Parents' Guide to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Close up of He-Man and Skeletor's faces in a swirling green fog.

Common Sense Media Review

Stephanie Morgan By Stephanie Morgan , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 8+

OK reboot of classic adventure cartoon has violence.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 8+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 9+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

In HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, friends Adam, Krass and a tiger named Cringer are all part of Tiger Tribe, a village that takes in lost souls and shuns technology. Their peaceful utopia is disturbed when a kind-hearted bounty hunter pulls them into her quest to keep the mystical Sword of Grayskull out of the wrong hands. But everything changes once Adam picks up the sword and transforms into who he was always meant to be: the ultra-powerful He-Man.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say ( 1 ):

Witty quips and the inclusion of powerful female side-kicks attempt to refresh a 1980s cartoon icon for today's modern audience. With considerably more robots and lasers than the original, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe wants to maintain the core premise of the eternal struggle between good and evil with an updated Mandalorian vibe. But it misses the mark in failing to provide any significant life lessons, focusing instead on endless battles and the comedy of a young boy trapped in a powerful man's body. The result is an entertaining but not-too-deep show that, much like its predecessor, is heavily focused on violence.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the ways that Adam, Krass and Cringer display courage and teamwork. Why are these important character strengths?

  • Families can talk about the differences between fantasy and real life. What happens in this show that couldn't happen IRL?

  • How do the funny parts of this show affect its overall tone? Do you think the humor is purposely added to make the show less scary? Does it work?

TV Details

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He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Close up of He-Man and Skeletor's faces in a swirling green fog.

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