'Masters of the Universe' Reboot Panned as Derivative
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- Travis Knight directed the 2026 'Masters of the Universe' reboot for Mattel, a 141-minute film the review describes as 'self-aware but palpably sincere' yet fundamentally derivative of Marvel, 'Barbie,' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy.'
- Nicholas Galitzine plays Eternian prince Adam, who fled to Oklahoma City as a child and now works in HR searching for the Sword of Power on internet message boards.
- Jared Leto plays Skeletor with CGI replacing his face in a Harryhausen-inspired skull effect, in what the review calls 'his most "that was Jared Leto?" performance since playing the Hatbox Ghost in "Haunted Mansion."'
- Idris Elba plays a demoralized, alcoholic Duncan (formerly Man-At-Arms), riffing on his Thor performances, while Camila Mendes plays Duncan's daughter Teela.
- Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn is called the 'clear MVP,' giving a 'wonderfully skeptical henchwoman performance' that 'wrests the last scraps of freshness' from a mode of filmmaking the film knows is played out.
- The review argues the film refuses to commit to its 'softness is the new strength' thesis, offering 'both' brawn and tenderness as a viable option instead, and criticizes the CGI world as 'too digital to believe in' with action that feels 'tired and weightless.'
Why it matters: Knight, the Laika CEO who parlayed his stop-motion talents into 'Bumblebee,' is now attached to a $200 million franchise bet, and the review concludes the film 'has no real interest in doing anything new.' The 141-minute runtime, combined with the noted 'tired' action and weightless CGI, suggests the reboot is structurally overbuilt for material the reviewer judges as creatively exhausted.
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