By the spoiler of Grayskull! Stay out if you’ve yet to watch “Masters of the Universe.”
Travis Knight’s “Masters of the Universe” may suffer from a bit of an over-reliance on Marvel-like jokes, but that doesn’t stop this big screen reboot of the titular 1980s cartoon series from being a fun adventure. Unlike, say, the live-action “G.I. Joe” movies, this film isn’t embarrassed by its Saturday morning cartoon origins. It doesn’t go for a grounded and “realistic” tone, nor does it mute the colors or personalities of its characters.
Quite the opposite, in fact. As evidenced by the clever in-canon explanation it offers for the silly character names associated with this franchise, “Masters of the Universe” recognizes the inherent absurdity of the “He-Man” universe yet still takes its seriously. More so, it appeals to the nostalgia of those who are familiar with this particular ’80s-born property while also allowing younger generations to appreciate the world of Eternia — a sci-fi fantasy realm where everything from talking green tigers to guys with skulls for faces exist.
Unsurprisingly, given that Knight is one of the heads at the celebrated stop-motion animation studio Laika, some of the best parts of “Masters of the Universe” bring classic animated titles to mind. For example, the movie’s fight scenes speed up then slow down in order to make Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) wielding his powers more visually impactful, like a “Dragon Ball Z” brawl between two super humans. Similarly, the first time Adam transforms into He-Man while protecting his allies Man-at-Arms (Idris Elba) and Teela (Camila Mendes) from the villainous Trap Jaw (Sam C. Wilson), he basically goes full magical anime girl à la the transformation sequences in “Sailor Man.”
Allow me to explain.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a magical girl cartoon
The magical girl anime genre has been around since the 1960s, beginning with shows like “Sally the Witch” (inspired by “Bewitched”). The genre tends to center on young girls with magical abilities, which they typically use through an alter ego that only they can transform into. Nowadays, of course, the genre is mainly associated with “Sailor Moon,” which took the concept, combined it with elements of live-action tokusatsu superhero shows, and made its titular magical girl a superhero. Before then, the genre was mostly comedic, but with “Sailor Moon,” magical girls didn’t just have magic, they also had power. It’s why “Sailor Moon” still matters to this day.
So, what does that have to do with “He-Man?” Well, The “Masters of the Universe” franchise has always had some magical girl anime in it. Like “Sailor Moon” protagonist Usagi Tsukino (aka. Serena), She-Ra from “Masters of the Universe” has an alter ego that she uses to fight evil. Similarly, upon saying their activation phrases, the pair transform, gaining a new uniform and a weapon while a cool song plays. In fact, it’s entirely possible that the 1980s “She-Ra: Princess of Power” cartoon inspired the original “Sailor Moon,” which in turn inspired ND Stevenson to develop Netflix’s celebrated series “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” (as Stevenson wrote about in a 2020 article for Vulture).
The point being: If She-Ra can technically be a magical girl, then why can’t He-Man? At least, that’s the question that Travis Knight seems to ask in “Masters of the Universe.” After all, He-Man already uses a phrase to activate his transformation into his alter ego. (“By the Power of Grayskull” is not so different from “Moon Prism Power, Make Up,” is it?)
Prince Adam’s transformation is the best part of Masters of the Universe
As Adam transforms into his super strong alter ego in “Masters of the Universe,” time itself appears to stop. Just like Sailor Moon, the prince floats in the air as his clothes disappear (with a glowing light covering his most intimate parts), and the camera spins around him as pieces of his uniform begin to materialize out of nowhere with flashy lighting effects.
Naturally, the He-Man character has had a transformation sequence for decades, but for the most part, it’s previously been a visually static process. Adam says the words, the camera freezes, and he instantly becomes He-Man without any movement whatsoever. He basically just swaps clothes, with his animal companion Cringer being the one who actually grows larger thanks to He-Man’s powers.
In other words: The way that “Masters of the Universe” allows the camera to rotate while Adam’s clothes magically disappear then reappear is not a reference to the franchise’s history. Rather, it brings to mind decades of magical girl anime and the way “Sailor Moon” does its own transformation sequences. And make no mistake, this simple choice is the coolest thing in “Masters of the Universe.” It’s a visually stunning moment that recognizes that He-Man has always had things in common with magical anime, all while allowing Nicholas Galitzine to show off his muscles with extreme close ups. And if you still doubt that He-Man and Sailor Moon are similar, remember that the movie’s version of Adam is a clumsy loser back on Earth, just like Usagi is often referred to as a crybaby in “Sailor Moon.”
“Masters of the Universe” is currently playing in theaters.
