Blu-ray Review: Hold the Power of ‘Masters of the Universe’

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CHICAGO – Do kids still play with He-Man and Skeletor? When I was young, there wasn’t a single kid at my school who didn’t know these characters and pretend to harness the power of Greyskull. The irony of the Gary Goddard movie from 1987 wasn’t just let that it was pretty awful but that it kind of came on the tail end of the “Masters of the Universe” trend. At least for me. By the time “Masters” came out, He-Man didn’t have quite the same power. And Goddard’s movie, recently released on Blu-ray, really didn’t help.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

“Masters of the Universe” is even cheesier than you remember. It is a product of the mid-to-late ’80s Cannon blockbuster factory that churned out dozens of films that simply haven’t held up over time. However, there is a definitely cheeseball nostalgia factor at play in the “Masters” BD release. A movie that most people have either forgotten or seen only on flimsy VHS is now in HD, further proving that everything will eventually get the digital upgrade. Even if it arguably doesn’t deserve it.

Masters of the Universe was released on Blu-ray on October 2, 2012
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Synopsis:
Planet Eternia and the Castle of Greyskull are under threat from the evil Skeletor, who wants to take over the planet. A group of freedom fighters led by the heroic He-Man are accidentally transported to Earth by a mysterious Cosmic Key, which holds the power to make Skeletor all-powerful. Once on Earth, He-Man joins alliances with two teenaers as they attempt to find the key and return home.

Special Features:
o Feature-Length Commentary by Director Gary Goddard
o Theatrical Trailer

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com