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Masters of the Universe (2026) has finally landed on Amazon Prime. Is it worth 144 minutes of your life, or is it another let down like the infamous ’80s live-action version? As a Gen Xer who grew up loving every Mattel toy commercial disguised as a cartoon, here are my thoughts.
Synopsis
A young Prince Adam of Eternia is tragically separated from his legendary Sword of Power and left stranded on Earth. It takes 15 years and living in corporate human resource hell but he is reunited with the sword that leads him back home to discover his destiny.
Masters of the Universe is directed by Travis Knight. It has some well known cast that includes Nicholas Galitzine, Jared Leto, Kristen Wiig, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Idris Elba, and Morena Baccarin. It was released in theaters this year on June 5th and hit Amazon Prime for streaming on July 22nd.
Thoughts
Saying my expectations were low going into Masters of the Universe would be a massive understatement. Let’s be honest—Jared Leto is all kinds of red flags. As well as the emotional baggage I am still carrying from the original live-action version. That 80s cast of Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Meg Foster as Evil-Lyn was absolutely a chef’s kiss moment, but the rest of the film is a complete dumpster fire.
Anyways, getting back to the new Masters of the Universe. The film hit all my nostalgia from the cartoon version. The casting of Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man was a perfect human embodiment of the cartoon version. The details with his character were flawless right down to the difference of his hair when he is Adam or He-Man. The nod to all the pop culture references with the 4 Non Blondes and a cameo from the previous live action He-Man was great!
At 144 minutes, Masters of the Universe has a hefty runtime, but it never felt too long because of excellent pacing. The story moves along effortlessly, and the little nods to the classic cartoon genuinely warmed my heart. Every familiar reference had me eagerly waiting for another beloved character to appear. In fact, just as I found myself criticizing the absence of a couple of fan favorites, they showed up in the mid- and post-credit scenes—a perfect way to leave fans smiling. The inserts of comedy in the story was exceptional done, with inserts of “adult” humor that acknowledges the core audience is all grown up now.
To be honest, I’m hard-pressed to find many criticisms of the film. Jared Leto will probably always be cringe to me, but thankfully, as Skeletor, both his voice and appearance are so heavily transformed that he’s virtually unrecognizable.
My biggest issue was the casting of Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn. She’s a talented actress, but she just didn’t feel like the right fit for the role. I couldn’t help but think back to Meg Foster’s unforgettable portrayal in the 1987 film. She had that naturally haunting, enchanting presence that made Evil-Lyn feel both captivating and genuinely intimidating. Alison Brie gives a solid performance, but for me, she never quite embodied the character in the same way.
Final Thoughts
While watching Masters of the Universe, I kept catching myself saying, “I’m surprised by how good this is.” It exceeded every expectation I had, and by the time the credits rolled, I was genuinely disappointed that I hadn’t experienced it on the big screen.
This is the Masters of the Universe movie my 7-year-old self always dreamed of getting. Thankfully, my adult self finally got to experience it.
If you have Amazon Prime, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. Then come back and let us know what you thought!
