’t subtle.

The core story is simple: He-Man and friends attempt to rescue the Sorceress from Skeletor, fail, get transported to Earth, and continue the fight there. The Earth detour, however, feels unnecessary and deflates much of the fantasy momentum.

Where it breaks

• Several plot threads go nowhere. Charlie’s shop, for example, contributes almost nothing.
• The Cosmic Key is poorly executed. The sound synchronization is off—tapping motions don’t visually register, making the prop feel weightless and fake.
• Pacing is uneven, and transitions feel more accidental than intentional.

The section below discusses casting and tone.

Cast and nostalgia

In modern terms, Dolph Lundgren is the only widely recognizable name, alongside an early appearance by Courteney Cox. Beyond that, the cast doesn’t leave much of an impression.

Nostalgia does help—but only to a point. It wasn’t enough to push the score higher once the flaws became obvious.

Final thoughts

This movie meant a lot to me as a kid. As an adult, it’s clear that ambition alone doesn’t carry it.

Between derivative elements, awkward plotting, and technical roughness, Masters of the Universe lands at a 4 / 10 for me. Watchable for nostalgia, but not strong enough to stand on its own today.