Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Live-action Eternia adventure misfires; lots of fighting.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Masters of the Universe
What's the Story?
In MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, young Prince Adam (Artie Wilkinson-Hunt) is small for his age and is frequently humiliated during battle training ordered by his father, the King of Eternia (James Purefoy). Only Teela (Eire Farrell), the adopted daughter of the king's Man-at-Arms (Idris Elba), befriends him. Then Eternia is attacked by the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto), who wants to obtain the Sword of Power. The queen (Charlotte Riley) sends Adam to her home planet, Earth, along with the sword—which the boy unfortunately loses during the journey. Fifteen years later, Adam (now played by Nicholas Galitzine) works in Human Resources and finally gets his first lead on the location of the sword. When he finds it, a giant beast appears on Earth to steal it. Teela (Camila Mendes) also appears and takes Adam back to Eternia. There, Adam must learn how to use the sword's power, assemble a team, and face Skeletor.
Is It Any Good?
This misfire of an action-adventure movie doesn't seem to get anything right: The fight scenes are overly choreographed, the juvenile humor falls flat, and the story takes forever to get started. Masters of the Universe is the first movie based on Mattel toys since 2023's Barbie, but there's very little chance that it will equal that movie's success and cultural impact. It loses its way almost immediately with a long origin sequence that's followed by long, flat comedy sequences of Adam acting inept and clueless—all before he finally raises the sword ("By the power of Grayskull! I have the POWER!!) and becomes He-Man.
Even then, the course doesn't correct, since the fight scenes are utterly lifeless. Not one move feels spontaneous or unrehearsed, and the timing is all off. And if it all takes a long time to get started, it also takes forever to actually end. Even with six writers, the movie can't keep its details straight, such as what the Sword of Power actually is and why everyone wants it. Perhaps worst of all is the humor, which fluctuates between infantile stabs at innuendo and futile attempts at being "meta." It's safe to say that even the cheesy 1980s TV cartoon version is better and more fun than this Masters of the Universe movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Masters of the Universe's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Are the movie's conflicts solved primarily through fighting, or do characters also rely on conversation, courage, cooperation, perseverance, problem-solving, and compassion?
How does the movie showcase teamwork? Why is that an important character strength? How did Adam and Skeletor treat their respective teammates when they succeeded? How did they treat their teammates when they failed?
Adam is often embarrassed and underestimated as a child. How did those experiences affect him as he grew older? Have you ever felt overlooked or underestimated? How did you respond?
What qualities make Adam a hero? Are those qualities different from simply being strong or powerful?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 5, 2026
- Cast : Nicholas Galitzine , Camila Mendes , Idris Elba , Jared Leto
- Director : Travis Knight
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Writer(s) , Queer Movie Writer(s) , Asian Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Amazon MGM Studios
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Robots , Royalty ( Kings , Princes , Queens )
- Run time : 132 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sequences of violence/action, some suggestive material, and language
- Last updated : June 21, 2026
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