Masters of the Universe was a beloved but cheesy Saturday morning cartoon that aired on syndicated TV from 1983-1986. The movie adaptation in 1987 starring Dolph Lungren was also an over-the-top presentation, but far less beloved.
Before The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones established cinematic fantasy within the pop lexicon, Masters of the Universe was another attempt by Hollywood to make the genre palatable for everyday audiences. The movie tried to be Star Wars and Conan with a dash of contemporary antics, which made for fun moments overlaid with heavy drama. Some parts worked better than others.
Bad: Creature Makeup
As befits a fantasy film, characters were made to look otherworldly and alien, but it didn't always work on camera. Although villain Skeletor’s prosthetics allowed actor Frank Langella (below) to emote, actors playing Karg and Beast Man seemed cosmetically welded in place.
Veteran actor Billy Barty especially seemed to have his face frozen under layers of makeup - he would end up nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for his performance as Gwildor. Barty looked (and acted) much better in Willow the following year.
Good: Supporting Cast
The supporting cast of Masters of the Universe included future stars James Tolkan (Back to Future), Courtney Cox (Friends), Christina Pickles (St. Elsewhere), and Robert Duncan McNeill (Star Trek: Voyager), doing their best with cliched roles.
Pickles and Meg Foster would come out particularly well, as the tortured Sorceress and nefarious Evil-Lyn respectively. Rarely has Foster’s piercing blue eyes and cold demeanor been employed so well on film.
Bad: Special Effects
It was obvious by the mid-point of Masters of the Universe, when evil Eterna forces descend upon small-town America, that not a lot was spent on special effects. The production seemed to save money by employing excessive flashing lights and hand-drawn animation to add to the action.
When Skeletor and He-Man undertake their final climactic battle, Skeletor is bathed in drawn-on colors, which looked bad even in the pre-CGI era of the eighties.
Good: Costumes
It’s difficult to translate the fanciful drawings of a Saturday morning cartoon, or the action figures they were based upon, into something at least slightly practical for our adventure. But many of the costumes of our favorite characters were recognizable, and the cast was able to at least walk down the street without toppling over.
Although dialed-back for practicality, the costumes for Man-At-Arms, Skeletor, and Evil-Lyn are impressive and foreboding. Even the evil black henchmen, obviously copied off of Star Wars stormtroopers, look menacing and militaristic.
Bad: Not on Eternia
In order to carry the “fish out of water” theme, you need the plot to leave the mythical Eternia for present-day Earth once in a while. The problem becomes when the narrative takes place extensively outside of Eternia, the home of the main characters, and most of the stories that inspired Masters of the Universe.
This was done to save production costs and give the story a more “down to earth” tone - but it's the first reason that is obvious and tiresome for the audience, until we return to Skeletor’s throne-room.
Good: Earthly Encounters
When the studio wants to save money by setting most of the story in the Hollywood backlot, the best thing the script can do is approach this restriction with conviction, and Masters of the Universe pulls it off. The script does well to graft He-Man’s adventure onto contemporary settings.
Although the scenes where teenagers navigate the musical “tones” become tiring, watching the Eternians struggle with Terran food, dress, and mid-80s urbanites is amusing and sometimes insightful.
Bad: Star Wars Envy
From the evil Skeletor empire to the robotic stormtroopers to the final saber fight, it's apparent that Masters of the Universe was trying to mimic the success the Star Wars franchise launched 10 years earlier.
Masters of the Universe wasn’t a complete ripoff - there is no guiding Force or epic space battle or mystical wizard in play (although there is a good witch/sorceress) - but the sci-fi aspects borrow heavily from Star Wars with much less impact. In the Star Wars franchise the action figures came after the initial success - but for Masters of Universe, it was the other way around.
Good: Dialogue
Defenders of the Masters of the Universe movie point to the crackling dialogue, parts of which would be at home in a Shakespearean play. What other movie based on a Saturday morning cartoon would dive into the “destitution, shame, and loneliness of scorn” or “the darkness that can embrace the light, but never eclipse it”?
A line from the Sorceress - “men who crave power look back over the mistakes of their lives, pile them all together and call it destiny” - would resonate in any movie. Some of the dialogue from the film - for example “tell me about the loneliness of good … is it equal to the loneliness of evil” - has been transferred to other Masters of the Universe productions.
Bad: Dolph Lundgren
He-Man is a thankless role to play since the actor’s appearance has more value to the story than his diction. Unfortunately Lundgren was not Arnold Schwartzenegger, who somehow managed some on-screen charisma despite only uttering a handful of lines in Conan.
Masters of the Universe was Lundgren’s first leading role, and he would go on to a long and mildly successful career to this day. The actor wasn’t wholly Bad in the movie - but when you’re battling evil forces, navigating mid-eighties Americans, and matching lines with Langella, you’ve got to be more than just Good Enough.
Good: Frank Langella
Of all the actors who played a part in Masters of the Universe, it was Skeletor actor Langella who “got it” best - the movie wasn’t Shakespeare in drama or wit, but it could be if you had clever lines to spout and arena-sized scenery to chew.
Unlike Lundgren, Langella, a classically trained and Tony-winning actor, is obviously having a blast making this movie, despite 5 pounds of makeup and a script meant to animate childish action figures. He carries the outlandish setting well, with an oversized portrayal that uplifts the movie every time he’s in the frame.