The 1987 Masters of the Universe movie blew me away | Films | Entertainment

An 80s icon returns to the big screen this week, as Masters of the Universe hits cinema screens, introducing He-Man, Skeletor, and a host of colourful heroes and villains to a new generation. The movie looks set to be a spectacular affair, with British actor Nicholas Galitzine front and centre as Prince Adam and his heroic alter-ego, alongside a strong supporting cast including Jared Leto as the wicked Skeletor, and Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms.

But this isn’t the first time the warriors of Eternia have hit the big screen. Back in 1987 Swedish action star Dolph Lundgren held up the magic sword and spoke those iconic words: “I have the power!” As the gates to Castle Grayskull open once more, I watched the film to see how it stands up almost 40 years on.

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first – even by 1987 standards, the special effects in this movie are naff. No one would expect a nearly-40-year-old film to look as good as the blockbusters we see on the screen today, but it’s clear the filmmakers had nowhere near the budget they needed.

Skeletor’s motley crew of minions look like they’ve just wandered off from an episode of Power Rangers, and the mystical land of Eternia looks suspiciously like that same rocky part of California seen in so many episodes of Star Trek. Meanwhile, memorable characters from the cartoon and toy series, including He-Man’s cowardly feline friend Cringer – and his fearsome alter-ego, the mighty Battle-Cat – and the imp-like magician Orko, are nowhere to be seen, both presumably being too expensive to create convincingly.

The story’s about what you might imagine. The evil Skeletor wants to get hold of a special key, it ends up on Earth in the hands of a pair of unsuspecting teenagers, the good guys arrive to help them out, there’s a big swordfight, He-Man says “I have the power!”, roll credits.

But then, does it really need to be when the whole reason the franchise was created in the first place was to sell toys? In this respect, it’s an absolute extravaganza.

The gaggle of creatures and monsters battling our heroes are tailor-made to sit on toy shop shelves, and Skeletor even spends most of the second half of the film floating around on a giant throne that might as well have a giant flashing sign saying “In stores now!”

Lundgren, fresh from a genuinely iconic turn as Ivan Drago in Rocky 4, is fine, if unremarkable, as He-Man, while his allies Teela and Man-At-Arms are basically there to shoot lasers at things. The film also notably features a very young Courteney Cox, still almost a decade away from becoming one of the biggest stars on the planet as Monica in Friends, alongside Robert Duncan McNeill, who would himself later become a familiar face on the small screen as hotshot pilot Tom Paris on all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager.

But the real revelation is Frank Langella as Skeletor. Casting the veteran of stage and screen – who apparently took the role because his son was a huge fan of the franchise – was a masterstroke, and he’s clearly having a whale of a time chomping on every inch of scenery.

Every time he’s on screen bellowing at his minions or cursing He-Man, the film comes alive, and it’s a tragedy he isn’t remembered alongside Darth Vader and the Wicked Witch of the West as one of the greatest screen villains of all time. Jared Leto is taking on the role in this year’s revamp of the franchise, and he’s got his work cut out for him if he’s going to top Langella’s performance.

Meg Foster also puts in a suitably wicked performance as Skeletor’s henchwoman Evil-Lyn, while 80s stalwart James Tolkan – who you might recognise from Top Gun and the Back to the Future movies – also appears.

So, does the 1987 outing for the Masters of the Universe hold up in 2026? There’s a lot to like in there, not least Frank Langella’s incredible performance. It even features a post-credit sequel tease decades before Marvel would make this an essential element of any blockbuster.

But it’s perhaps better appreciated as a peek at the potential the franchise had – potential which will hopefully be realised when the Masters of the Universe return to the Silver Screen this week.