A nostalgia-fuelled cosmic spectacle

Satish Sundaresan

This week’s release He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe is aimed at refreshing the good ol’ memories. The film starts with the introduction of Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) who is long separated from his home planet Eternia and is presently working in the HR department on Earth.

It is here that he learns ways to communicate his feelings while empathising with others. A few turn of events thrust him back into a cosmic war where he discovers the iconic Sword of Power, reconnecting him with his forgotten destiny. 

But little did he know upon returning to Eternia that he would have to deal with challenging dangers ahead in the form of tyrant Skeletor (Jared Leto), who seeks total control over the universe. 

Actors’ performance

The film sails smoothly on the shoulders of Nicholas Galitzine, who leaves no stone unturned to do justice to his character. Even though the screenplay wavers and occasionally falters, that doesn’t stop Nicholas from putting in a sincere effort to make his character memorable. Besides being good-looking, he has the finest acting chops- a combo that works in his favour.   Following closely are Idris Elba and Camila Mendes who try with utmost sincerity to stay true to their respective characters, a few scenes notwithstanding.

As for Jared Leto and his ‘Skeletor’ act, one can see it oscillating between being an iconic character and a caricature.  Travis Knight successfully brings his signature blend of heartfelt storytelling and technical brilliance through his direction.  Background score (Daniel Pemberton) is truly praiseworthy as it seamlessly and effortlessly blends itself with the film’s narrative. Even though the vfx are good, a few places still feel the need for better and more convincing vfx. The film’s cinematography (Fabian Wagne) is pretty decent. But it’s the film’s editing that seems to really need the magical powers of He-Man in order to justice to a bunch of scenes.

FPJ verdict 

With the summer holidays wrapping up anytime soon, this film seems like the best treat for yourself and the younger ones. In other words, this film is for the young and the young at heart.

Title: He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe

Director: Travis Knight

Cast: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin and Johannes Haukur

Where: In theatres near you

Rating: HH