To borrow a phrase from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the established hierarchy in Hollywood is shifting. Last weekend, The Mandalorian and Grogu suffered a surprising stumble at the box office, losing out to two modest-budget horror films. This marks a historic moment, as it is the first time a Star Wars entry has relinquished the top spot during its second week. To add insult to injury, IMAX theaters have begun pulling the pint-sized Force user from screens to make room for another massive spectacle: Masters of the Universe.
There is a poetic irony here, considering Mattel originally envisioned the Masters of the Universe toy line as a direct, sword-swinging counter-punch to the Star Wars phenomenon after declining the licensing rights in 1977. Now, nearly fifty years after living in the shadow of the Death Star, our leather-clad hero may finally find himself standing toe-to-toe with the legendary franchise that inspired his existence.
Admittedly, Masters of the Universe isn’t necessarily a lock to dominate the box office when it arrives on June 5. However, while He-Man’s latest cinematic outing might not rewrite the rules of the film industry, director Travis Knight—the visionary behind Bumblebee and Kubo and the Two Strings—has achieved something rare: he has crafted a movie that is visually arresting.
From the saturated, dreamlike vistas of Eternia to the intricate, tactile armor of his warriors and the seamless digital wizardry of Industrial Light & Magic, the film is a masterclass in aesthetic world-building. Before the industry potentially shifts toward darker, grittier trends, this stands as a vibrant, maximalist sci-fi fantasy that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
The narrative follows Prince Adam, who starts as an unassuming youth on an interstellar world where heroes protect the mystic Castle Grayskull. When the malevolent Skeletor (played with relish by Jared Leto) arrives, Adam is forced to flee to Earth with his source of power. He loses his edge, spending a decade trapped in the drudgery of suburban life before finally reclaiming his mantle and returning to Eternia to rally his allies against the dark forces threatening his kingdom.
What keeps the film grounded is Knight’s “animator’s eye.” He treats Eternia with a colorful, high-fantasy reverence that feels like a Saturday morning cartoon rendered with the grandeur of a sweeping epic. The practical effects and creature designs feel tangible and weighty, a refreshing contrast to the overly reliant CGI spectacles we’ve grown accustomed to in modern blockbusters.
The action is equally impressive, characterized by a sense of momentum and clarity that makes every sequence—from high-speed aerial chases to visceral, grounded combat—feel consequential. Leto’s Skeletor is a triumph, finding a perfect balance of camp and menace that anchors the film’s lighter moments. It is an unexpected, glorious return to the kind of big-budget, earnest fun that has become increasingly scarce in multiplexes today.
Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters on June 5.
Source: Polygon
