Masters of the Universe (2026) Review: He-Man Meets Awkward Millennial Comedy

2.5 out of 5 Stars

Masters of the Universe (2026) Review

Directed by: Travis Knight

Written by: Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, David Callaham

Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Allison Brie, Jared Leto, Idris Elba

Release Date: June 5, 2026

Masters of the Universe is a deeply silly film.

For the most part, that’s a good thing. You can’t really take a concept involving a magical sword, a muscle-bound hero named He-Man, and a skull-faced villain named Skeletor with complete seriousness and expect modern audiences to go along with it. The film understands this and leans heavily into comedy.

The problem is that the particular style of comedy it embraces eventually becomes exhausting.

I’m not asking for grim realism or tortured drama. Masters of the Universe should be fun. It should be colorful. It should be a little ridiculous. But the film repeatedly relies on a cringy, apologetic, awkward brand of humor that quickly runs out of steam.

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Nicholas Galitzine Gives It His All

Nicholas Galitzine appears to be a wonderful sport throughout the entire movie.

He plays Prince Adam of Eternia, Adam the corporate H.R. employee, and eventually Adam as He-Man, the legendary champion destined to save his world. Galitzine commits fully to every version of the character, and it’s difficult to fault his performance.

The issue is how the character is written.

Adam spends much of the movie stumbling through conversations, apologizing for himself, awkwardly explaining things, or simply standing in uncomfortable silence while other characters stare at him. The joke works the first few times. By the tenth or twentieth variation, it becomes predictable.

Scene after scene follows nearly the same rhythm. Adam enters. Adam fumbles. Adam embarrasses himself. Everyone pauses. Then someone else advances the story.

The formula becomes so repetitive that it starts to feel like watching He-Man filtered through The Big Bang Theory.

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Eternia Gets a Strong Opening

Ironically, the movie begins with some of its strongest material.

Skeletor, played by Jared Leto, destroys the kingdom of Eternia in pursuit of the Sword of Power. With the help of the Sorceress, portrayed by Morena Baccarin, Prince Adam and the sword are sent to Earth for safekeeping.

Unfortunately, Adam immediately loses the sword.

Fifteen years later, he is still trying to convince people that he is actually a prince from another dimension. Unsurprisingly, nobody believes him.

Instead, Adam spends his days working as an H.R. professional at a vaguely defined corporation while obsessively drawing pictures of Eternia and searching internet forums for clues about the missing sword.

It’s a bizarre setup, but at least it’s memorable.

Once Adam finally recovers the Sword of Power, the story shifts back toward the fantasy adventure many viewers probably expected from the beginning.

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The Supporting Cast Delivers

The cast surrounding Galitzine is generally solid.

Camila Mendes brings warmth and energy to Teela, Adam’s childhood friend and eventual ally. Idris Elba lends some gravitas to Man-at-Arms, Eternia’s greatest warrior and Teela’s father.

Allison Brie appears as Evil-Lyn, Skeletor’s loyal lieutenant, while Jared Leto disappears completely beneath the makeup and voice work required to bring Skeletor to life.

Oddly enough, Leto may be one of the film’s strongest elements. Since audiences never really see his face, there’s none of the baggage that sometimes accompanies his performances. Instead, he gets to fully embrace Skeletor’s weirdness.

The result is a villain who feels appropriately theatrical, strange, and larger than life.

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Fan Service and Toy References Everywhere

Fans of the original toy line and animated series will likely appreciate the number of references scattered throughout the film.

Characters such as Lockjaw, Ram-Man, Fisto, and Mech-A-Neck make appearances along the way.

The film’s explanation for these famously odd names is actually fairly clever. Adam used the nicknames as a child, and upon returning to Eternia years later, he continues calling everyone by those childhood labels.

This leads to yet another running joke in which Adam repeatedly apologizes for not remembering anyone’s real name.

Some viewers will probably find this charming.

I mostly found myself wishing the movie would stop apologizing for its own mythology and simply embrace it.

One of the enduring appeals of Masters of the Universe is its complete lack of self-consciousness. The characters are named Fisto and Ram-Man. That’s part of the fun. Constantly winking at the audience about it only draws attention to the absurdity instead of allowing viewers to enjoy it.

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A Colorful Fantasy That Never Fully Commits

Visually, the movie works better than it doesn’t.

The production design is bright, colorful, and intentionally cartoonish. Travis Knight understands that Eternia should feel larger than life, and the film generally succeeds in creating a world that resembles a live-action version of a Saturday morning cartoon.

Action scenes are competent, the pacing moves quickly enough, and the movie never becomes boring.

The problem is that it rarely becomes memorable either.

For every moment that captures the adventurous spirit of He-Man, there’s another scene built around awkward pauses, self-deprecating jokes, or characters apologizing for the very concept of Masters of the Universe.

The film seems caught between embracing its source material and laughing at it.

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Final Thoughts

Perhaps Masters of the Universe simply isn’t for me.

The audience that enjoys modern awkward comedy may find a lot to like here. The film is lighthearted, family-friendly, visually appealing, and filled with references longtime fans will recognize.

For my tastes, however, the humor became repetitive long before the credits rolled.

It’s far from a disaster. In fact, it’s often perfectly passable entertainment. Jared Leto makes a surprisingly effective Skeletor, the fantasy elements are colorful and energetic, and Nicholas Galitzine gives a committed performance.

I just wish the film had a little more confidence in its own mythology.

Sometimes the best way to make something ridiculous work is not to apologize for it.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars