Masters of the Universe

“Masters of the Universe” opens with a young Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) struggling to find his place as the son of a mighty warrior king. When his kingdom is attacked by the great evil Skeletor Jared Leto, Adam is sent to Earth for his own protection. There, he grows up with full memory of his life on another world, but no one believes his strange stories and persistent pursuit of a sword.

Let’s start with the acting. The acting is campy and leans heavily into the spirit of the cartoon while still trying to maintain some semblance of live-action realism. It works surprisingly well. The ensemble cast does a solid job, though there are no major standout performances. The actor playing Adam gives off vintage Brendan Fraser vibes, which I found enjoyable, if a little unexpected.

As for the plot, it is very much textbook camp based on the cartoon. There is not a lot that can be done to reinvent the source material, so the film embraces what it is and has fun with it. There are several jokes that play into the memes surrounding the villain and his laugh and the franchise as a whole, which fans will likely appreciate.

Regarding objectionable content, there are a handful of random swear words throughout the film, particularly at the beginning, that felt unnecessary and out of place. There are also references to drunkenness and a few adult-oriented jokes and sexual innuendos. Most of them are fairly mild, but they often feel forced and do not really land.

From a biblical perspective, The film deals with life on other planets and fantasy elements that obviously do not align with a biblical worldview. However, one theme stood out to me: Belief in the truth that you know despite what the world beleives. Adam lives in a world that denies the truth about his identity, but he proclaims the truth regardless.

As Christians, we live in a world that is increasingly disconnected from objective truth and God. No matter what the world says, we must remember who we are. We are God’s creation, we are His children. That identity is more important than anything the world tries to place upon us. It is also our responsibility to share that truth and the hope of the Gospel with a world that often rejects or refuses to believe it. Our great Community is to spread the Gospel truth to everyone who will hear, even if they deny it, refused to believe or think we’re crazy.

The swearing and occasional adult humor in this film is unnecessary, but if you grew up with the cartoon, this movie leans heavily into that nostalgia. Just proceed with caution regarding the language and sexual humor. Fans of the original series will likely find a lot to enjoy.

• Violence: Very Heavy— • Arm ripped off • Character’s jaw ripped apart • Gunfire • Stabbings • Close-up extraction of blade from chest • Sword fights • Fist fights • Blood on faces • Spitting blood • Skulls impaled on pikes
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderately Heavy— • Partially enunciated F-word, • S-words (2+) • P*ssed • A** (6) • Character called a “pussy” • Boob
• Profane language: Moderate Heavy— • G*d d*mn (1) • Oh my G*d (2) • G*d • Oh G*d • H*ll (3) • “Give ’em heck”
• Nudity: Moderate— • Male upper nudity • Female cleavage and form-fitting clothing
• Occult: Heavy— • Magical powers (land of Eternia is filled with it) • Uttering apparent incantations • Sorcerer • Blasts of supernatural energy, lightning to flash and swirling clouds • Violent skeleton character with glowing red eyes • Skeletor says, “I am no mere king, I am a devil. But I want to be a god.”
• Sex: Moderate— • No sex scenes, but there are references, innuendos, and double entendres (character called “Fisto” “You fist people” / “Give em head” / size of a character’s sword) • Woman remarks about a man’s loincloth being in her face • Remark about something large dangling between a man’s thighs
• Drugs/Alcohol: Mild— • Drunk • Character referred to as being “high”
• Wokeism: Moderate

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.