Masters of the Universe (2026) (4K Ultra HD Review)
DIRECTED BY: Travis Knight
STARRING: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto
RATED: PG-13/Region: 0/2:39/2160P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM Paramount
I’ll admit it: I went into Masters of the Universe with pretty low expectations. After years of Hollywood trying to figure out what to do with beloved properties, I was fully prepared for another nostalgia-fueled exercise in questionable decisions, unnecessary changes, and executives desperately trying to turn childhood memories into a cinematic universe. But much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed this one. Well, I’ll be damned. Apparently Eternia still has some magic left in it.
The movie manages to capture enough of what makes Masters of the Universe fun while giving us a new adventure with these ridiculous, wonderful characters. And let’s be honest, this franchise has always been gloriously over-the-top. You’ve got a muscle-bound guy with a magic sword, a villain who looks like a walking Halloween decoration, and enough bizarre creatures and characters to make a toy store inventory department have a nervous breakdown. It’s basically a fantasy fever dream, and I mean that as a compliment.
One of the biggest surprises for me was Jared Leto as Skeletor. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but he does a damn good job bringing the character to life. Skeletor needs to be theatrical, menacing, ridiculous, and just the right amount of completely unhinged. Leto embraces that larger-than-life personality and makes for an entertaining villain. He’s got the evil laughs, the attitude, and the general energy of someone who desperately needs to be banned from every therapy office in the universe. He’s Skeletor, after all. Being well-adjusted was never really an option.
Now, not everything gets handled quite as well as I’d hoped. Some characters get a little more love than others, and poor Moss Man feels like he got dragged into the production, handed a participation trophy, and told to be grateful he was invited. Seriously, there’s so much material to work with in this universe, and some of these characters deserve more than being treated like background decorations at an Eternian garden party. There’s a whole world of weirdos here, so let’s actually use them!
That’s really my biggest takeaway from the movie: there’s still a ton of potential left in this franchise. We’ve barely scratched the surface of all the characters, locations, villains, and ridiculous adventures that could be brought to the screen. If Hollywood can keep its hands off the self-destruct button long enough, there’s plenty more stories worth telling.
Final verdict: I went in expecting to be disappointed, but Masters of the Universe turned out to be a genuinely enjoyable surprise. Jared Leto makes for a great Skeletor, the movie has enough entertaining fantasy nonsense to keep me happy, and even though a few characters like Moss Man deserved better, there’s plenty here to build on. I really hope this gets a sequel because Eternia has way too many interesting characters to pack everything into one movie. Give me more He-Man, more Skeletor, more bizarre creatures, and maybe let Moss Man actually do something next time (If that’s possible given the outcome here). By the power of Grayskull, don’t let this be a one-and-done!
Extras
- Behind the Scenes Gallery
- Masters of the Light Feature
