Amazon MGM Studios and director Travis Knight took another expensive shot at bringing Mattel’s beloved and now vintage toy line to life this year with an underperforming but highly entertaining cinematic adventure in Masters of the Universe (Alliance Entertainment, rated: PG-13, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 140 minutes, $37.99).
Much more faithful to the action figures and their mythology than the 1987 version, the fantasy adventure, now in the 4K disc format, delivers an eye-candy-rich, action-packed struggle between good and evil on the distant planet Eternia.
The story focuses on Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) escaping his home world as a child, under assault by the skull-faced sorcerer Skeletor (a maniacal Jared Leto) and spending 15 years living on Earth, unaware of the important destiny awaiting him.
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When he finally recovers the mystical Sword of Power at a collectibles toy store, after having lost it on Earth during his escape, the prince returns to Eternia and discovers his kingdom completely under the tyrannical control of Skeletor, sinister lieutenant Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie) and an army of monstrous henchmen.
Determined to rescue his imprisoned parents, King Randor (James Purefoy) and Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley), he joins forces with the fearless warrior Teela (Camila Mendes) and her father, Duncan, also known as Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba).
Helping the heroes are the mysterious Sorceress (Morena Baccarin), the powerful warrior Fisto (Johannes Haukur Johannesson) and the mechanical Roboto (voiced by Kristen Wiig).
As Eternia faces destruction, Adam must embrace his birthright, unleash the legendary power of Grayskull and transform into He-Man, the universe’s mightiest champion, to defeat Skeletor and reclaim his kingdom.
The movie handsomely succeeds, thanks to exciting action sequences, Eternia’s world-building, wild special effects and bringing to life nearly two dozen legends from the multimedia and action-figure universes.
Besides the main stars, those include the heroes Ram-Man (Jon Xue Zhang) and Mekaneck (James Wilkinson); He-Man’s way-too-cute pet green tiger Battle Cat (voiced by Tom Wilton); vicious cyborg villain Trap Jaw; evil, pointed Spikor (James Apps); and even Karg (voiced by Ben Pronsky), Skeletor’s half-bat minion from the original movie.
Most importantly, Mr. Knight blends a nostalgic celebration of “Masters of the Universe” with a pinch of laugh-out-loud humor and themes of hope, family and perseverance in this greatly underappreciated movie.
4K in action: An absolute immersion into this colorful universe arrives via a single ultra-high definition disc that takes advantage of impeccable clarity and high dynamic range enhancement.
Although just examining the creation of the world of Eternia or specifically the decimated capital city of Eternos might be enough, I’ll point to three examples to make the case for this release’s visual brilliance.
First, early on, appreciate the psychedelic trails of color exploding on the screen as Prince Adam gets sucked through the portal from Eternia to Earth.
Next, watch the jaw-dropping transformation of Prince Adam into He-Man, with sword thrust to the heavens, all electrified to the maximum, clothes torn away, veins bulging and that familiar costume enveloping his muscle-bound body.
Finally, relish the stunning design of Skeletor with a perfect skull head and articulated mandible, sinewy blue musculature, glowing red eyes, purple cowl and cape and horned ram’s skull scepter.
And, as an extension and homage to the 1987 film, fans will fondly love a massive translucent hologram of Skeletor appearing in the sky to demand that He-Man surrender his sword.
Best extras: Considering the box office disaster for this film, I would have expected a much richer selection of extras to help sell the home entertainment release, with at least an optional commentary track from the director.
Alas, we are stuck with a 12-part promotional featurette covering the production that lasts under 15 minutes, filled with redundant clips from the film as well as He-Man spouting that famous line “I have the power” at least 10 times.
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