Masters of the Universe

Directed by Gary Goddard, Masters of the Universe follows He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) as he and a few compatriots are transported to our universe during a battle with the fearsome Skeletor (Frank Langella). Filmmaker Goddard, armed with David Odell’s screenplay, admittedly does a decent job of initially luring the viewer into the progressively underwhelming proceedings, as Masters of the Universe kicks off with a briskly-paced, action-packed opening stretch that launches straight into the ongoing war between He-Man and Skeletor – with the agreeable atmosphere perpetuated by Goddard’s larger-than-life approach and the actors’ gleefully (and appropriately) broad efforts. (Langella, though trapped behind mostly immobile makeup, turns in scenery-chewing work that remains a highlight.) It’s disappointing to note, then, that the movie demonstrably runs out of steam as it progresses into a unfocused, momentum-free midsection, and there’s little doubt, too, that Goddard’s bizarre (and downright inexplicable) decision to completely eschew fish-out-of-water jokes and gags exacerbates the far-from-enthralling vibe – which, when coupled with a fairly anticlimactic final battle, cements Masters of the Universe‘s place as a distressing misfire that mostly (and curiously) relegates He-Man himself to the sidelines.

** out of ****