Pionic · Popculture · September 7, 2017
Master of the Universe: an overlooked classic or just a tale of spareribs and a sweaty Dolph Lundgren
TodayI loved this movie as a kid. My brother, my friends, and I still quote it.
By Ralf Wipper, published by Pionic on Medium. Archive piece from September 2017. Anything time-bound, like the new movie planned back then, reflects where things stood at the time. Text unchanged; the original’s images and embedded videos aren’t included here.
Ever since He-Man was called for again, people are eagerly trying to decipher the myth this hero stands for. Back in his heydays he was as big as your typical assortment of Marvel and DC heroes, shaping personalities of kids in the late 1970’s and 80’s and even influencing grown-up men to this date.
All the action figures may now only be fighting each other in a dusty attic, but there actually was a time when the Master of the Universe ruled supreme over many children’s room.
It culminated in a fantasy film directed by Garry Goddard in 1987, titled the same name — Masters of the Universe. For Mattel and distributor Cannon Films the movie only grossed $17,3 million (even after adjusting it for inflation it’s still a mere $38,3 million).
What seems to be a rounding error these days obviously left a lasting impression on guys like Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2), who is officially developing the new film for 2018, tentatively called Masters of the Universe (surprise surprise).
Now that Wadlow is letting He-Man and his illustrious party defend planet Eternia against the dark Skeletor once again, film lovers are asking if the old installment is more than just a tale of spareribs and action scenes featuring a very sweaty Dolph Lundgren. After all this time, is it possible that the old movie has become a real classic after preserving the secrets of Grayskull for so long?
He-Man certainly was a typical hero of its time, developed by toy designer Mark Taylor and introduced in 1976. He went on to become the most iconic prehistoric warrior (sci-fi elements were increased later on to revitalize the story), more popular than Conan the Barbarian. So, it was only a matter of time, until a full line of action figures from Mattel was released, followed by a series of comics, a cartoon show (actually there was a revival in 2002), and finally this movie.
Yes, Masters of the Universe didn’t win a single award, is rated poorly by most critics on RottenTomatoes and as a whole was an installment on the cheesy side compared to other movies featuring barbarian warriors. It also alienated fans due to the fact that it strayed too far from the source material and just didn’t feel like a true Masters of the Universe movie.
However, if you let go of all expectations (being a fan of Dolph Lundgren surely helps), the enjoyability of this 30-year-old movie is actually more than decent. Sometimes, the over boarding silliness can be a real treat, especially if you consider that He-Man was only meant to sell action figures and didn’t feature a well-nurtured backstory with countless developments to play with. For a Fantasy movie of the 80’s, the story was pretty accessible. Honestly, just try to get a copy of any other sci-fi or fantasy movie of the 80’s and compare it. For a movie, not titled Star Wars or Star Trek, Masters of the Universe holds his ground pretty well.
In execution, the movie is reverting back to European styled sci-fi movies from the 1930’s (envisioned after Metropolis) with its own kind of expressionism to it, but also weirdly blending well with the likes of Conan the Barbarian. In this regard, it tries to escape its source material once molded in plastic. With its mixture of glaring, colorful visuals and self-referencing comic reliefs, it could be seen as one of the forefathers of the modern Marvel movies — that’s bold, we know, but still… It also incorporates the portal metaphor, directly reaching out to us as the main characters from Eternia get stranded in a small American town, of course.
The cast was actually good, picking award-winning actor Frank Langella as megalomaniac Skeletor in an underrated performance. Langella obviously enjoyed every bit of his new persona and to this day absolutely loves the character, the way he became a god and how he scared lots of kids to death back then.
Dolph Lundgren, on the other hand, was remarkable in his own right portraying the Action-Figure almost as plastic, but hence cool enough, as some of us imagined He-Man to be anyway… at least within the limited creative realms of many kid’s room back then.
Then there are actors like Meg Foster as Evil-Lyn backing up Skeletor. In her time on screen, she’s portraying the malevolence her character needed to inherit convincingly enough to not only scare the Kids of the 80’s. You could also make a case that even Courteney Cox’s career, filled with high-profile Hollywood films, started alongside the battle-worn Masters of the Universe.
A young Robert Duncan McNeill played the aspiring musician Kevin, who mistakes the Cosmic Key for some sort of Japanese music synthesizer. His career, like Cox’, did pick up steam afterward, becoming an integral part of Star Trek’s Voyager… but boy — by the power of Grayskull, he had the Goosebumps — the way he was clinging to that magical device, opening time and space.
In general, the fact that the music is so strong with this movie can be attributed to Bill Conti. The man surely was no stranger back then being responsible for the scores to Rocky or The Karate Kid among others. Some believe the score is the part where Master of the Universe really excels or transcends to this date.
The music seems to fit perfectly, so much so that if you could hear what the universe would sound like through music, this was probably it. It’s an energetic composition of synthetic jams and monumental Ben-Hur/Star Wars like themes that signal adventure and lift any sword, pleasing new and older fans. One could even argue that the music helps traveling through time and space battling the dark forces and saving the galaxy from total annihilation… as you really seem to have the power.
Here you have it, a throwback into a weird but beloved blend of prehistoric tales, sci-fi elements, a great score, and spectacle. There are those calling it pulp gold on par with good Tarantino which is an honor and as close to an overlooked classic such a movie can get.
Masters of the Universe Trailer · opens YouTube
Sure, it’s not as polished as a modern blockbuster, and the story might be long forgotten, but it somehow holds up. Thanks to its coherent atmosphere Masters of the Universe is a welcome change and you’ve never seen anything like it. The movie simply transpires the nature of the 80’s in an excellent way and, most importantly, is fun to watch once you get into it.
Now put on your Collar Of Aldruber that’s hidden underneath your bed and tell us what you think. Keep in mind, though, to tell the truth, and show complete obedience.
The movie is not brilliant, yes, but is it that bad or an overlooked classic? Maybe, you are one of those fanboys (the action figures sold in the millions so someone has to be), so do you look forward to the new movie? Share your fond memories with all of us…
Over and out, Gwildor.