First and foremost, I am such a huge fan of the original show He-Man. During GeekedWeek, Netflix’s celebration of Fandom and their geek-centric programs, Kevin Smith shared with the audience that his family couldn’t invest in another line of toys, and there were a lot of the He-Man toys. I remember having several of my own. From Skeletor to even He-Man’s father. What a weird toy to sell a child… I had a bunch of them.
I will admit that my love of the series might be viewed by some to be slightly biased, but I did my best to keep an open mind. We specifically have been asked to not reveal too much about the series ahead of its launch, so there are no spoilers here. Instead, hear our thoughts about the series and our general take on the five-episode first part of this new adult story of the Masters of the Universe.
Like normal, this critique will be based on three categories: Story, Acting, and Overall. So let’s begin.
STORY: 10/10
It’s hard to talk about the story here, with the limitations that we have, but needless to say, the heroes of Eternia are forced to go on an epic quest to save their world and the Universe. There isn’t much time, and the costs of failing are unbearable.
Nothing is guaranteed, as the days of our childhood shows and the invincible characters trope are long gone. This is a show for adults, and they do not waste any time showing us that fact.
Viewers will be taken to places never shown before outside of the extended lore of the series. It’s a true showcase of Kevin Smith’s ability to deliver a show that a die-hard fan would really enjoy. I will warn that there will be a lot of people who refuse to allow fandom to grow, and they will watch this series and immediately throw a fit, those people aren’t going to get what they want. However, if they can table their rage, and sit it out for the first three episodes, you’ll easily be hooked on the amazing story that has been created and the world of the characters.
For anyone who watches this show and still becomes frustrated that the aptly named “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” does not focus enough on He-Man, you will be happy to know that there is a different animated series coming to Netflix in connection to Mattel titled the original “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” and will focus more on the titular character and will more skewed toward younger children.
ACTING: 9/10
Solid performances of course from Mark Hamill as Skeletor and Chris Wood as He-Man. They really capture the spirit of the characters. That being said, it was great that Alan Oppenheimer was still included in the series, this time around as Moss Man.
There is one character specifically I want to talk about, Sarah Michelle Gellar starts off in the first episode a bit wooden. Once the story starts up, and the journey is laid before the character though, the performance of Gellar stands out and is impressive. I don’t know if this was a director’s choice, or if the growth of the characters allowed the actors to take them and make them their own, but as soon as she takes the reigns of Teela fully, she becomes her and delivers a powerful performance.
I want to shout out my two favorite characters. Their stories wouldn’t have been so amazing, if not for the voice performances of Orko, voiced by Griffin Newman, and Evil-Lyn, voiced by Lena Headey. They easily became my favorite characters and I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the next part.
OVERALL: 9.5/10
It’s important to note that as adults, fans of the show would have a hard time watching the original series. It clearly was created with the intent to sell toys. That being said there was an underlying message of He-Man still within that cash grab series, in that He-Man stood up for what was right and did not hide away when evil attempted to attack those things you hold dear.
While this revival doesn’t fit the camp of the original series, it takes that same underlying message of hope and perseverance of the prior show and tells it with an epic tale with high stakes, and passion. Written with skill and quality that the original audience’s generation has grown to desire from their media.
Conner’s Final Thought(s):
I really hope this series doesn’t get the hate that was thrown at She-Ra. It’s complex, epic, and tells a powerful thought-provoking story. All of this while also giving the characters well-written and developed growth throughout the series. A series like that should not be stifled but celebrated. I will admit though, that I am a bit pissed that I will have to wait sometime for the next part to be released.
Don’t forget to watch Master of the Universe Revelation on Netflix when it launches on July 23, 2021!
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