Okay, so I’m just another bandwagon-jumper, right? Just another ’80s geek getting my panties in a twist over a film that’s yet to start production? Well, yeah… but, hey, I’ve seen this kind of stuff get screwed up by the idiots in Hollywood enough to know there’s probably a lot of truth behind the rumor.
Oh, you’re the one that didn’t hear about this yet?
Yeah… once again, the suits have somehow managed to convince the creators that films can only work if set on planet Earth. Forget that the fantasy worlds of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings - two of the most successful franchises in motion picture history - have zero or little reference to our fair planet whatsoever. Forget that good storytelling is born of great characters, not where they live. Forget all that… because some bright spark knows better. Masters of the Universe is set to take place on Earth once again.
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Following the huge success of this year’s Transformers, the floodgates have opened - as predicted - for a variety of ’80s toy- and cartoon-inspired films to appear over the coming years. G.I. Joe, Voltron and now Masters of the Universe are on the drawing board. And, as always, it seems the financial success of one film has led to a copycat mentality. In this case, it’s the idea that any film in this “genre” must follow the same Earth-based narrative - presumably so that we, as an audience, may be babied into relating to a central, wide-eyed human observer.
Is it not enough that - for all its success at the box office - Transformers was largely criticised for its weak plot? Is it not enough that the first cinematic outing of He-Man was a massive embarrassment? Masters of the Universe could well be a beautiful amalgamation of the alien worlds of Star Wars and Tolkien’s Middle Earth - a film to take the recent run of fantasy cinema in a new and unusual direction. It’s just going to take a little creativity and a mind open to the potentially extraordinary world of Eternia.
But an Eternia-on-Earth? Please. If you’re going to crap on the existing fanbase this badly, why not just go and create an unrelated film in the first place. Either way, you’ll be finding a new audience.
Source: IESB.net
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15 Comments
this is a bad idea at face value, but the idea that they screwed up He-man this EXACT same way already is what cinches it.
Give the people what they want. plenty of Orco!
Well, technically Middle Earth *IS* Earth (albeit a fictional/mythic time period), but really, I couldn’t agree with you more. Eternia really is interesting enough, isn’t it?
I know everyone wants Skeletor, but I’d love to see this do well enough to spawn a sequel. Hordak is really where it’s at…
WHAT A WASTE! I loved the 80’s MOTU and the resent Cartoon Network MOTU is 10 times better then the orginial! It SICKENS me to see another “could be” mega franchise executed by Hollywood suits on screen. Hopefully this franchise can be saved by the fanboy like GI Joe was. Sooo sad…
And here I was hoping He-Man would be one of the good adaptations. I know it was wishful thinking but I didn’t expect them to mess things up this badly right out of the gate. Sad.
Maybe I’m off-base, but wasn’t the original He-Man cartoon cheesy as hell?
Vic
It was, Vic… but the characters and the world were cool. The 2002 series was where they really added depth. The cheesiest thing was the names - like Buzz-Off, Fisto and Trap-Jaw - which I would happily see replaced with ‘proper’ ones for the most part.
As for Middle Earth being ‘Earth’, Karyyk, I don’t think that counts… I mean, so long as nobody’s mentioning our reality and there are no people from our ‘dimension’ going in as a ‘rock’ for the audience, Middle Earth or - in the case - Eternia could be Uranus for all I care. So long as it’s completely different, has the right name, the right environment and no pimple-faced kid in a t-shirt a jeans… I’m happy. But, if that’s the case, why say it’s to be set on Earth at all?
And… about Hordak… I’m with you! Though I don’t he’d appear ’til a sequel. After all… he’s the REAL badass. Wasn’t he Skeletor’s mentor?
Kane Adrian explained MOTU perfectly. The 80’s cartoon was definitely cheesy, but the comics and 2002 version were told by fanboys (like myself) that saw the depth and beauty of the world Eternia which is as vast and magical as Star Wars and LOTR, but with a Conan/Superman twist. If He-man’s tell is told properly, this frachise could equal or best that of Pirates or LOTR. Just give the franchise to someone that is as passionate as Peter Jackson. Give it to Sam Ramia(?), he’s very interested in the Hobbit(belief Jackson back on that)and this would be a frachise that he would definitely excel in.
Sorry, but I highly doubt that He-Man could realistically rival LOTR
Agreed… but it will have more appeal than Eragon or The Golden Compass, I imagine.
So am I the only one having flashbacks to Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time?
Thankfully, I’ve never lowered my standards to such a point that I’ve seen a Beastmaster film…
No one’s saying He-Man’s an automatic success. It needs to be done thoughtfully and with some class, that’s for sure. I mean, I couldn’t imagine anything less appealing than if they’re all vein-covered bodybuilders.
It’s the otherworldly locations and mythological elements mixed with unique superhero-style characters that appeals to me.
I totally agree with the majority of the comments here. I was a massive fan of MOTU back in the 80s - expecially the comics and toys.
The 200x series was the best update of a 80s cartoon - period. That is the route the new movie NEEDS to take, I find it isulting that they would dare change the very thing that MOTU is based on -Eternia is NOT Earth, He-Man/Adam is NOT a soldier, Skeletor is NOT a magic hating techno-freak!
MOTU can seriously match the success of POTC with the right look, cast and storylines, the property has huge amounts of potential, why change the main points of the series? If you must change things, change some of the cheesy names.
See… now THERE’S a valid comparison!
I highly doubt MOTU could rival LOTR… but if a lame Disneyland ride can become a rich franchise like POTC, why can’t a lame ’80s cartoon series follow suit?
It just needs some brains behind it, rather than a money-hungry studio looking for a quick cop-out.
There’s certainly no shortage of Skeletor-likenesses out there in the celebrity/actor pool (if you don’t mind your a female version).
I loved the toys and cartoon back in the 1980s, but I didn’t even bother with Dolph Lundgren and Courteney Cox in 1987’s Masters of the Universe.
We’ve had a rush of superhero flicks; remakes of old (and not-so-old) films; I guess now Hollywood has a hard-on for old action figure lines turned into potential popcorn movies.
well, i think a he man sequel is a must. because cool kids, jocks and geeks alike all must rejoice at the good times of eternia. also, the hero role should be filled by someone who really is really gonna wow kids. Hoolywood if you’re reading - Vin! Vin! Vin! Vin DIESEL!!!
Kids will know its cool because ‘diesel’ like ‘ripped’ means SUPER-BUFF. HELLO!! >:)+)
-anon. cool geek
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