When Prince Adam raises his sword and shouts, “By the power of Grayskull… I have the power!”, I am transported to another era. He is no longer Adam, but the legendary He-Man. I am no longer the adult who walked into the theater, but the child lying on the floor in front of the television, imagining the limitless powers of that He-Man. This character is one of the most influential figures of my childhood; the He-Man action figure was one of my most treasured toys. Nostalgia and skepticism blend as I face Masters of the Universe on the big screen after the failed 1987 attempt.

What this Travis Knight film does well is its commitment to capturing the essence of the animated series. Not only in terms of character portrayal, but also on a conceptual level. Masters of the Universe adheres closely to fantasy, embraces it, and makes it the strongest foundation of its narrative. This is a film that knows exactly what it is and does not try to be anything more. The fantastical world of Eternia, with He-Man and Skeletor facing off head-to-head, is where the film finds its best form. When we leave that animated world and see Adam without his powers on planet Earth, the film loses momentum.

Masters of the Universe is a fan-service film. It is difficult for audiences who did not grow up with the animated series to connect with it. Even though the story tries to include subtext that ties it to Superman’s origins, with a lone son sent to Earth before his home planet’s collapse, it is not enough to engage viewers unfamiliar with Orko or Cringer. Travis Knight seeks to replicate the cartoon to conjure the magic of Eternia and Castle Grayskull. For the most part, he succeeds, despite some creative changes to key characters such as Duncan, played by Idris Elba. Where it succeeds most is with Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man and Jared Leto as Skeletor. This interpretation of Skeletor makes us forget the unfortunate version portrayed by Frank Langella in the 1987 film.

Those 2 hours and 20 minutes weigh heavily on a script that has strong moments, but also many sequences that do not contribute to its narrative rhythm. Masters of the Universe is an entertaining film, a big-screen vindication of a character that transcended television to become a pop culture icon. The film does not seek to reinvent a myth, but rather to show its true essence. It leans into emotion and nostalgia, and with the cry “I have the power!”, He-Man makes the price of admission worth it.