Review: Masters of the Universe reboot a surprisingly good yet cheesy return to He-Man. Nicholas Galitzine and former Riverdale star Camila Mendes lead the much-anticipated Masters of the Universe – and the verdict is finally in.
Leigh Paatsch
3 min read
June 3, 2026 - 3:34PM
Masters of the Universe, The Christophers and H Is for Hawk have hit cinemas, delivering a surprisingly solid trio of new releases worth your time this weekend.
The villainous Skeletor is voiced by Jared Leto in Masters Of the Universe.
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (M)
Director: Travis Knight (Bumblebee)
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Camila Mendes.
Rating: Three stars
From here to Eternia … the right way.
There was once a time – the 1980s, if you really need to ask – where the Masters of the Universe brand was giving Star Wars a decent run for its money as the world’s pre-eminent pop-cultural phenomenon.
Having started out as a basic line of action figures, the MOTU effect soon supernova-ed into a highly addictive TV cartoon, a hugely horrendous live-action movie starring Dolph Lundgren, and year after year of record turnover in toy stores.
Then all of a sudden, everything associated with the never-end battle between the heroic He-Man and his villainous nemesis Skeletor was uncool, unloved and unwanted.
Therefore a movie reboot some four decades after the MOTU franchise’s peak should rightly be approached with trepidation, suspicion and perhaps even derision.
Nicholas Galitzine in a scene from Masters of the Universe. Picture: Amazon MGM Studios via AP
However, if you can keep these understandable feelings at bay, you just might be in for a pleasant surprise: this return from oblivion by that goofy gang from the planet Eternia is a darn sight better than most would expect.
Sure, it is no classic, but Masters of the Universe does honourably get by as a nice try. That in itself is a fair achievement, as the plotting of this new production is even more ridiculous than it reads on paper.
Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) has been living on Earth since being forced to flee Eternia as a child. Adam’s only ticket home is to reconnect with the fabled Sword of Power, which, once activated, will trigger the all-conquering alter ego of He-Man.
Camila Mendes at a premiere in New York earlier this month. Picture: Getty Images
Camila Mendes and Nicholas Galitzine. Picture: Getty Images
This, of course, will place our hero on a direct collision course with Eternia’s gleefully deranged incumbent dictator, the one and only Skeletor (brilliantly voiced by Jared Leto).
As we wait for the climactic clash which will sort out Eternia’s fate once and for all, He-Man buddies up with others (including Idris Elba enjoying himself as a messed-up Man-at-Arms!) who unquestionably support his quest to reclaim ownership of his family’s famous fortress, Castle Grayskull.
Although the running time is unnecessarily bloated by about half an hour here, the movie’s charming cheesiness – which even extends to its sloppily synthetic special effects – never diminishes.
Nostalgists with a soft spot for MOTU will love every last shout-out to the franchise’s heyday. Newcomers to this wacky world will appreciate the movie’s winking refusal to ever take itself too seriously.
Masters of the Universe is now showing in general release.
Ian McKellen in a scene from the movie The Christophers.
THE CHRISTOPHERS (MA15+)
Three and a half stars
General release.
This is such a strange, unworldly and overly mannered psychological battle of wills. And yet, it somehow works. Once you learn that the virtuoso veteran director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven, Black Bag) is at the helm, the success of this seemingly difficult affair becomes easy to acknowledge. An added bonus here is that Soderbergh has coaxed the great Sir Ian McKellen out of retirement with a role so juicy he was unable to resist. McKellen stars as Julian Sklar, a once-famous artist whose reputation (and arguably his ability) has fallen away in the sunset phase of his career. In fact, it may sound harsh, but the best career move for Julian’s substantial body of work would be him to pass away. While the painter’s greedy children (James Cordern and Jessica Gunning) are not about to do away with their dad, they do intend to get a head start on cashing in on his expected demise. So they hire a talented but desperate art restorer, Lori (Michaela Coel), to pose as Julian’s new personal assistant. This way she can swipe some unfinished canvases from his golden era as an artist, and secretly forge them to completion so Julian’s kids can score millions later. The darkened core of the movie revolves around many a conversational clash between McKellen and Coel, both of whom are openly pushing one another to winning extremes. An acquired, yet rewarding taste.
Claire Foy and Mabel in H Is For Hawk.
H IS FOR HAWK (M)
Three stars
Selected cinemas.
Two great lead performances save this well-intended drama from tipping into the tedious zone. Performance one is handed in by the ever-consistent Claire Foy, playing Helen, a heartbroken academic having a tough time getting over the death of her father. Performance two comes from a first-timer to films: a noble, moody and gracefully charismatic goshawk named Mabel.
The relationship that forms between these characters – and yes, the bird is definitely a character with a real and complex personality – is undoubtedly a familiar one. The sad and unhealthily inexpressive Helen needs the right outlet through which to let go of her grief. Impulsive to the point of recklessness, young Mabel needs training and empathy if she is to survive and thrive as an adult. It is something of a shame the movie runs a little too long for its own good. Nevertheless, the many scenes where it is just Helen and Mabel bonding, bickering and learning from each other are beautifully shot, and quietly inspirational.
