Masters of the Universe Review: Jared Leto Steals the Show From He-Man

Nearly forty years after Dolph Lundgren swung the Power Sword in the 1987 movie, He-Man is back on the big screen. Masters of the Universe arrived in theaters on June 5, 2026, from Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films, with Travis Knight directing. Knight is best known for Laika’s stop-motion films and for Bumblebee, the well-regarded Transformers spinoff. The film has since moved to digital platforms, where it has been available since July 22, and it arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 20, 2026.

It’s also a film with a complicated reputation. It was the first of Mattel’s planned wave of toy-based movies, which arrived in the shadow of the success of Barbie, and it faced the tricky question of how to make a toy line full of characters like Ram-Man and Skeletor feel exciting without turning the whole thing into a joke. The answer, according to the finished film, is to try both at once. That approach leads to some of the film’s best moments and some of its most frustrating ones.

The Story: A Prince, a Sword, and a Very Long Detour Through Earth

The movie opens with a quick tour of Eternia, a realm where laser guns sit alongside giant talking tigers. Ten-year-old Adam Glenn struggles to keep up with the military training of Duncan, his father’s Man-at-Arms, played by Idris Elba. Then Skeletor, played by Jared Leto, attacks the capital and captures Adam’s parents. The royal Sorceress, played by Morena Baccarin, sends Adam to planet Earth to save him, along with the Sword of Power. But Adam and the sword are separated in transit.

Adam grows up on Earth, which is his mother’s home planet. He spends about 15 years searching for the sword while working an ordinary job in human resources. When he finally recovers it, enemies come looking for it too. His old friend Teela, played by Camila Mendes, then brings him back to a ruined Eternia, where he must take up the mantle of He-Man, face Skeletor, and learn what kind of hero he wants to be. The cast also includes Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, James Purefoy as King Randor, and Kristen Wiig as the voice of a battle-bot sidekick.

Jared Leto Is the Reason to Watch

If there’s one performance that makes this film worth seeing, it’s Leto’s. His Skeletor is theatrical, sly, and wickedly funny. He purrs his lines, cackles with delight, and even tries to get his henchmen to join in his evil laughs. Even buried under a digital skull, he manages to give the villain real personality. A late mind-torture sequence is one of the film’s highlights, and it’s a moment when the movie’s humor works best.

Galitzine has a harder job. He plays Adam as a bit of a lost kid in a muscular adult body, a bit like Tom Hanks in Big, which is a clever idea. The film also makes a point of showing a modern, sensitive He-Man who wrestles with ideas about what a “real man” should be. It’s an interesting angle, but the film doesn’t always commit to it. Galitzine can seem adrift next to Elba and Mendes, who are better at balancing the camp with the action.

The film looks good. Eternia has the glossy feel of a toy playset, the costume designs keep the bold, cartoonish look of the originals, and Daniel Pemberton’s guitar-heavy score leans into the ’80s hair-metal mood, with a song credited to Queen’s Brian May playing over a climactic battle. He-Man has also long been embraced by LGBTQ+ fans, and the film nods to that history with a few knowing lines from Skeletor.

Where the Tone Gets in the Way

The biggest problem is that the film doesn’t seem sure how seriously to take itself. It borrows the irreverent style of Thor: Ragnarok, with ’80s kitsch and plenty of winking jokes, and when that works, it’s an energetic, underdog space adventure. When it doesn’t, it feels like the movie is embarrassed by its own premise. Many lines sound like jokes but don’t land as jokes, and the action scenes are well staged but can blur together in a flood of CGI.

The sincere ideas get the same treatment. Whenever the story starts to say something about Adam’s growth, it pulls back into a joke or an eye-roll, and the ending falls back on a big fight. The film also didn’t connect with audiences the way Mattel had hoped. It earned about $113.5 million worldwide against a reported budget of $170 million, which makes a sequel uncertain, even though Knight has said he’d like to continue the story.

Is It Worth Watching at Home?

For many viewers, home is the best way to see it. The runtime is 141 minutes and the rating is PG-13, which makes it a decent family movie night. The October 20 release comes on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD, with bonus features including a promotional gallery and a featurette called “Masters of Light: Skies of Eternia Drone Spectacle.” There’s also an Amazon-exclusive 4K SteelBook edition with a collectible mini-comic book.

If you grew up with the toys or the cartoon, you’ll find plenty of nostalgia and fun here. If you want a sharper, more confident blockbuster, you may feel it falls short of its potential.

The Verdict

Masters of the Universe has a great villain, a handsome look, and plenty of ’80s energy. It also has a tone that never settles and a hero who gets lost in the jokes. It’s an entertaining but uneven revival, best enjoyed by fans of the franchise.

Rating: 3/5

Watch the Trailer

Quick Facts

• Title: Masters of the Universe
• Director: Travis Knight
• Writers: Chris Butler, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee, David Callaham
• Genre: Action, Fantasy, Adventure
• Runtime: 2h 21m (141 minutes)
• Rated: PG-13
• Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Kristen Wiig
• Music: Daniel Pemberton
• Production: Amazon MGM Studios, Mattel Films
• Theatrical release: June 5, 2026
• Digital release: July 22, 2026
• 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD: October 20, 2026
• Worldwide box office: About $113.5 million (reported budget: $170 million)

Where to Watch

Masters of the Universe is available on digital platforms, and it arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 20, 2026, through Amazon MGM Studios and Alliance Home Entertainment.

Have you seen “Masters of the Universe”? Share your thoughts in the comments below.