Should You Watch Masters of the Universe?
Should you watch Masters of the Universe? And I’m not talking about the new 2026 film—I am talking about the 1987 version starring Dolph Lundgren.
This question is mainly aimed at the newer generation of fans, not necessarily people of my generation. I grew up in a blend of Millennial and Gen X culture, so of course I’m going to be a fan of the’87 He-Man film adaptation. I was a kid, I had the He-Man toys, my nostalgia is in full force for the original He-Man live-action motion picture.
But you know what? I have no interest in seeing the new Masters of the Universe. It would seem that this film targeted someone like me who would get memories and feel good about watching this latest incarnation, but it also seemed to be wanting to attract the younger folk because, of course, this is the modern take for the modern audience.
My question before I get into my full recommendation is to the younger people: how much does this movie matter to you? How much does this franchise mean to you? What is your fandom like when it comes to not only Masters of the Universe, but anything that people like me are going to say are classics and should be watched by everybody? When it comes to things like Indiana Jones, all of the James Bond movies, all of Star Trek, Doctor Who, or the original Star Wars—I’m very curious about what people say are classics that you should watch.
I want to know from you: what is your fandom like when you were born into this pop culture when this stuff is all around? Ninja Turtles, Transformers—you are bombarded with IPs all the time. So what is your special connection with any of this? Even something relatively newer like Power Rangers, I don’t even know what you young folk truly latch on to.
Before I get into my proper recommendation of the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie, I do want to tell you why I’m bringing this all up: and that’s because I’m a YA author. I write books—sci-fi superhero action/adventure novels for a YA, even borderline middle-grade audience. I love talking about movies, but I don’t really go into a lot of contemporary films because there’s a lot of older films I either want to rewatch or I’ve actually never seen. So I’m stepping into two worlds here and only one of them I fully understand.
Follow for more entertainment videos and blogs about movies, TV, books—pretty much the main three things. I write about superheroes and robots and I post about pop culture. Be sure to like and subscribe!
I definitely recommend the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie because not only will it be a chance for some of the newer generation to experience what maybe your dad or your uncle or some older person in your life is raving about, but above all else, it is just pure fun and full of adventure. It has something that a lot of modern movies don’t have, and that is heart.
Now don’t get me wrong, this movie is all about selling toys and merchandise, as are most major franchise films. Even though there were deviations from the source material—Orko wasn’t even in the movie, but I still love Gwildor—even though the filmmakers went rogue, they still gave us characters that we enjoyed watching. Is it corny by today’s standards? Was it corny by the standards at the time? Yes, the answer is yes to both! But they were memorable, we had a good time watching it, and we had fun going along for the cheesy, schlocky ride. Even in this corporate entity that was 100% for-profit, there was still an effort to make a film that entertained you.
The main thing that sets it apart is that modern tentpole movies often feel formulaic or seem to be cameo fests designed only to set up a sequel. They blend together and all look the same.
The amount of heart and passion that went into some of these movies—even those clearly made to get you to buy an Optimus Prime t-shirt, action figure, or comic book—was incredible. In the original Transformers animated movie, they had us kids crying at (spoiler) Optimus Prime’s death! That was such a traumatizing experience. They could have easily just had the good guys beating the bad guys and saying a few one-liners, but for films that were always corporate, man, they made you feel something. In this new Masters of the Universe movie, it looks like just a big joke.
So while I definitely recommend the original ’87 He-Man movie, I actually want you to convince me and tell me why you recommend the new Masters of the Universe movie. Should I bother? It doesn’t look any good to me.
Modern-day fandoms are very dynamic. We had a monolithic culture back in the day simply because there were fewer options for us, and most of us were looking at the same things. Now everything is splintered into micro-niche communities.
You’ll hear nerds like me going on and on about SilverHawks, ThunderCats, G.I. Joe, Big Trouble in Little China, RoboCop, Rambo, or 3 Ninjas. What do these mean to the newer generation? If you grew up in a world where it’s all around you all the time, do you hear older nerds babble on and think “whatever,” or do you actually listen and enjoy them?
If you’ve never seen the 1987 version of Masters of the Universe, watch it, come back, and let me know what you think!
Def Rec Podcast available now in all its video glory!
Books by Jon McBrine
The Eric Icarus Series
Unable to hide his flying abilities, a shy high school student’s plan to hide in plain sight as just another superhero backfires after an attack leaves him as the only hope to stop a diabolical villain.
Recruited by tech mogul Baron Maddox, Eric Boxworth becomes Eric Icarus, a maskless member of the Super Society, tech-based defenders of New St. Cloud City. Eric’s miraculous, natural flight power is disguised by a decoy anti-gravity backpack to avoid getting dissected in a lab. Eric and his bubbly, good-natured classmate Jaycee - the armored hero Powerhouse - must stop a madman from creating an empire built on stolen powers. Fans of young superheroes, found family tropes, and high-stakes action will love this YA sci-fi adventure series.
Available at Amazon here
Available at Amazon here
Available at Amazon here
Read the books? Leave a review here!
As subscribers to the Jon McBrine Newsletter, you will receive Blog updates as well as info on new works.
Note: Substack subscribers have been added to the Newsletter subscription. If you do not wish to receive Newsletter updates, you can unsubscribe or contact me directly
Comments
Post a Comment